Shark Fishing Banned in the Bahamas
Many beach visitors cannot get past the image of the shark as a ravenous man-eater, but not scuba divers. For divers, sharks are graceful, powerful creatures and more often viewed with a sense of awe rather than fear. Shark diving has become a major attraction for scuba divers around the world, and the shark diving capital is probably the Bahamas. In a move to secure a tourism gold mine that earns the Atlantic island chain about $80 million a year, the Bahamas have banned all shark fishing from their national waters. Shark diving is a major fixture of scuba diving in the Bahamas. Most of these shark dives are centered on attracting large numbers of relatively harmless black tip and Caribbean reef … Read entire article »
Making It Count — June 2011
Please support REEF and the critical work we do by donating generously. Making It Count – June 2011 Support Marine Conservation and Your Donation Will Be Doubled By Paul Humann, REEF Board of Trustees During our Summer Fundraising Campaign, we reach out to you, our valued members, and ask for your financial support. Your contribution will ensure that our important marine conservation work can continue. Donations made during the campaign will be matched dollar for dollar by the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, doubling the impact of your support. You can donate securely online at www.REEF.org/contribute, mail your donation to REEF at PO Box 246, Key Largo, FL 33037, or call us at 305-852-0030. REEF is making a difference in the marine environment. We strive to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Fish, Grouper, Lionfish, Manatee, Photography, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Report
REEF Database Hits Landmark
On behalf of all of us at REEF, we would like to thank everyone who has already donated to our summer matching campaign. All donations have been matched dollar for dollar by the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation! If you haven’t yet had a chance, please donate today – either through our online secure donate form (https://www.REEF.org/contribute), or by calling REEF HQ at 305-852-0030. Financial support from members like you ensure we can continue our valuable data collection programs. Yesterday, we celebrated REEF’s 150,000th survey submitted to our database! The lucky 150k survey was conducted by Ross Whiteside on June 13 at Mixing Bowl in Little Cayman. Ross and his wife, Terri, have been active REEF members since 2002 and are members … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Report
DAN Safety Stop June 2011
DAN Safety Stop Newsletter June 2011 Traveling Soon? Don’t Forget to Pack Trip Insurance! Even if your travel plans do not include diving, be sure to cover your investment with DAN Trip Insurance. Get a no-obligation quote in less than two minutes. Choose the next cover of Alert Diver! We value your input. We seek your advice. Would you like to see humpbacks from Tonga or mandarinfish from the Philippines gracing the cover of your next Alert Diver? You be the editor. Go to AlertDiver.com and click on the cover of your choice. The winner will arrive in your mailboxes in early August. Place Your Vote… » DAN Releases 2010 Progress Report In October 2010, Divers Alert Network (DAN) released its 2009-2010 Progress Report, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reference, Report, Rescue Diver
Famous Atlantis II is up for sale
Another Atlantis II post Lager Yacht Brokerage 403 Main Street Port Washington New York 11050 USA Rob Lager Tel: 516-767-0141 Fax: 516-767-9358 http://lageryachts.apolloduck.net/ [singlepic id=312 w=320 h=240 float=center] Status: Available Price: USD 7,500,000 Location: Florida USA Advertiser: Lager Yacht Brokerage Telephone: 516-767-0141 Contact: [ Send Enquiry ] Website: http://apolloduck.net/145798 The Research Vessel “Atlantis II” is world famous for her exploration of the “Titanic”. She had extensive upgrading and maintenance and has just completed her refit at this time. She has been updated with technologically advanced equipment to heighten her exploration capabilities, is in ice-breaking class, and is ready for service to once again sail the oceans of the world. She is equipped with a large tow/troll winch, large deck crane, dive center with professional dive equipment and is helicopter-capable. She accommodates 60+ for sleeping. Some of the many noteworthy achievements of her unparalleled history are described in the full specification. She is well suited for research, survey, expedition, … Read entire article »
ATLANTIS II
The Atlantis II is the vessel used by Dr. Robert Ballard when the Titanic was discovered back in 1985. Atlantis II sits in Mayport Florida (Jacksonville), near the mouth of the St. Johns River. This famous vessel went off shore June 8, 2011 and I was invited to join her in her journey. The day started at 08:00 with me jumping in my vehicle to meet up at the pier for the 9am departure. With all my photography gear, I hussled onboard to meet the crew and owners of the vessel to immediately begin documenting the day, on film. I was introduced and took a tour of the vessel. We of course performed our US Coast Guard drills before hitting the ocean. What an impressive ship. She is beautiful and quite a … Read entire article »
Filed under: Boats, Events, Featured, Photography, Reference, Report, Trip Report
The Dive Pirates Foundation Your Donation is needed
Hi All I am a proud member of an organization called “The Dive Pirates Foundation”. Dive Pirates is non-profit organization dedicated to bringing scuba diving to persons with disabilities. What began in 2003 as a social club for divers has now been transformed into a non-profit foundation that teaches, equips and takes disabled persons on Caribbean scuba diving trips. The program is open to all medically qualified disable persons, Dive Pirates has chosen to focus on disabled military veterans that have sustained injuries on the battlefield. These men and women have sustained injuries and had lost part of their youth in combat; we hope to restore a sense of adventure, community and hope for these wounded warriors. This year I am taking part in the training … Read entire article »
