Sea Bees Diving | Das online Magazin von Sea Bees Diving in Phuket || Sea Bees Diving | The online Magazin of Sea Bees Diving in Phuket

2013-5

The Beauty of Black and White

Category: Animals, English, Exhibition/show, Underwater | No Comments

Down in the deep blue, a photographer is taking these stunning black and white pictures.

Indonesian Hengki Koentjoro‘s underwater photographs show an array of sea-life as it’s never been seen before.

Indonesian photographer Hengki Koentjoro’s pictures show an astonishing underwater world

He has pictured sharks, jellyfish, scuba divers and, perhaps most strikingly, a hard coral called the ‘sunflower mushroom’ which appears to be sporting a sinister grin.

The dark, desaturated and sometimes dream like images capture the mysterious nature of the waters in and around Jakarta, Indonesia.

This jellyfish taken in black and white underwater looks like it comes from another planet

Koentjoro, 50, was born in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia, studied video production and fine art photography at the Brooks Institute of Photography Santa Barbara, California.

He currently lives in Jakarta where he takes these breath-taking images.

Mystical: The incredible photographs from beneath the sea include this ‘sunflower mushroom’ with a slightly sinister grin

Interviewed by Neutral Density Magazine, Koentjoro said: ‘The love of the ocean is the main drive to express one self. The calm and the vast area is the inspiration and at the same time a place to replenish your mind”.

Koentjoro’s dark, desaturated and sometimes dream like images capture the mysterious nature of the waters in and around Jakarta, Indonesia

‘I’m lucky to live in Indonesia because she is dubbed as the biggest archipelago nation on earth with more than 13,000 islands”.

Koentjoro, 50, from Central Java, Indonesia, studied video production and fine art photography at the Brooks Institute of Photography Santa Barbara, California, and currently lives in Jakarta where he takes these breathtaking images

‘We also have many highlands and active volcanoes spreading over 3,275 miles from East to West”.

Koentjoro said: ‘I’m lucky to live in Indonesia because she is dubbed as the biggest archipelago nation on earth with more than 13,000 islands’

‘This abode of the god is also known for it’s mysterious mist and fog that accentuate the thick feeling of mysticism.’

Speaking about his method, Koentjoro said: ‘I mainly shoot with DSLR camera. For the ocean I normally use the long exposure technique with double ND filters of 18 stops to allow shooting on the broad daylight for more than five minutes’

2013-5

Phuket Diving: Seahorse lovers asked to saddle up

Category: Animals, English, Phuket & Khao Lak, Underwater | No Comments

Project Seahorse calls on all divers and marine enthusiasts to help with the recently launched three-year project aimed at studying the seahorses of Thailand.

Seahorses were one of the first fish species to be added, in 2004, to Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which demands that countries maintain “sustainable trade” and monitor populations. Thailand, the world’s largest exporter of seahorses, has taken pro-active steps to assess the populations of this peculiar sea creature and now needs our help.

“In Thailand we are just starting to evaluate seahorse populations, which is why we are asking people to help us,” explains University of British Columbia doctoral student and seahorse expert Lindsay Aylesworth, who is leading the field research team for Project Seahorse. “We are basically going in with very little information about where seahorses are in Thailand; what environments they inhabit; and what their [population] densities are like.”

Divers in Thailand have been offered a unique opportunity to help save these charismatic, quirky sea creatures and the multitude of marine environments they inhabit. Project Seahorse, a non-government-organization (NGO) based out of the University of British Colombia, Canada, and the Zoological Society of London, has an online ‘citizen science’ database called iSeahorse. This database is designed for divers, scientists and other seahorse enthusiasts to upload their photos and sighting information.

Project Seahorse scientists, collaborating with Thailand’s Department of Fisheries and Kasetsart University in Bangkok, will then use this vital information to map data-deficient seahorse populations, determine their threat levels and develop effective conservation actions.

