Marine Life & Conservation
Cayman Dive Community Tackles Coral Reef Damage
Cayman’s recreational and professional divers have joined forces to try to repair damage done to nearly 12,000 square feet of coral reef wrecked when a cruise ship dropped its anchor on the site last month.
Last Saturday, 28 volunteers took to the water from Don Foster’s Dive in George Town to remove rubble from the reef. Initially divers are targeting a shallower area, about 60 feet deep, and moving the debris in plastic crates to a sandy patch closer to the shore. As the project continues, they will remove rubble from deeper levels.
Sunset House general manager Keith Sahm, who is heading up the logistics of the volunteer-led project, said that while the work done last Saturday was just the beginning of what will be a long-haul project, “at least we’ve made a start.”
Any live dislodged coral that can be salvaged will be re-attached using epoxy, a waterproof cement, but before that can be done, the debris needs to be removed, he said.
“We cannot rebuild until we get rid of all the rubble,” Mr. Sahm said.
Divers worked in teams to fill crates with rocks and dead coral and then swam or walked the crates to the newly created rubble site before returning to the reef to refill the containers.
The reef was seriously damaged last month when a Carnival Magic cruise ship accidentally dropped its anchor at the site.
On Saturday, the divers carried out an orientation and assessment dive to familiarize themselves with the site, before re-entering the water to begin removing the rubble. Prior to the dives, they were briefed by Department of Environment research officer James Gibb, Russell Hartridge of Don Foster’s Dive, and Ocean Frontiers’ Lois Hatcher. Ms Hatcher was involved in the Maasdam reef restoration project in 1996, after a Maasdam cruise ship dragged its anchor on Soto’s Reef in George Town.
The plans for the recovery project first took hold during a meeting at Sunset House on Thursday night last week.
At that meeting, Ms. Hatcher told volunteers, “[We need to] uncover any corals that are still alive or attached to the reef structure, or buried and threatened under rubble.
“When the next big storm comes in, all that rubble is going to move around, so the quicker we can get it out, the better, because if it starts moving around, it’s going to start killing everything in its path.”
She also highlighted some differences between the Carnival Magic’s cruise ship anchor damage and the damage to Soto’s Reef in 1996.
“What I want to emphasize is … this is going to take a lot of time. The Maasdam took about 9,000 hours over three months, so this is probably going to be going on for months, possibly a year,” she told volunteers. “The damage that we’re dealing now is from 60 to 110 feet [deep], the damage in the Maasdam was shallower [40 feet].” “The number one thing that we want to do is to secure any of the large dislocated corals … that will give it a lot better to recover,” she added.
“This is going to be something where we really need the community to come together. If nobody’s going to be held accountable for this, we have to be accountable for it,” she said.
Mr. Gibb, following Saturday’s dives, told divers the ongoing work should be “slow, calm and deliberate,” to ensure not only diver safety but also that live coral at the site did not sustain any further damage.
“As we get further into this, we are going to find more and more live coral and will start to put that aside,” he said.
More than 100 people have joined a Facebook page, created by Aaron Hunt of Cayman Eco Divers, that is being used to communicate details of the project to divers. Mr. Gibb said any other divers who want to get involved can check the ‘Cayman Magic Reef Recovery‘ Facebook page to find out when dives will be organized.
Three more dives at the site were scheduled for Sunday, and more will be organized on a regular basis as the project continues.
Local companies have also joined the project, with Harbour House Marina providing the epoxy, Woody Foster suppling the lift crates, and Sunset House and Don Foster’s suppling free air tanks for the dive volunteers.
Source: www.compasscayman.com
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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