Waterfall

After a morning spent diving in the sea, nothing is more refreshing then swimming in freshwater.

A 40 minute trek to Kadavu village will bring you to a beautiful waterfall. A playground for young and old. The speed at which the village children fly across the rocks and climb the steep cliffs is just crazy to watch.

During my last visit as I attempted to climb the slippery rock face to the top of the waterfall, I looked up into the face of a young girl, her outstretched hand offering assistance. I was struggling to hold my own weight on the step rock face and had to smile at the thought of this 8 or 9 year old girl offering to help me up to the top. But she insisted with a reassuring smile and her outstretched hand. With ease she pulled me to the top, smiled and continued running, jumping from rock to ledge before diving like an Olympian from the 10 metre height.

What a sight to see, to watch the fun and games, the laughing, smiling. Good old fashion fun.

Bridie, Kate, talking to locals Lendua and Ben

Local kids scaling the rock face

Kesa and Kate – Tour guides to the village

Book on the status of coral reefs in the Pacific launched at USP

Source: http://www.usp.ac.fj/news/story.php?id=200

IMR Director Dr Ken Mackay at the launch of the book

The health of coral reefs in the Southwest Pacific is the subject of a new book which was launched at the University of the South Pacific this week.
Status of Coral Reefs in the SouthWest Pacific: 2004, which has been edited by Reuben Sulu, brings together reports from Fiji, Nauru, New Caledonia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, prepared under the auspices of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN). It was published by the Institute of Pacific Studies Publications at USP in collaboration with the University's Institute of Marine Resources.
The book was launched by IMR director Dr Ken MacKay who pointed out that book carried important information on coral reefs in this part of the world.
"The book is based on a 2004 coral reef monitoring report results of which were condensed into a global report which came out two years ago, said Dr MacKay. 

He pointed out that coral reefs played an essential role in maintaining strong and healthy ecosystems, and which also contribute to local communities by way of providing food supplies, protecting coastlines and generating tourism opportunities. 

The book reports on the status of coral reefs of the region and discusses threats to the reefs, before offering suggestions and recommendations for their ongoing management. The major issues in the region were commercial exploitation of marine resources, cyclone damage and coral bleaching. In face of these threats, survey results revealed that overall coral cover has increased since the major bleaching events (2000, 2002) to almost pre-bleaching levels and recognition of commercial exploitation and other anthropogenic impacts has led to awareness programs and establishment of small Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) throughout each island country. A similar report is currently being prepared and results of the 2007 surveys will be published in 2008. 

Status of Coral Reefs in the Southwest Pacific: 2004, was financially supported by the Canada-South Pacific Ocean Development Programme, with further editing funded by the Coral Reef Initiatives for the Pacific (CRISP). 

It is available at IPS Publications, the Institute of Marine Resources and the USP Book Centre (all at the University of the South Pacific's Laucala Campus) or online at www.ipsbooks.ac.fj (ISBN: 9789820203860, 274pp, illus. col. RRP $34).

Asia-Pacific Coral Reef Program

Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Indonesia : Asia-Pacific Coral Reef Program

Coral reefs of the Asia-Pacific region contain the most diverse concentrations of life on the planet. Indonesia and Papua New Guinea form two sides of the renowned diversity hotspot know as the “coral triangle,” while Fiji, diverse in its own right, is famous for its spectacularly colorful coral communities and array of endemic species. WCS operates a marine project in each of these countries, integrating ecological and socioeconomic research to provide novel approaches to conservation and management while meeting community needs.

The Human Aspect
The majority of coastal communities throughout Indonesia, PNG, and Fiji rely heavily upon marine resources for sustenance and income. With coastal populations rapidly expanding, and a move towards more modern, efficient and damaging fishing methods, many reefs in the Asia-Pacific region are facing threats of overexploitation and destruction. This in turn is affecting the livelihoods of the communities that are so heavily dependent upon the marine environment. Achieving marine conservation in the region requires finding a balance between conserving biological wealth and maintaining the livelihoods of the communities dependent upon the marine environments.