“We are really trying to reach out to the dive community to see if they are willing to share their seahorse photos and dive spots where they’ve spotted seahorses,” says Lindsay. The sightings will be used to mark future field sites for more in-depth research. Divers first register, either through Facebook, Twitter or online, before submitting their sightings.

“We encourage you to submit your data from any sighting, no matter how old. And even very minimal amounts of information are incredibly valuable. You do not need to know the species’ name or even the exact location of your observation – if you have seen seahorses in the wild, then we want to hear from you!”

Although seahorses are targeted by some country’s fishing industries for the aquarium trade, seahorses in Thailand are usually ‘by-catch’ – accidentally captured in fishing gear targeting other animals, explains Lindsay.

There are many characteristics used to identify seahorses, most notably their distinctive spines along the body.

“Fishers sell them to local buyers as dry individuals. Mostly they are used for traditional medicines. There is a history of seahorses being used for their curative powers – anything from swollen lymph nodes to arthritis or male fertility problems, because it’s the male seahorse that carries the babies [male seahorses are the only male in the animal kingdom known to give live birth].

“Usually what happens is you take the dried seahorse, grind it up into a powder and mix it with honey or some other herbs, and drink it as a tea,” says Lindsay.

“Seahorses are a great tool for raising awareness of general ocean conservation issues, from habitat-health to making sure we have sustainable fisheries.

“They also have an ecological importance; Seahorses don’t really have stomachs so they are voracious predators. They live in an environments where they basically feed on small crustaceans and baby fish larvae. There is some research that suggests they are important to structuring the fish community and the areas where they are found,” she adds.

Now, with the tools to actively contribute to the conservation effort of these shy, but vital creatures, it is up to the divers of Thailand to make a difference.

Written by Isaac Stone Simonelli and published by the Phuket Gazette – original article on http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuketlifestyle/2013/Phuket-Diving-Seahorse-lovers-asked-to-saddle-up-21119.html

2013-4

Cancun Underwater Museum (Mexico)

Category: Deutsch, English, Global Diving, Tauchen Weltweit, Things worth knowing, Underwater, Unter Wasser, Wertvolle Tipps | No Comments

2009 wurde in den Gewässern rund um Cancun, Isla Mujeres und Punta Nizuc, die ersten Schritte für die Errichtung eines monumentalen Unterwassermuseums eingeleitet.

In the warm waters around Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Punta Nizuc is an underwater sculptural museum built in 2009.

Der britische Künstler Jason de Caires Taylor ist der Schöpfer des einzigartigen Skulpturenparks im Unterwasser-Kunstmuseum (MUSA Museo Subacuático de Arte) und möchte damit eine Verbindung zwischen Kunst und Umweltwissenschaften schaffen.

The British artist Jason de Caires Tayl aimed to show the interaction between art and environmental science.

Das Hauptziel des Künstlers ist dabei der Umweltschutz: Jede der über 400 Lebensgroßen Skulpturen ist aus ph Neutralen Ton geschaffen, um den Wachstum eines neuen Korallenriffs zu fördern. Das Museum breitet sich auf über 150 m2 aus und wiegt insgesamt mehr als 120 Tonnen.

The main purpose of his work is conservation: the 400+ sculptures were built in order to promote the growth of a coral reef. The museum occupies an area of over 150sq. metres and weighin in at more than 120 tons.

Weiterhin soll das Unterwassermuseum die umliegenden Riffen entlasten, damit sich diese vom Tourismus, Überfischung und Umweltverschmutzung erholen können.

Furthermore, the underwater museum is supposed to give the surrounding reefs a rest so they can recover from tourism, overfishing and pollution.

Ein Besuch lohnt sich! Für weitere Informationen klickt hier: http://www.aquaworld.com.mx/underwatermuseum.html

A sight not to be missed! For more information, see http://www.aquaworld.com.mx/underwatermuseum.html

2013-3

‘Historic’ day for shark protection

Category: English, Global Diving, on dry land, Things worth knowing, Underwater | No Comments

Three types of critically endangered but commercially valuable shark have been given added protection at the Cites meeting in Bangkok.

