Scuba Divers Wanted To Go Scuba Diving In Australia And Study The Great Barrier Reef

Scientists are appealing for divers to help them with a study of the coral reefs on a remote corner of the beautiful Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

The largest coral reef in the world is one of the top scuba diving destinations in the world but scientists from Earthwatch Australia and the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences are keen to find out more about coral disease on the reefs that surround Orpheus Island.

The scientists are worried that the coral reef is at risk from rising sea temperatures, disease and tropical storms. They are calling for scuba diving enthusiasts to help them study the marine environment around the tiny island which is located approximately 1,200km northwest of Brisbane on the east coast of Australia.

Richard Gilmore, the Earthwatch Executive Director, explained that the study enables divers to help the scientific community while enjoying scuba diving adventures at the same time.

"Volunteers will get to experience this unique marine park filled with an unusually wide variety of reef habitats, clam gardens as well as submerged indigenous sites and recent shipwrecks," he said.

The volunteer divers will help survey, tag and photograph the diseased areas of the coral reef, which will then be monitored by scientists over time a period of time.

“It’s a great way to experience something different, while making a difference to this important World Heritage Site,” Richard added.

Every year, thousands of divers take scuba diving holidays to Australia’s north east coast to explore the crystal clear ocean waters that are teeming with breathtaking marine creatures.

The spectacular barrier reef offers turquoise warm waters, vibrant coral reefs, and an unforgettable experience which makes it one of the leading scuba diving destinations for avid divers and underwater photographers.

While scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, divers can swim alongside sea turtles, whales, dolphins, porpoises, sharks, stingrays, seahorses, clown fish, snapper and over four hundred different species of colourful hard and soft corals.

Part of the Palm group of islands, Orpheus Island is just one kilometre wide and eleven kilometres long and features beautiful sheltered bays, small rainforests, and colourful fringing reefs.

The Recovery of the Reef team will conduct their first study from 12th to 19th March, 2012 and second scuba diving team will follow on 30th August, 2012.

By: Susan Crown

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Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre

The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre has everything that an aquatic fan would want to see. It is an interactive and educational center that takes you to the bottom of the ocean to experience aquatic plants and animals from all over the world. Adults and children love to visit this fun science center located in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre focuses on conservation and saving different species of aquatic animals and plants all over the world. For example, the center works to protect sea turtles that live on the Pacific Coast. The British Columbia coast is home to the species of sea turtle known as the Leatherback turtle, a phenomenal species of reptile that is in need of protecting from boats and fishermen.

The Salmon conservation program is another one such series of conservation programs that the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Center pursues with missionary zeal. This involves tracking schools of salmon to make sure that their trek upstream to spawn passes off smoothly. The center also educates the public against reckless fishing of various species of salmon and their famous journey.

For the kids, the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Center offers great opportunities for learning all about marine mammals like whales, dolphins, sea lions, seals and many more. The center also maintains a rescue program that rescues wayward and injured mammals, allows them to recuperate before returning them to their natural habitat. Visitors can also enjoy various exhibits of these marine mammals, including the new entrant to the center- a dolphin.

Also for kids, the center offers several hands on and interactive programs to teach the next generation about plants and animals who live under the sea. Visit a tide pool and get a chance to gently handle wildlife, including sea urchins and sand dollars. The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Center is a great destination for the entire family, as it seamlessly combines education with entertainment.

The center also runs many great family oriented programs that allow kids and adults alike to go behind the scenes and get up close and personal to their favorite marine animals. Consider enrolling in the Beluga whale tour, which allows visitors to touch the gentle giants, train the whales, and make even make their dinner! Also, the museum regularly offers trainer tours that allow visitors to see what goes on behind the scenes at the center. For those with more time, spend the night in the aquarium and literally sleep with the fishes!

The great exhibits at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Center show all the animals that call the British Columbia coast their home, from salmon to those unique fish, crustaceans, and plants that live under the waters adjacent to British Columbia.

If you wish to travel many miles deep into the tropical rainforests of South America, go to the great Amazon Rainforest exhibit filled with unique and interesting creatures that are native to the Amazon River and river basin.

The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Center offers education and fun for both kids and adults alike. It is worth a visit from you and your family, so plan your trip today to the center that is only five minutes away from downtown Vancouver at Stanley Park.

