Northwest Dive Club

Hi everyone,

I got a call from Fisheries and Oceans Canada the other day regarding a spot that we are trying get closed to all commercial and sport fishing due to the possible damage to the corals and sponges that grow there. He said that if we could do a count on the numbers that are there it would probably help our case. My question would be, 'how would a group count them without counting the same one more that once?' The area is about 400 yards wide & 500 long, pretty steep on both sides down to about 180' with the deepest spot at about 220'(it stretches across the east end of the Tahsis Narrows). I realise the ones past 150' are not easily done but we have lots above that depth and we need to get an accurate count.

Anybody have any ideas?

Cheers,

Scott

Have an ROV make several passes? They use a laser based referencing system and can get accurate counts by making several passes.

Your other choice would be to do something similar to REEF surveys - a relative abundance count. Maybe go at different depth levels parallel to shore and just decide if there's 1, 2-10, 11-100, or 100+ at that level?

What depth do the corals start at?

- Janna

Hi Janna,

Thanks for the response. Some of the small ones can be found at 85-90' and the larger ones start to get numerous at about 120'. John and Valerie found a couple good sized ones on the Nootka Island side at 93'. We don't have the funds to hire an ROV so the physical count at variuous depths parallel to the beach looks like the way we'll have to go.

Cheers,

Scott

Yup, sounds like the best way.

Once you get an idea of how abundant they are (with photos of the area and density) that will help them maybe extrapolate how many there might be in the entire area.

I wanna see 'em!!!!!

- Janna

Janna,

You're more that welcome to come up at anytime. We're open all year round except for a couple of quick trips to the outside world. We're off to Vancouver for a fund raiser for the Dive Industry Accosiation of BC at the end off November and then a couple days in Bellingham for a gas mixing course (we hope). We are starting to get a lot of requests for Nitrox so it's time to get that done.

Come on up to see our corals- they haven't gone anywhere for at least a couple of hundred years:-}

Scott

Yup, we're definitely planning on coming up in the Feb - April range in 2008. And yes, I would be one of those requesting Nitrox!!! For sure!



- Geezer Janna

Sounds good! Adventures Down Under from Bellingham is in the process of putting a trip together for Feb. 21-24, 2008. If you're interested keep an eye on their website for further details.

Scott

Sounds like you might need a contingent of critter counters to make a road trip. If timing worked out, I'd totally be game for a road trip north. It wouldn't be difficult to make a good estimate and with the right media coverage of the surveys combined with beautiful photographs and/or video for them to circulate, it might help the efforts even further.

I bet there'd be plenty of folks willing to help out, eh?!

That's kind'a what we were thinking. The ADU trip is going to do a bunch of video and are talking about bringing a couple of scientist types that might be able to help us map out a strategy. Figured the more input we could give them before they arrived the better. We'll see what developes.

Cheers,

Scott

Sounder wrote:Sounds like you might need a contingent of critter counters to make a road trip. If timing worked out, I'd totally be game for a road trip north. It wouldn't be difficult to make a good estimate and with the right media coverage of the surveys combined with beautiful photographs and/or video for them to circulate, it might help the efforts even further.

I bet there'd be plenty of folks willing to help out, eh?!

I'm in! I can easily be "sick" for a few days in conjunction with my weekend.

Sounder wrote: I bet there'd be plenty of folks willing to help out, eh?!

I can dig it! Unless something changes, count me in too.

(Keep count at 120'? Whoa, that might be tough....)

If it was something organized, Janna is probably the best resource for organization of critter counters.

I'm already feeling a bit ill (cough cough!)...

Good thing the boss doesn't check this site, eh guys?!

Hey,

Don't worry about the sickness- The woman that helps out on the dive boat is a paramedic as am I. We can probably get the local nurse to write you a note.

Scott

Scott wrote:Don't worry about the sickness- The woman that helps out on the dive boat is a paramedic as am I.

Is three a crowd? :rr:

We can probably get the local nurse to write you a note.

Valerie? Lynne? I gotta owie... Can a hangover count?

Don't think 3 would be a crowd;-) We're in the process of getting seats w\tank racks installed in the boat and when that is done 8 will be comfy and 10 would be cozy.

Sounds like this could be fun! Surveying with a short term conservation objective dangling like a carrot out in front. Any excuse to get up that way!