The body, which regulates trade in flora and fauna, voted by a two-thirds majority to upgrade the sharks’ status.

Campaigners hailed the move as historic and said the vote represented a major breakthrough for marine conservation.

The decisions can still be overturned by a vote on the final day of this meeting later this week.

The oceanic whitetip, three varieties of hammerheads and the porbeagle are all said to be seriously threatened by overfishing.

Their numbers have declined dramatically in recent years, as the trade in shark fins for soup has grown.

Manta rays are killed for their gill plates which are used in Chinese medicine.

Shark supporters have been attempting to get Cites to protect these species since 1994. But there has long been strong opposition to the move from China and Japan.

But a number of factors have changed the arithmetic.

Experts say the critical factor has been a shift in South American nations, who’ve come to understand that sharks are more valuable alive than dead.

“They’ve come to realise, particularly for those with hammerhead stocks, the tourist value of these species and the long term future that will be protected by a Cites listing,” said Dr Colman O’Criodain from WWF International.

The Oceanic Whitetip is found in tropical and warm temperate seas

Regulate, not ban

While the vote to upgrade these shark species to Appendix 2 does not ban the trade, it regulates it. Both exporting and importing countries must issue licences. If a nation takes too many of these species, they can be hit with sanctions on the range of animal and plant products that are governed by Cites.

As the votes went on there were smatterings of applause in the hall and some high fives among campaigners.

“It is really significant for Cites to come of age like this,” Dr Susan Lieberman told BBC News.

“To say we can deal with these species, we can manage the international trade and lets not be afraid of marine species.”

The extension of the authority of Cites into the international trade in fish has long worried China and Japan and the Asian nations were strongly against these proposals.

But many West African countries, who have seen their native shark fisheries destroyed by large offshore operations, voted in favour of the restrictions.

Another factor was money. Especially cash from the European Union.

The head of delegation told the meeting that extra money would be made available to help poorer countries change their fishing practices.

“If there’s a need for it the funding will be available,” Feargal O’Coigligh told the meeting.

The amendments can still be overturned in the final session of this meeting. And this realisation is tempering the celebrations.

“Cites is ready to come of age for marine species, ” said Dr O’Criodain.

“As long as we hold these results in plenary. Maybe warm champagne is the right note.”

FACTS: Protected sharks

The oceanic whitetip was once a widespread large shark species, but its numbers show a drastic decline
It appears as bycatch in pelagic (open sea) fisheries, but its large fins are highly prized, used in shark’s fin soup and in traditional medicine
Hammerhead sharks are known for their distinctive head shape which may have evolved in part to enhance vision
The great and scalloped varieties are endangered; the smooth hammerhead is considered vulnerable. All have been given added protection
Porbeagles are found in cold and temperate waters of the North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere
Targeted commercial fishing and unintentional catches pose the biggest threat to this shark, which has a low reproductive rate

Original article written by Matt McGrath, Environment Correspondent, BBC News and published on BBC World News – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21741648

2013-3

CITES meeting to deal with species ‘extinction crisis’

Category: Animals, English, on dry land, Things worth knowing | No Comments

Some species of sea turtle are completely prohibited from trade, CITES says

New plans to protect elephants, rhinos and other species will be discussed at a critical meeting that begins in Bangkok on Sunday.

Delegates will review the convention on the international trade in endangered species (CITES).

Around 35,000 animals and plants are at present protected by the treaty.

But with a global “extinction crisis” facing many species, this year’s meeting is being described as the most critical in its history.

The CITES agreement was signed in Washington in March 1973 in an attempt to regulate the burgeoning trade in wild flora and fauna.

“Thailand should grab the spotlight and shut down these markets that are fuelling the poaching of elephants in Africa” Carlos Drews – WWF

It entered into force in 1975 and experts say that legitimate global imports of wildlife products are now worth more than $300bn (£200bn) a year.

The convention works by licensing commercial trade in species.

The process is meant to be governed by the scientific evidence of threat against an animal or a plant.