By: Laura Einikis

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Care of Marine Lines and Ropes

Modern rope or cordage used by boaters offers enhanced performance compared to those previously made of natural fibers. Man-made synthetic materials used to produce marine ropes include polyamide (nylon), polyester (Dacron), polyethylene, and polypropylene.
While these new rope building materials are long-lived, resist rot and offer superior strength, they can be damaged or fail from poor use and care. A note on nautical terminology; mariners typically refer to materials on spool and yet to be used onboard as rope, while cordage in use on a vessel is line. Others will refer to rope as anything over 1 1/8 inch in diameter.
Here are a few hints for boaters to improve rope safety and make them last longer:
Application - Rope performance is a product of material and construction method used to manufacture it. Match the rope to its intended application. Nylon lines stretch and adsorb shocks, making the material a good anchor or towline. Double braided polyester represents some of the strongest line available to boaters. The line is flexible and displays little stretch, making useful in mooring and reeving. Use the right sized rope for the sheave in block and tackle gear. The same advise holds true for the use of cleats.
Environment - Proper storage of rope effects its strength and lifespan. Avoid storing rope in direct sunlight. The preferred environment for long-term storage would be a cool, dark and dry space. Protect synthetic from contact with chemicals like battery acid, motor oil or chorine. Keep rope away from heat sources. Examples include exhaust manifolds, friction points and barbeque grills. If possible, don't let a water soaked rope freeze.
Rope Care - Avoid use or storage of a dirty rope. Grit will work its way into rope fibers and cause abrasion. Salt crystals cause the same concerns. Wash rope in warm water and dry them carefully. Reverse the ends of long used lines. Occasionally switch your anchor line end for end to distribute wear uniformly.
Overloading - Boaters need to consider the safe working load of lines used on their vessels. Working load is calculated by dividing the minimum breaking strength of the rope by a predetermined design factor. Design factor is a ratio based on risk and can range from a value of 5:1 to 12:1. Risk of life and property cost will push the design factor used to higher value.
Abrasion - Wear caused by abrasion weakens the strength of a rope. Regular cleaning will keep abrasive grit out of rope fibers. Use chaffing gear at rub points like chocks and where the line crosses a structure at a sharp angle. Ready made chaffing gear is readily available in the marketplace or you can improvise with materials like used fire hose to protect lines. Do not walk on lines.
Kinks - Sharp bends or kinks greatly reduce rope strength. They are caused by repeatedly twisting a rope in one direction. Sailors that correctly coil a line will throw twists in and out of the line as it is laid down. Passing a kink through a restricted space like a pulley will cause serious damage to a line.

Does carbonate ion control planktonic foraminifera shell calcification in upwelling regions?

Shell weights of planktonic foraminifera have been recognized as possible representation of the surface water carbonate CO3 ion concentration and CO2 in the atmosphere. However, to use this power, it is important to understand if the weight of shell CO3 actually reflect water surface. We use the weights of the shells of Globigerina bulloides and Globigerinoides ruber in the size range 300 to 355 m of sediment core recovered from above the lysocline in the upwelling region west of the Arabian Sea. Shell weights G. ruber and G. bulloides show significant correlation with the size of the shell of the recent 16 ka, suggesting that calcification of shell was controlled by the optimum growth conditions. On the other hand, for 16 to 22 ka, there is no correlation between shell weight and shell size. However, the weights of the shells of G. bulloides show a significant negative correlation with annual temperature of the sea surface which suggests that calcification G. bulloides could have been controlled by surface water CO3. Therefore, it is suggested that the weights of shell G. ruber and G. bulloides can not be used to reconstruct CO3 water surface in this region.

Naik S. S., S. Godad P. and P. D. Naidu, 2011. Do you have control of carbonate ions planktonic foraminifera shell calcification in the regions of upwelling? Current Science 101 (10) :1370-1375. Article.

Effects of seawater pCO2 changes on the calcifying fluid of scleractinian corals

Increased atmospheric concentrations of CO2 due to anthropogenic emissions of inducing changes in the carbonate chemistry of the ocean and a decrease in ocean pH. This process of acidification is expected to be harmful calcifying organisms such as coccolithophores, mollusks, echinoderms and corals. A sharp decline in the abundance of corals, for example, expected later this century, with consequent disastrous effects on reef ecosystems. Despite the growing importance of the issue, little progress has been made ​​regarding the modeling of the impact of acidification on coral calcification. Here is a model of a coral polyp that simulates the carbonate system in four distinct compartments: sea water, the tissue of the polyp, coelenteron, and calicoblastic layer. The calcium carbonate precipitation takes place in the layer below metabolically controlled calicoblastic polyp tissue. The model conforms to a state of activity as observed by direct measurements of microsensors in the calcifying fluid. Simulation experiments reveal disruption of CO2 reduced calcification rates in the high pCO2 despite strong control of the metabolism of calcifying fluid. CO2 diffusion through the tissues in calicoblastic layer increases with increasing seawater pCO2 leading to reduced aragonite saturation in the fluid of calcification of the coral polyps. Our modeling study provides important insights into the complexity of the process of calcification at the organism and helps to quantify the effect of ocean acidification on corals.

Hohn S. and A. Merico, 2012. Effects of seawater pCO2 changes in the fluid of scleractinian coral calcification. Biogeosciences Discussions 9 (3) :2655-2689. Article.