Janna was saying that she might be coming up late winter, early spring. Maybe stay in touch and see what happens.

Janna was saying that she might be coming up late winter, early spring. Maybe stay in touch and see what happens.

Scott wrote:Janna was saying that she might be coming up late winter, early spring. Maybe stay in touch and see what happens.

You can say that again!

Sorry for the double post. Too many fingers and not enough thumbs.

It happens often (as does that stupid joke) - just deleted one I did myself.

Hi Scott,

REEF only monitors a select group of invertebrates, and unfortunately this coral is not one of them. However, this past week I ran into a lead regarding a professor at WSU here in Vancouver that may know more about them, and I'll get in touch with him. I will be coming up to Tahsis over spring vacation - so end of March, beginning of April. Already called and made arrangements with Jude. I definitely want to see the Gorgonians and take pics and survey the other invertebrates in the area.

However, I think it's best for the official counting and photos to take place with the Adventures Down Under trip in February. They've really put a lot of effort into it, so I think if anyone is interested in being a part of this trip, to contact that shop in Bellingham and ask about it. Sorry, I don't know all the details except what I see on their website:

Nootka Sound Sea Fan Expedition
ADU is putting together an expedition to Nootka Sound on the weekend of February 21-24 to study gorgonian sea fans, with room for 6-8 extra divers.

Divers rarely see these beautiful pink and red gorgonian sea fans, found sparsely along the BC coast due to the depth they inhabit—ninety feet and beyond. The population of gorgonian fans in Nootka Sound, near Tahsis, are in danger of destruction due to deep dragging nets from commercial fishing. Huge commercial prawn pots are another threat to this delicate cold-water coral species, as the fans get flattened in great square sections when the pots are dropped on top of them.

The main area of concern and where we will focus our study on in Nootka Sound is Tahsis Narrows. Our group will include divers and a few researchers to explore this area with the intention of photographing, filming and mapping out the sea fan habitat to get an estimation of the damage already caused and the extent of the gorgonian habitat. Information, photographs and video will be available after the expedition to scientists and researchers in the Pacific Northwest studying the gorgonians. This is your opportunity to participate in a worthy gathering of important data and enjoy some of Vancouver island’s unique west coast diving.

The group will meet in Tahsis on Thursday, February 21 at Tahtsa Dive Charters to meet owners Jude and Scott Schooner. The store is located at the end of the main road in town, next to the Government Dock. Jude will show everyone to their accommodations after Scott arranges tanks and other needed gear. Friday and Saturday will be dive days with two boat dives per day. Sunday morning everyone will meet for breakfast and to discuss the weekend’s findings and suggestions about what can be done to start the protection process for this species here and in other parts of BC with similar populations.

Participants may depart for their return trip after the meeting in the early afternoon. The cost for this four day expedition is currently being worked out, which will include three nights accommodations, most of the food, two days of 2-tank boat dives and a CD with the data collected (images, short Video clip, map and other relative facts) after the weekend. We are also hoping to have a non-diving researcher price as well for those who wish to come along on the expedition and come out on the boat. Since space is limited, a nonrefundable deposit will be requested to RSVP a space with the balance due January 10th or before.

To have your name added to the list, and for car pool arrangements, please contact Barb Roy— beroy@telus.net or Ron at the store, 360-676-4177.

[quote REEF only monitors a select group of invertebrates, and unfortunately this coral is not one of them. However, this past week I ran into a lead regarding a professor at WSU here in Vancouver that may know more about them, and I'll get in touch with him. quote]

That's great news about someone who might be able to shed some light on the corals. We're definately looking forward to meeting you and showing off some of our sites.

Cheers,

Scott

I thought that I'd resurrect this thread a little bit.....for those that have never seen the Gorgonian corals in BC, you're missing something really, REALLY special. Here's a shot of one that I took up in Scott's neck-o-the-woods in Nootka Sound:


This particular specimen was about three feet wide and around two feet tall. This shot was taken at 153 FSW, but they start around 100 FSW and get more prolific as you descend from there. On the day that we dived this site (Mozino Point) currents kept us from getting into the really large clusters of them, but the ones that we DID see were absolutely gorgeous.

- John

John,

You said there wasn't anything in this picture but coral. There are two fish, one's hiding in the sponge. Folks with better eyes than mine for seeing little things could probably pick out all kinds of 'stuff!