However, as CITES consists of government delegations, its decision-making is rooted in the political and economic interests of member countries.

In Bangkok, delegates from some 178 countries will face some critical decisions.

Secret votes

The first one they will have to grapple with is the issue of secret ballots.

Many critics argue that CITES delegations sometimes hide behind the secret ballot process when they want to avoid being seen putting commercial interests ahead of conservation.

Many campaigners are hoping that the meeting will vote to restrict the use of secret voting in order to set a more open tone for the meeting.

“CITES ought to be a transparent body – but secret ballots have become easier to implement at the behest of certain parties who don’t want their vote to be known,” Mark Jones from Humane Society International told BBC News.

“We are supportive of increased transparency so that parties can be held to account,” he added.

Delegates will have to deal with 70 proposals for amending the rules relating to specific species. Elephants will feature heavily as the global demand for ivory is driving poaching to unprecedented levels.

But many campaigners see Thailand as being one of the biggest contributors to the trade, as it is legal there to sell ivory taken from native elephants. Criminals are believed to use this loophole to sell stocks of ivory from African elephants as well.

The Thai government is now under pressure to take action.

“After years of failing to end this unfettered trade, Thailand should grab the spotlight and shut down these markets that are fuelling the poaching of elephants in Africa,” said Carlos Drews of environmental group WWF.

Campaign groups are seeking to have sanctions imposed on Thailand, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria to try and stem the flow of ivory.

Bear wars

Another issue that is dividing both country delegations and welfare campaigners is the status of polar bears, a situation the BBC reported on last December.

The US is proposing that all trade in bear parts be banned – a move which is stridently opposed by Canada and Russia. Around 400 bears a year are killed for this purpose.

Dan Ashe is the director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and head of the American delegation at CITES.

“While we recognise that the bear-parts trade is not the factor that is driving the polar bears to extinction… we believe that the commercial trade in bear parts should cease.”

On rhinos, Kenya is proposing that there should be a moratorium on the export of trophy horns from South Africa and Swaziland, which are currently exempt. Again there are divisions on the best approach.

Despite being given the highest level of protection by CITES, it is thought that only 200 Sumatran rhinos are still alive

Some environmentalists believe the trophy hunting has helped the rhino population to recover by bringing in revenue from tourism.

Other researchers are calling for legalisation of the rhino horn trade as they blame the current ban for increasing the rewards from poaching. Last year 668 rhinos were killed by poachers in South Africa, and more than 100 have died so far this year.

Several species of shark are also likely to get additional protection this time round according to campaigners, as new reports indicated that over 100 million a year are being killed in commercial fisheries.

One of the most interesting aspects of this meeting is the emerging political alliance between the world’s two biggest economies – the US and China are co-sponsoring proposals to restrict trade in Asian turtles and tortoises.

According to Dan Ashe, that is a significant move.

“It is the first time we have ever made a joint proposal with China – that bodes well for a future partnership emerging between US and China.”

And as well as trying to save different species, the US will be pushing forward with proposals for passports for musical instruments.

Many are made from rare types of wood that require a permit to go from country to country. It is one proposal that likely to have widespread support.

The meeting runs until 14 March.

How CITES works

The Convention assigns animals and plants to different categories depending on the level of threat they face:

Appendix I covers animals and plants in which all international commercial trade is prohibited except in rare circumstances. In this category are 530 animal species including tigers, white rhinos and gorillas.
Appendix II is much bigger. Trade is allowed in these animals and plants but strictly controlled by permit. Over 4,460 animals and 28,000 plants are in this grouping, including polar bears and some shark species.
Appendix III includes species that are protected within the borders of a member country. There are 290 species in this group, including the two-toed sloth.

Original article written by Matt McGrath, Environment Correspondent, BBC News and published on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21629176

2013-2

Endangered sharks return to Bahamas “home”

Category: English, Exhibition/show, Global Diving, Underwater | No Comments

Oceanic whitetip sharks return home to protected Bahamas waters, surprising scientists.

