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Montserrat marine life on the mend, says Coral Cay Conservation
Coral Cay Conservation Explore Montserrat’s Marine Exclusion Zone For The First Time In Nearly Two Decades
Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) has been operating a ridge to reef conservation project on the Caribbean Island of Montserrat since May 2013. The work that has been done has been focused on the north of the island as the south has been designated an exclusion zone since the Soufrière Hills volcanic eruptions in 1995.
On the 30th October CCC’s first team of divers ventured down to explore the exclusion zone after receiving special permission to explore the reefs from the Montserrat Volcano Observatory and Royal Montserrat Police Force. This was an incredible opportunity to get the first glimpses of a reef that hasn’t been dived for nearly two decades. The teams headed southeast of Bransby Point and conducted 4 separate dives.
Half of the teams encountered patch reefs during the dives, and what they saw was very encouraging for the state of the reefs around Montserrat.
Numerous fish spread over 22 families were recorded with sightings of commercially important Groupers and Barracuda as well as Garden Eels, Morays and Stingrays. There were also two large and very curious Almaco Jacks (Seriola rivoliana) spotted by CCC divers, and even a Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) was spotted.
In addition to the fish there were a range of colourful sponges and numerous colonies of hard coral seen on the reefs, with several boulders of vulnerable Elliptical Star Coral (Dichocoenia stokesii) and various other star corals (Montastraea spp.) being recorded, too.
Encouragingly, no rubbish or coral damage was seen on the reef; however, there were several colonies of hard coral which had undergone bleaching.
There was also a good range of invertebrate species present, including Long Spined Sea Urchins, numerous Gorgonians, Collector Urchins, Cushion Stars, Basket Stars and Queen Conch as well as a few Magnificent Urchins (Astropyga magnifica) on the beds of Midrib Seagrass (Halophila baillonis) surrounding the patches of reef.
Both of the dive teams who were deployed further away from the water off shore from the remnants of the pyroclastic flows in Plymouth encountered reef, while those deployed further southeast saw mostly seagrass and sand on the seabed.
CCC divers reported an exciting day’s diving which was very rewarding for everyone involved. With a few more exploratory dives planned, CCC should hopefully soon be able to conduct surveys around the south side of the island to complement the ongoing surveys on Montserrat.
To find out how you could get involved in the project, visit www.coralcay.org.
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EXCLUSIVE: Jeff Goodman interviews Mark Spiers, CEO of New Scuba Diving Training Agency NovoScuba
In a video recorded exclusively for Scubaverse.com, Jeff Goodman interviews Mark Spiers, CEO of new scuba diving training agency NovoScuba.
Find out more about NovoScuba at www.novoscuba.com.
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Charting New Waters; NovoScuba Goes Global with the Launch of their Revolutionary Dive Training Agency!
Discover a New Era of Dive Education: NovoScuba Brings Innovation to the Surface! Fully ISO Certified and Equipped with Cutting-Edge Technology.
With a combined experience spanning over a century in the diving industry, a team of accomplished dive store owners, managers, and professionals unveils NovoScuba, a ground-breaking dive training agency poised to redefine the benchmarks of underwater education. Launching in May 2024, NovoScuba promises a revolutionary approach to dive training. Their vision is to make diving accessible to everyone, share success within the dive community and emphasise positive interactions with the planet.
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NovoScuba’s platform offers state of the art training programmes ranging from introductory up to professional diving, including various specialties. All programmes meet international standards and ISO certifications are in place. This commitment to shared success, accessibility and positive results for the planet, all at a cost effective and affordable level, is what will make NovoScuba stand out.
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NovoScuba is challenging a change in the industry, redefining established traditional systems, and ushering in a new standard of excellence, support, and partnership. Their collaborations with dive stores, pros and underwater enthusiasts won’t demand exclusivity, prioritising earned loyalty, and an understanding that their Member’s success is key to their own.
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Diving Redefined.
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