Threats
The most significant threats facing coral reefs in this region are overfishing, destructive fishing practices, and coral bleaching. The generally long life spans of targeted reef species, as well as the relatively low productivity of reef ecosystems, makes reef fishery stocks particularly susceptible to overfishing. Furthermore, a number of fishing methods commonly employed in the region, including dynamite and cyanide fishing and the use of monofilament nets, not only deplete fisheries stocks at an alarming rate, but also damage or destroy essential reef habitats. The bleaching of corals from elevated sea temperatures is also significantly changing reef habitats, and the long-term impacts of this phenomenon are still largely unknown.

WCS Activities
WCS uses an integrated natural and social science approach to identify which types of management are successful in maintaining or improving reef ecosystem condition and which socioeconomic factors are responsible for this success. So far, WCS has found that management systems that are most responsive to the needs and priorities of local communities achieve the best compliance with management regulations and subsequently achieve the greatest conservation success. WCS is now beginning to implement identified successful management strategies in receptive communities. In PNG and Fiji, existing systems of customary marine tenure (community ownership of reefs) will be used as an avenue to implement and enforce management strategies, while in Indonesia, alternative systems of management will be implemented and tested within the framework of national park zoning plans.

The long-term success of conservation strategies in the region will also rely heavily upon a strong local scientific staff to implement, monitor, and adapt management strategies. One of the major objectives of this program is to build the capacity of young local marine scientists to carry out research and monitoring within each country. WCS’ activities to achieve this objective include marine training courses, supervision of postgraduate projects, and one-on-one mentoring of interns working with the program. It is hoped that through these activities, WCS can build a strong local scientific contingent to continue conservation efforts in the Asia-Pacific region well into the future.

Important Next Steps

• Continue to identify the most effective management strategies.
• Develop optimal management strategies tailored to local social, cultural, and economic conditions.
• Implement optimal management strategies in receptive communities as part of a locally managed marine area network.
• Monitor, evaluate, and adapt management strategies to ensure their long-term effectiveness.
• Train young scientists, conservation practitioners, and managers to be able to implement and adapt management strategies and to train others in marine research and monitoring techniques.

Part 5: A discussion on diving and air consumption: Equipment

Again, as you learned in your dive course, equipment causes drag through the water, drag means extra effort which means higher air consumption. You learned therefore that the gear you carry should be streamlined.


What I am about to say may not be popular as many divers are very attached to their ‘gear’. Consider streamlining your gear by not taking it in the water in the first place or better still, leaving it at home! I can virtually put money on the guy who has been diving for years and is carrying half a dive shop underwater with him will be the first up. It’s always a matter of personal choice, but when diving in tropical waters you really can pare down to the bare essentials.

Why not take off your dry suit inflator hose – you won’t need it. It feels so much better when you’re not laden down with all the latest gadgets and it does wonders for your air consumption (and excess baggage charges!).

If you don’t have the ideal tropical setup, consider hiring you gear – your dive resort should have plenty of high quality equipment available for rental.

Part 4: A discussion on diving and air consumption: Depth

As already mentioned, it is not essential to go deep or stay deep on Fiji’s reefs. You might want to go and look at something specific at depth but if you find you use more air than your fellow divers, try reducing the average depth of your dive. With clear water, you can happily be a few metres above the other divers and still stay in touch.

Assuming a conservative air consumption of 20 litres per minute at the surface and also assuming you breathe a tank from 200 bar at the start to 50 bar back on the surface (total 1800 litres) – at an average depth of 15 metres you will have enough air for a 36 minute dive. At an average depth of 10 metres you will have enough air for a 45 minute dive. This is a massive 25% increase in time. Why not spend time exploring the shallows during the latter part of the dive. This is perfect in the tropics as you will see a huge amount of life in great natural bright light.

