Expedition Log: Palau – Day 20 While doing coral reef surveys in Palau we select sites to get a variety of different habitats while trying to cover as many reef systems as possible. Many of the dives we do are
Expedition Log: Palau – Day 19 Algae, often referred to as “seaweed,” are underwater “plants” that, unlike land plants, lack a vascular system. Algae live underwater and obtain water, nutrients, and sunlight directly from the environment. Because algae don’t need
Expedition Log: Palau – Day 18 When I was writing the blog for the Blue Coral (Heliopora coerulea) I found and learned about earlier in this mission, I came across a reference for Organ Pipe Coral (Tubipora musica). While Blue
Expedition Log: Palau – Day 17 On a recent dive while swimming along between coral photo transects on a patch reef in the lagoon near the tip of the Aiyasu Reef system, I spotted a Long Tentacle Mushroom Coral (Heliofungia
Expedition Log: Palau – Day 16 For the past few weeks I have descended into Palau’s waters each day with my two vital pieces of equipment: a tape measure reel and writing slate. My job on this mission is to
Expedition Log: Palau – Day 15 Corals reefs capture our imagination with their extreme beauty and diversity, and so when we think about a reef, it usually brings to mind colorful imagery of teeming fish, strange forms of corals, and
Expedition Log: Palau – Day 14 The Indo-Pacific is home to a high diversity of small, elongate bottom dwellers— blennies and gobies. From low visibility sandy bottoms to high-energy outer reefs, blennies and gobies have made a prominent appearance in
Expedition Log: Palau – Day 13 On a previous mission someone had taken a photo of a coral with a strange patchy brownish “discoloration.” When I was asked if I had any idea what was being shown in the picture
Expedition Log – Day 12 One of the largest challenges for our coral surveys is the proper identification of the corals. When measuring and counting corals along transects we rarely identify them to species, mainly because there are some 450
Expedition Log: Palau – Day 11 On most of the barrier reefs we’ve examined off the south and west coast of Palau, the coral community has been thriving, with 60-90% of the bottom covered in a diverse assemblage of branching,
