Archive for ‘Ecological’

Worm in a wedding dress

By , 20 September, 2011, No Comment

With the recent sighting of a whale shark, and turtles everywhere it’s easy to forget the little things that we see on our dive sites, and for some people the little things are the most exciting, because you have to work to find them! So today I would like to talk a little about Nudibranch, or often known as “Sea Slugs”. Nudibranchs can be seen all over the dive sites around Koh Tao due to the warm seas and the shallow depth of some of our dive sites, all you need to do is look a little harder to find them. They can vary in adult size from 20 to 600 millimetres, and are most often noted for their brilliant colours and striking forms. There are over 3000 known species of nudibranch worldwide but it is likely there are many more still yet to be discovered. All known species of nudibranch are carnivorous, feeding mainly on sponges however some species eat other species and their eggs, and some have been seen to eat their own species making them cannibals. So next time you go for a fun dive, look a little bit closer and you may end up seeing some of the most weird and colourful creatures that SCUBA diving has to offer.
Schmike.

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Christmas Tree Worms (Spirobranchus giganteus)

By , 18 September, 2011, No Comment

Christmas tree worms are an unusual species distributed widely throughout the worlds tropical oceans, although the largest natural distribution is across the equatorial belt. The Christmas tree worms are named for their Radioles which are the Christmas tree shaped fans you see above the coral.

Christmas tree worms feed by using their radioles. Radioles are hair-like appendages that circle outward from the central spine to catch phytoplankton and some small zooplankton once the worm gets older which float in the water column. Once the worm catches the food, it is then passed down the food groove by tiny hair-like extensions on the surface, that generate water currents to move food or mucus. The food particles are sorted, but larger particles are discarded. Any sand grains the worm collects are directed to storage sacs to be used later for tube building. The radioles also act as a form of gill to allow the worm to gather oxygen from the water.

The radioles you see protruding from the coral are in fact only a small part of the worm; the main body is safely encased in a tube surrounded by the coral. When the worm catches food, as stated above it also catches sand which it uses to produce the tube in which it lives. The total length of the worm can be anything from 2-4cm and never moves from this tube as they don’t have any specialised body parts for movement.

The radioles are extremely sensitive and passing divers or snorkelers may see them retract back into the tube for protection. Around the island of koh tao many of the dive sites have high concentrations of Christmas tree worms giving them colour and fantastic photography opportunities.

Andy Cartledge

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SHOW YOUR SUPPORT TO PROJECT AWARE

By , 22 November, 2010, No Comment

After compleating any PADI course at DJL you will be given the chance to make a small donation to the PROJECT AWARE FOUNDATION, in return you will receive a special limited edition PADI certifaction card.
Project AWARE Foundation is a registered nonprofit organization. In partnership with scuba divers and water enthusiasts, Project AWARE offices located in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland and Japan combine efforts to conserve aquatic resources in more than 180 countries and territories of the world.
Your donation will help pay for :-

* Underwater Cleanups and Marine Debris Prevention      
* Coral Reef Conservation, Monitoring and Data Collection
* Shark Education, Reporting and Conservation
* Improved Management Policies and Marine Protection Efforts
* Environmental Training for Divers and Education Programs for Kids

So just a few dollars will make all the difference.

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PROJECT AWARE INTERNATIONAL CLEAN UP DAY

By , 26 August, 2010, No Comment

The pinnacle cleanup event of the year, International Cleanup Day, 25 September, is held in partnership with the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. On this day 15,000 AWARE Divers in more than 100 countries around the globe will document every item found beneath the water’s surface to help prevent the marine debris epidemic affecting our ocean planet and you can be a part of it by voluntering at DJL DIVING. On the 25th september we will be hosting a full day of conservation and try to have fun at the same time. In the morning we will start with a beach clean up, then lunch in the bar followed by 2 dives in the afternoon were we will collecting any marine debris found. To finish the day off  we will hold a free fundraiser  bbq at our pool bar. During the day we will be giving away great prizes. So if you around Koh Tao pop in to the store and sign up.

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10 ways to protect our coral

By , 27 July, 2010, No Comment

1. Do not purchase souvenirs made from coral or any
threatened or endangered marine species.
2. Support the establishment of coral reef protected
areas and encourage better protection and
management for those that exist.
3. While traveling, choose resorts and tour operators
that properly treat all sewage and wastewater.
4. While operating a boat, navigate carefully to
avoid contact with coral reefs and other vulnerable
ecosystems such as seagrass beds and maintain
engine equipment to prevent oil and gas spills.
5. As a diver or snorkeler, choose tour operators
that use mooring buoys or drift diving techniques
whenever possible rather than anchors that can
cause reef damage.
6. Make wise choices in selecting seafood by avoiding
menu items that are caught or farmed using
destructive or unsustainable practices including reefkilling
poisons, explosives, and illegal equipment.
7. Join Project AWARE’s CoralWatch Monitoring
Program and report data online at
www projectaware.org.
8. As a diver, practice buoyancy control skills in a
pool or sandy area before diving near a coral reef.
Make sure your gauges and equipment are secured
to avoid accidental contact with the reef, and never
touch, stand on or collect coral. Be an AWARE
Diver.
9. Report all damage of coral reefs to dive operators
and scientific or conservation groups that monitor
coral reef health.
10. Enroll in an AWARE Specialty course like AWARE
Coral Reef Conservation with a PADI Professional
to increase your knowledge about coral reefs and
other aquatic environments.

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