fish coral

Crisis of Complacency

A Crisis of Complacency
Coral reefs are among the Earth’s most beautiful, ancient and complex ecosystems. Healthy coral reefs are some of the most biologically diverse and economically valuable ecosystems on earth, providing food, jobs, recreation, pharmaceuticals, coastal protection and other important functions to virtually everyone on the planet.

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Turtle2

RIMPAC killing our sea turtles!

RIMPAC killing our sea turtles!
Your RIMPAC war games today destroyed several endangered green sea turtles, that I know personally. They are part of my family. The one young female that got her fins blown off today I named after my granddaughter Leilah, because she loves sea turtles. Leilah is one of many mangled turtles that came to me today seeking help. I am now taking this very personally and will pursue this crime to the extent of the laws in the USA.

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Nudibranchs vs. Football

Nudibranchs vs. Football
If you look close when you snorkel or scuba dive in Kauai you might find a bunch of worms! They are a tad bit prettier than the worms you may find in your garden. Nature makes some pretty impressive looking creatures and why these flat worms are so colorful, I am not sure but they are awesome to look at!

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As the Worm Turns

As the Worm Turns
If you look close when you snorkel or scuba dive in Kauai you might find a bunch of worms! They are a tad bit prettier than the worms you may find in your garden. Nature makes some pretty impressive looking creatures and why these flat worms are so colorful, I am not sure but they are awesome to look at!

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Big Waves at Pukas

Big Waves at Pukas
Because Kauai is a round island in the middle of the sea, you can find beautiful surf and diving as long as you want to drive a bit! Every few miles on Kauai has different waves, wind and reefs. Kauai is unique in this and that it is why it is the best island in the Pacific to do reef, beach, wetland and wave studies. But most of all it is the most beautiful place on the planet to enjoy all of what nature has to offer!

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Koloa Dive 1-27-2014

Koloa Dive 1-27-2014
3 days ago I dove at Koloa Landing with Claire, Ben and several additional divers, we were teaching to recognize coral diseases. We did not find much disease which is good but we did find a new type of algae killing a lot of the giant old growth mound corals, which is super bad! This algae looks like it has growth rings similar to the growth rings in a tree.

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Ahukini Dive 1-27-2014

Ahukini Dive 1-27-2014
This dive site had some of the most beautiful giant mound corals growing on the jetty and in the the mouth of the bay a few years ago. I found the first outbreak of cyanobacterial disease on the rice corals about three years ago and since then hundreds of large rice corals have died.

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Beauty and the Beast… on the Reef

Beauty and the Beast… on the Reef
You may be diving along the reef in Hawaii and all of a sudden the reef turns into flashing bright yellow and red colors! What looks like a normal rock on the reef all of a sudden bolts away at 30 miles per hour, then it turns back into a rock right before your eyes!

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Poisonous Starfish

Poisonous Starfish
These Crown Of Thorns starfish are native to Hawaii and they eat coral. Often you will see a white patch of coral where the star has eaten the polyps. It may look like coral bleaching but usually you can see the rough edges of the live coral next to the dead coral. These large starfish sometimes get out of control and devastate entire parts of the reef.

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Cup Corals

Cup Corals
Cup corals grow in dark areas where the sun does not shine. They are similar to an upside down jellyfish living in a hard tube attached to the reef. These little corals catch small organisms floating in the sea with their stinging tentacles. They are usually bright orange, pink or red.

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Tunnels Beach… Going, Going, Gone!

Tunnels Beach… Going, Going, Gone!
Chip Fletcher at UH is one of the most well known experts studying sea level rise in Hawaii along with NOAA. He told me five years ago that the beach at Tunnels will be gone within ten years! He was right but it is happening now five years early.

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