Most serious snorkelers know the basic rules of snorkeling – with regard to safety as well as conservation.
In the case of the former, read it, learn it, live it. In the case of the latter, intelligent conservation is the key.
Good snorkeling practices are good for everyone.
We all love reef fish. But most prefer to see them in the ocean, not in a fish tank. But a big retailer has another take on things, and that’s got Snorkel Bob hot under the collar, so the speak.
If you enjoy snorkeling, you know how important it is to help preserve coral reefs.
Among the basic rules of snorkeling safety is being aware of your surroundings – and that includes respecting the reef.
We like to hear about the good work people like Reef Check are doing – like this project in Haiti.
Good article in the NY Times about Hawaii and their strict regulations regarding reefs.
From the article:
The fines began two years ago to punish those who damage a resource critical to Hawaii’s fragile environment and tourism, the state’s No. 1 industry.
“People are going to have to be more careful out here, because if it keeps getting damaged, we’re going to lose it,” said Laura Thielen, chairwoman of the State Board of Land and Natural Resources, which decides how much to fine.
Hawaii is home to 84 percent of all coral under American jurisdiction. Coral reefs provide vital habitats for fish, help protect shoreline areas during storms and support a thriving snorkeling and scuba diving industry.
A great move made by President Bush before the end of his Presidency.
With just two weeks left in office, President Bush designated almost 200,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean as a national monument using powers granted by the Antiquities Act of 1906. The new marine “monument,” an area about the size of Spain, is the largest protected area of ocean ever established, breaking a previous record also set by Bush in mid-2006, when he decreed 140,000 square miles in Northwest Hawaii off-limits using the same authority.
The Miami Herald had another good story today about yet another invasive species on the move – this time the aggressive lionfish that has been spotted in the Florida keys.
”Lionfish are eating their way through the [Atlantic] reefs like a plague of locusts,” said Mark Hixon, a coral reef ecology expert at Oregon State University. “This may well become the most devastating marine invasion in history.”
Invasive species are a growing problem on land and in the water (both saltwater and freshwater) – hopefully the lionfish population is small and can be controlled before they really being to spread throughout the area.
A sad story out of Palm Beach, Florida where a large reef suffered major damage – possibly from a tug boat towing a barge. Given the lack of reefs off the coast of the continental U.S., this is very unfortunate.
A huge swath of stunning corals on one of the most popular and profitable reefs in Palm Beach County has been shaved from the ocean floor — a crime almost impossible to solve and repair…..The damaged site is about a mile offshore in about 50 feet of water. It is a ”major tourist attraction,” said Ed Tichenor, director of Palm Beach County Reef Rescue. “Most tourist divers that come, that’s one of the prime locations they go to.”…