Previously thought to be wide-ranging animals, a tagging survey has revealed that the sharks frequently revisit the same areas around the island.

Conservationists have listed the sharks as Vulnerable globally and Critically Endangered in parts of their range.

A tagged Oceanic Whitetip

Experts suggest that the island nation’s marine protected area is assisting the species.

The findings are published in the online journal PLos One.

Oceanic whitetips are named for the distinctive white flashes at the end of their fins.

They are opportunistic predators with powerful jaws and as such are considered one of the more dangerous sharks to humans, although the number of unprovoked attacks on people is small.

“Of all the sharks that live in the open ocean they’re the ones that have really declined a lot in the last few decades,” said Dr Demian Chapman of Stony Brook University, New York, US, who led the study.

“They’ve gone from being one of the most abundant large vertebrates on the planet to being considered quite endangered.”

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has listed the sharks as Vulnerable due to over-fishing for their meat and leather, and accidental by-catch.

“Oceanic whitetips frequently take bait meant for other species like tuna and swordfish,” said Dr Chapman, explaining that their fins are prized for shark fin soup.

“Fisherman will take all of these sharks that were incidentally hooked and they will take their fins, and that is fatal to the shark.”

In July 2011, the Bahamian government banned shark fishing in all 240,000 square miles of the country’s waters.

According to the Pew Charitable Trusts which works to establish shark sanctuaries, including the one in the Bahamas, the animals provided $78 million to the country’s economy in tourism annually.

“Tourism is a big part of the Bahamian economy, within that diving and shark diving in particular is very valuable,” said Liz Karan, manager of Global Shark Conservation at Pew.

“I think there’s interest in that particular area just because it’s one of the few places left in the world that have relatively healthy shark populations.”

“So without too much effort you can go and have an experience that’s really unique.”

In May of the same year, advocates assembled to support the sanctuary announcement.

Dr Chapman joined forces with these dive tour operators, recreational fishermen, scientists, engineers and conservationists in a project aiming to understand more about oceanic whitetip sharks.

“We thought it was amazing that nobody was doing research on them in the Bahamas because this is the only place in the Atlantic where you can reliably find them,” said Dr Chapman.

Oceanic Whitetip and “friends”

Previously, only one oceanic whitetip had ever been successfully tagged, but the experienced team were able to follow 11 of the animals.

“They’re very bold, they come right to the side of the boat… but these sharks are really smart when it comes to baited hooks,” said Dr Chapman.

He described the mature adult sharks as “cagey veterans” who had likely survived encounters with hooks in the past and so were wary about the researchers.

The sharks they were able to catch were fitted with satellite tags near to their dorsal fins which provided up to eight months of data covering temperature, light, depth and location.

The team found that although the sharks travelled far and wide as expected, they also spent a considerable amount of time in Bahamian waters.

“I was not surprised that they went long distances but I was surprised that they turned right back around and returned to the Bahamas,” Dr Chapman told BBC Nature.

“We really think of these oceanic whitetips as ocean wanderers, we didn’t think we’d see such a strong pattern of return migration.”

Oceanic whitetips swimming in waters off the coast of the Bahamas.

According to Dr Chapman, the results suggest that a ban on long-line fishing in the 1990s, reinforced by the more recent sanctuary status of the waters, combines to make the Bahamas a safe haven for the sharks.

“I think one of the key questions about sanctuaries is ‘do they work?’ and this is a clear example that shows sharks benefitting from a sanctuary designation,” said Ms Karan.

“As the migration patterns show, they do leave the sanctuary area for part of the year and during that time they are vulnerable to fishing pressures and the dangers of being caught,” she warned.

The team are travelling to Bangkok, Thailand next month to present information on the species to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) conference where countries will vote on the regulation of the trade in shark fins.

They are also working on a further tagging project, following the movements of males and pregnant females to get more information on the sharks’ breeding habits and a full picture of how the population is faring.

