Yearly Archives: 2013

The Cryptic Yellow-Spotted Scorpionfish

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As I plunged into the water for my last dive of the day on the western tip of Cook Reef in New Caledonia I was greeted by the sight of many different types of fishes. Along with my dive buddy …

Marine Habitats as a Component of Biodiversity

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Biodiversity is the diversity of life from genes to ecosystems. Somewhere between these two extremes are habitats. Habitats are, simply speaking, an area where flora and fauna settle, live, feed, reproduce and die. More formally, marine habitats can be defined …

PVC Paparazzi

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My role on the LOF expeditions in the Pacific has been underwater photography. In addition to being on the lookout for interesting or beautiful subjects for the Facebook photo gallery or to illustrate blog postings, my primary duty is to …

Hitchhiker on the High Seas

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Today is transit day. The Golden Shadow is moving from Prony Bay, at the southern end of the main island (Grande Terre) of New Caledonia to Cook Reef in the north.  It is a day for all the scientists to …

Red Reefs

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At the southern end of Grande Terre, is Prony Bay, a large sheltered bay at the convergence of the open ocean and two larger streams that drain the surrounding mountains and hillsides.  The terrain here is unusual: dark red earth …

The Man-Eaters

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South Pacific legends describe giant clams as man-eaters.  The largest of all molluscs, giant clams, were once thought to be voracious predators that wait patiently on the seafloor to trap an unsuspecting swimmer.  It’s no wonder  with a life span …

Natures Cement – A Tale of Two Dives

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With wind and swell building from the south and east, we identified two relatively sheltered sites north of Ile des Pins for the morning surveys. Ominous rain clouds were building in the sky to the east, but we were glad …

Isle of Pines

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As we arrived into Ill des Pins (Isle of Pines) on the first day of the mission, one type of vegetation struck me. Pine forests tower above the landscape, and stretch right down to the shore! Though we came to …

Sea Snakes Galore!

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Yesterday, while exploring a nearby island, Dive Safety Officer, Nick Cautin, spotted 15 sea snakes on the beach!  We seem to be seeing them everywhere – on land, SCUBA diving, and even on the aft deck of the M/Y Golden …