Fishing for a cure
While I was participating a highway cleanup Saturday morning with the Jacksonville Reef Research Team, TISIRI’s Joe Kistel was present at the Fishing For A Cure with The David Garrard Foundation. The event is intended to show support for our foster kids and their parents. It was a great weekend of activities and the weather cooperated all weekend long. Saturdays fishing event had everyone who caught something being a winner. Pictures from Saturday fishing tournament may be found at tisiri.com. Sundays event had us beginning with breakfast, then a boat ride off shore St. Augustine. The kids were great and I believe all of the kids caught something. We did have a couple that caught Cobia (two) and a couple that caught Atlantic Spade (two – but one fell off the hook … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Boats, Events, Photography, Reefs, Report, Videography
TISIRI – Name YOUR Reef Program
TISIRI met with WJXT early Saturday morning to broadcast the following announcement, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Boats, Featured, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Report, Wrecks
REEF – Making it count – March 2011
Making It Count – March 2011 Putting It to Work: Who’s Using REEF Data, March 2011 By Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Ph.D., Director of Science Every month, scientists, government agencies, and other groups request raw data from REEF’s Fish Survey Project database. Here is a sampling of who has asked for REEF data recently and what they are using it for: – An educator and researcher from the University of Connecticut is using data as part of a field science class. His students will use the data to evaluate fish populations in advance of their field coursework. – A postdoc from the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce is using data from Stetson Bank in the Gulf of Mexico (part of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary) to evaluate changes … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Fish, Grouper, Manatee, Manta Rays, Open Water, Reefs, Reference, Report
2011 St. Johns River Celebration & Cleanup
Saturday March 19, 2011 was a sunny day for the St. Johns River Celebration & Cleanup. The Jacksonville Reef Research Team, JRRT is now the lead site capt for the cleanup at Helen Cooper Floyd Park (Little JETTIES) in Mayport, Florida from 8:00 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.. This year we had a number of schools of the Duval county School System, Sandalwood, Terry Parker, and Fletcher. The Boy Scouts of America, troop 276 and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, ARES providing emergency support. Together a near 95 individuals joined together to volunteer their time. Total, they all collected approximately 125 trash bags and 11 rubber tires, a tub, tarp and more. You may contact Phil Harville, JRRT PR Officer at Harvpt@bellsouth.net or by phone: 904-707-6096 to learn more or to volunteer for future efforts. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Events, Photography, Report, Volunteer
ScubaExreme is Moving to a New Location
Out with the old and in with the new. ScubaExtreme is moving to a new and larger location off Blanding Blvd., Jacksonville Florida. [singlepic id=126 w=640 h=480 float=] Admin … Read entire article »
Filed under: Adv. Open Water, Boats, Cave, Cavern, Divemaster, Diver, Drift, Emergency/FirstAid, Events, Featured, Instructor, Open Water, Photography, Reefs, Reference, Report, Rescue Diver, Specialties, Training, Travel, Wrecks
Women Divers Hall of Fame Inducts Jacksonvilles Anna DeLoach
A Jacksonville Florida resident, Anna DeLoach will be inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame this month. Here is a nice write up on it at scubadiving.com Congratulation to Anna on her accomplishment. Well deserved! … Read entire article »
The exploitation of the Manta Ray
What is a Manta Ray? Click on this link R. Aidan Martin and the ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research and spend 15 minutes to read about Manta Rays. Facinating creatures. You may spend 15 more minutes to read on the Biology of the Manta Ray. These gentle giants are passive and impose no threat to humans. What I am about to describe is occuring in countries all around the globe, Manta Rays are being slaughtered in unlimited numbers. What is being spread is just like the exploitation of Shark Finning, Manta Rays are being killed off for the same reasons, their gills for soup and traditional medicines to the asian continents. We do know that the slow maturation and reproductive cycles are cause for concern. The reproductive rate of the Manta Ray is slow. With the slughtering occuring at rates … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Fish, Manta Rays, Reference, Report, Sharks
Artificial Reefs
In the February issue of National Geograhic is the article “From Relic to Reefs” in it you will find an exciting story of what artificial reefs do for our ecology and economy. If you are a diver, you will understand the approach from underwater on a sunken object. Some placed there intentionally and some unintentional. The research is in studying the benefits of such placements and the reasons why. Besides bringing pleasure to divers, artificial reefs aid in building homes and safety stops or stations for nomadic creatures as well as those looking for a safe place to setup residence. They also provide a place for fisherpeople to go to catch bait and to catch prey. The economy prospers wth the increase of sales in sporting goods, fishing and diving, boating … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Featured, Reefs, Reference, Report