Original article written by Ella Davies and published by BBC World on http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/21497049

2013-2

Sea urchin nickel ‘trick’ could be key to capturing carbon

Category: Animals, English, Things worth knowing, Underwater | No Comments

Researchers say that the natural ability of sea urchins to absorb CO2 could be a model for an effective carbon capture and storage system.

Newcastle University scientists discovered by chance that urchins use the metal nickel to turn carbon dioxide into shell.

They say the technique can be harnessed to turn emissions from power plants into the harmless calcium carbonate.

The research is in the journal, Catalysis Science and Technology.

A close up of the skeleton of a sea urchin which could help capture and store carbon

“The beauty of a nickel catalyst is that it carries on working regardless of the pH….It is also very cheap, a thousand times cheaper than carbon anhydrase”says Gaurav Bhaduri Newcastle University

Many sea creatures convert carbon dioxide in the waters into calcium carbonate which is essentially chalk. Species such as clams, oysters and corals use it to make their shells and other bony parts.

Bubbling under

When the team at Newcastle looked at the larvae of sea urchins they found that there were high concentrations of nickel on their external skeletons.

Working with extremely small nickel particles, the researchers found that when they added them to a solution of carbon dioxide in water, the nickel completely removed the CO2.

“It is a simple system,” Dr Lidija Siller from Newcastle University told BBC News. “You bubble CO2 through the water in which you have nickel nanoparticles and you are trapping much more carbon than you would normally – and then you can easily turn it into calcium carbonate.”

“It seems too good to be true, but it works,” she added.

An X-ray of a sea urchin embryo shows lots of blue which indicates calcium carbonate

At present most carbon capture and storage (CCS) proposals are based around the idea of capturing CO2 from electricity generating stations or chemical plants and pumping the stripped out gas into underground storage in former oil wells or rock formations.

But there are still question marks about the possibility that the stored carbon may leak back out again.

The Newcastle researchers say that an alternative approach would be to lock up the CO2 in another substance such as calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate.

This can already be done by using an enzyme called carbon anhydrase but it is very expensive.

PhD student Gaurav Bhaduri who is the lead author on the research paper explained that using nickel would be a far more economic option.

The dominant technology is still the oldest – absorption of carbon dioxide by liquid amines

“The beauty of a nickel catalyst is that it carries on working regardless of the pH and because of its magnetic properties it can be re-captured and re-used time and time again,” he said.

“It is also very cheap, a thousand times cheaper than carbon anhydrase. And the by-product – the carbonate – is useful and not damaging to the environment.”

Calcium carbonate is said to make up 4% of the earth’s crust.

Article written by Matt McGrath, Environment Correspondent, BBC – the original article can be viewed on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21320666

2013-2

Australia dolphins ‘saved’ by juvenile’s distress call

Category: Animals, English, Underwater | No Comments

The distress call of a young dolphin has been used to lure a large pod of the animals to safety, after it appeared they would strand themselves in shallow water.

Environment officials in Western Australia caught the juvenile and took it to deeper water, where its distress calls enticed the rest to follow.

One dolphin died in the incident.

A spotter plane reported that the rest – thought to number about 150 – had swum to the safety of the open sea.

The dolphins had been milling in shallow water at Whalers Cove near the town of Albany, on the south coast of the state.

About 150 dolphins are thought to have been saved

“The juvenile was sending out distress signals, which was calling the dolphins in,” conservationist Deon Utber told AFP news agency.

“As soon as it was translocated to deeper waters the pod followed it out and last we saw they were swimming out to sea.”

Original article published by the BBC – see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21313216

2013-1

The gentle giants that strike a stunning pose

Category: Animals, English, Underwater | No Comments

Shawn Heinrichs, conservationist, diver and cinematographer and Kristian Schmidt, photographer, recently got together for one of the most unique fashion shoots ever.

Having heard about the fishermen’s relationships with whale sharks near Oslob in the The Philippines, they took some touching images and then decided to come back with a concept for a fashion shoot as well as for conservation purposes. Absolutely stunning photos that will inspire!

So, enjoy the images…