Wetpixel/Under The Jungle Cenote Workshop 2021
Articles
Recovery of Raja Ampat reef damaged by cruise ship up to 100 years
As divers begin to assess the damage sustained to a Raja Ampat reef destroyed two-weeks ago by a cruise ship, the full extent of the reef destruction is coming into focus. On March 4th, the Caledonian Sky went off course after taking tourists on a bird-watching cruise and ran aground into one of Raja Ampat’s famously pristine reefs. The reef is irreparably damaged and could take up to “100 years” to recover.
Paper Examines Impact of Divers on Reef Sharks
A paper published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series contrasts the behavior of reef sharks that inhabit areas with high numbers of divers, with that of sharks that do not come onto contact with many divers. Undertaken at the Palmyra atoll, the study concludes that long term shark numbers and behavior is not really affected by the presence of divers.
Fantasea announces housing for Sony a6500 and a6300
Fantasea has announced its new housing for the Sony a6500 and a6300 mirrorless cameras. The housings are constructed of polycarbonate, have an M16 accessory port and two fiber optic bulkheads. Fantasea will offer an “interchangeable lens port and lens gear system” although lens support is not known at this time.
Coral reef restoration with 3D printing
Scientists and conservationists are beginning to utilize 3-D printers to help save the ocean’s coral reefs. Artificial reefs have been composed of everything from used tires, to retired ships to manufactured concrete structures, but up until now none have exactly replicated the structures of coral exoskeletons. Scientists believe that 3-D reefs may be less vulnerable to climate change than natural reefs. Experiments in reef colonization is occurring now in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Persian Gulf, and Australia.
WWF Releases Shark and Ray Ecotourism Guidance.
he World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has released guidelines entitled “Responsible Shark and Ray Tourism: A Guide to Best Practice.” It aims to create well managed shark and ray tourism operations, conserve species and benefit local communities. The guide bases its findings on a case study basis which interestingly, do not include any of the common shark diving sites in the Bahamas, whilst suggesting that the interaction regulations in place during Mexico’s whale shark aggregation are adequate.
Aquatica announces housing for Sony a6500
Aquatica has announced (pdf) their housing for the Sony a6500 mirrorless camera. It will ship with an adjustable tray and two handles and is designed to be used with or without handles. Flash options include fiber, Nikonos or Ikelite bulkheads and there is an optional under camera saddle power pack available.
Ocean Views is now part of the Windland Awards
Nature’s Best has announced that all images entered for the 2016 Ocean Views contest are now automatically entered into the Windland Smith Rice International Awards competition for 2017. The deadline for entries for the latter is 31 March, with the results being announced in May.
Rare beaked whale filmed underwater for first time ever
Yesterday a 45-second video clip of a True’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon mirus) was released to the world, along with a study published in the scientific journal PeerJ. This was the first underwater video ever recorded of this particular whale species, and one of only a handful of live sightings. True’s beaked whales can hold their breaths for hours and are believed to dive as deep as 10,000 feet.