It is also great for your dive profile and repetitive dive no decompression limits.

Part 3: A discussion on diving and air consumption: Positive buoyancy at the surface

This is a huge issue and should have been stressed time and again on your initial dive course. In my experience, over 30% of all qualified (and experienced) divers we take diving are slightly out of breath before they start their first dive, especially when they have not dived recently! Think what this will do for air consumption on the dive.

Why is this the case? They are paddling, don’t have enough air in their BCD’s, are uncomfortable with the surface conditions etc. Basically, they forgot to trust and use their equipment. It’s not only air consumption at stake here.

A large percentage of all diving incidents occur on the surface, mostly through over exertion. A good way to overcome this is to hang about on the surface. Let the dive boat pick someone else up first after a dive whilst you float around. Have enough air in your BCD to lie back and stop kicking completely. If there is a short swim to the dive site, it is often easier to do this a couple of metres under the water than at the surface – especially in choppy conditions.

Believe me; if you can avoid getting even slightly out of breath you will save masses of air.

Part 2: A discussion on diving and air consumption: Comfort / skills

This is a fairly obvious place to start. Unless you are comfortable in the water and confident of your diving skills can you ever be relaxed enough to achieve optimum air consumption? Being relaxed (or able to be relaxed) is the key to everything I discuss below – the more relaxed and natural you are underwater the easier diving will become - it is a self fulfilling prophesy.


Do a deal with yourself – practice 1 thing you are uncomfortable with on every dive (yes, even mask clearing or removal!) until it becomes second nature. After that, don’t stop – do it because you enjoy it!

Tips for photographing Manta Rays

The Manta Ray dive site dive site visited from Matava Resort continues to amaze divers from novices to seasoned world travellers. Many have seen their first Manta's here and still have had their closest encounters. Despite having a 'dive of a lifetime' few however manage to come away with the 'shot of a lifetime'. Despite (or because of) their size, Mantas are a difficult subject - here are some tips to help capture that memorable image:-

1. You are going to need to be close. Mantas feed in plankton rich waters and cutting down the distance to you and your subject is essential. To achieve this you need to remain calm and still, perfect your buoyancy and certainly not chase your subject.

2. You have to have the right lens. Unless you want a close up of a Manta's eyeball, all that work in getting close will not pay off unless you have a wide angle lens (very wide). To get the best shots, you need to be able to fill the frame with a 5 metre Manta from about half that distance (15mm lens or less is ideal).

3. Practice composing your shots with a fixed subject before entering the water - also practice framing without the camera to your eye. Just reaching in front of you with your camera allows you to get a little closer without moving your bubbles closer. The aim is to fill the frame without cropping later on so you can maximise your image quality.

4. Consider shooting in natural light. Strobes often produce a 'stung' look from the Manta as they often flinch when a strobe fires. Our Mantas are generally at a depth of about 15 metres (45 - 50 feet). This is ideal for using something like a 'Magic Filter' which allows you to restore the natural colour balance of your photograph later on. You will of course also need to learn 'Photoshop' or equivalent as the filters work in conjunction with these programmes.

5. Take plenty of shots but don't forget to take in the Mantas beauty with your own eyes as well !

Lawsuit Filed to Protect World's Most Endangered Whale

From: SCUBA Diving News

The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit to compel the Bush administration to protect the North Pacific Right Whale under the federal Endangered Species Act. The US Department of the Interior has proposed opening up areas in the Bering Sea frequented by the species to offshore oil development. Additionally, President Bush is considering lifting the presidential withdrawal that currently prohibits such development.

The North Pacific Right Whale (Eubalaena japonica), once ranging from Baja California to Alaska, is the most endangered large whale in the world, with perhaps as few as 100 individuals remaining. Devastated by commercial whaling, North Pacific Right Whales now face the threat of oil and gas development in their critical habitat.

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