[Coral-List] Diver distance from Reef

Keven Reed reedkc at comcast.net
Tue Aug 6 09:08:06 EDT 2013


Dear coral-listers,

    Can't we remember the wonder of Nature that made us become biologists as youth? !!  One viewed that caterpillar or flower from inches away.....underwater the optics and nooks and crannies of the reef relief require viewing inches away with good bouyancy control, or there will not be the sciencific discoveries and esthetic appreciation of Nature in general that bring the underwater world to the public mind.  

    We won't conserve or care about the things we don't see, and I fear keeping all divers two meters (6+ feet) from the very animals one desires to study is not practical.

    Just survey how many dives per annum are done in your underwater park, and limit how many dives per annum allows the corals to reproduce or extend growth, then one might limit tourist dives to, for example, Thurs-Sun (four days per week) to mitigate inadvertent contact damage.  I would prefer limiting access to marine life that way, vice saying I can't actually get close enough to see the animal (or macroalga). 

Warmest regards to all searching for a better way,
Keven

Keven C. Reed, Fleming Island, FL
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gregor Hodgson 
  To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov 
  Sent: Saturday, July 27, 2013 1:49 PM
  Subject: [Coral-List] Diver distance from Reef


  Parks might want to consider a 2 m (or 6 feet) distance from a practical
  standpoint. Most divers are about 2 m  long (tall) when in the water with
  fins but with legs bent, oriented at an angle and not completely stretched
  out. Hence any distance less than that risks bumping into the reef
  inadvertently when turning. It might be easier to remember and for divers to
  conceptualize a body length of 2 m than 1.5.

  That being said, a lot of photographers enjoy macro-photography and a lot of
  divers are photographers. By zoning the entire park as 2 m distance only,
  you are excluding macro-photographers. Also lot of dive guides like showing
  small creatures such as anemone shrimp to customers.

  Perhaps there should be a zone where closer observation/photography is
  permitted or when a guide is present who can enforce/remind?

  Regards,

  Gregor Hodgson, PhD
  Executive Director
  Reef Check Foundation
  PO Box 1057 (mail)
  17575 Pacific Coast Highway (overnight)
  Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 USA
  T: +1 310-230-2371 or 2360
  Gregorh at reefcheck.org
  Skype: gregorh001


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  Reply-To:  "coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov" <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
  Date:  Saturday, July 27, 2013 9:00 AM
  To:  "coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov" <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
  Subject:  Coral-List Digest, Vol 59, Issue 23

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  Today's Topics:

     1. Arrecife Alacranes Park manager needs documentation for
        proposed regulation re: divers distance from reef (Sustento
        t?cnico para regla de buceo en PN Arrecife Alacranes (Mexico):
        distancia del buzo al arrecife) (Georgina Bustamante)


  ----------------------------------------------------------------------

  Message: 1
  Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 16:00:49 -0400
  From: "Georgina Bustamante" <gbustamante09 at gmail.com>
  Subject: [Coral-List] Arrecife Alacranes Park manager needs
  documentation for proposed regulation re: divers distance from reef
  (Sustento t?cnico para regla de buceo en PN Arrecife Alacranes
  (Mexico): distancia del buzo al arrecife)
  To: "CaMPAM Forum" <CAMPAM-L at LISTSERV.GCFI.ORG>, "'coral list'"
  <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>, "'Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries
  Institute Network'" <GCFINET at LISTSERV.GCFI.ORG>, "'Bruce Potter at
  IRF'" <bpotter at irf.org>,
  <wcpa_north_america_caribbean at yahoogroups.com>
  Message-ID: <09ec01ce8971$aa681260$ff383720$@com>
  Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

  (My translation to English below)

   

   

  El colega Ren? Kant?n, director del Parque Nacional Arrecifes Alacranes,
  necesita ayuda para apoyar una nueva regulaci?n en el parque: los buceadores
  deben mantener una distancia m?nima de 1.5m del arrecife.

  Favor de leer su mensaje abajo y comunicarse con el si puede ayudarlo.

   

  GB

   

   

  From: Rene Humberto Kantun Palma [mailto:rkantun at conanp.gob.mx]
  Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2013 2:53 PM
  To: gbustamante09 at gmail.com
  Cc: renekantun at hotmail.com
  Subject: RV: Sustento t?cnico para buceo

   

   

  Estimada Georgina:

   

  Una disculpa por distraerte de tus m?ltiples ocupaciones.

   

  Te comento que estamos en el proceso de modificaci?n del Programa de Manejo
  del Parque Nacional Arrecife Alacranes, en el estado de Yucat?n, M?xico; en
  dicho documento estamos proponiendo incorporar como regla administrativa,
  respetar, en las pr?cticas de buceo, una distancia m?nima de 1.5 metros de
  las formaciones coralinas, con objeto de evitar da?os a las mismas. Hemos
  hecho una investigaci?n bibliogr?fica, pero ninguna de las publicaciones
  habla fehacientemente que para realizar sustentablemente el buceo se debe
  respetar distancia alguna, solo mencionan buenas pr?cticas y controlar la
  flotabilidad, incluso algunas AMP de M?xico contemplan o proponen
  distancias, pero no se?alan metodolog?a alguna para determinarlo, peor a?n,
  proponen distancias diferentes (Sian Ka?an 2.5, Cozumel 1.5, etc.).

   

  Con base en lo anterior, atentamente te solicito tu apoyo a fin de que a
  trav?s de tu red de contactos puedas hacer la respectiva consulta, de lo
  cual estoy seguro que algo saldr? en alg?n lugar del mundo, lo que permitir?
  fortalecer la propuesta de imponer una distancia m?nima al realizar el buceo
  en el PNAA.

   

  Por el amable tiempo de haber revisado el presente correo, te agradezco
  infinito y aprovecho para enviarte saludos, con la esperanza que nos
  saludemos pronto, quiz?s en M?rida??

  Espero tus comentarios.

  Cordialmente

  RK

   

   

  Lic. Ren? H. Kant?n Palma

  Comisi?n Nacional de ?reas Naturales Protegidas

  Director 

  Parque Nacional Arrecife Alacranes

  Reserva de la Biosfera R?a Celest?n

  Calle 18 No, 120 X Av. P?rez Ponce, Col. Itzimn?

  M?rida, Yucat?n, C.P. 97100

  Tel. 999 938 07 09 / 999 938 07 08

  Ext. 101 y 106

  renekantun at hotmail.com

   

   


  La informaci?n que se env?a al destinatario mediante esta
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  ------------------------

  CaMPAM members, 

  Our colleague Rene Kantun, director of Arrecifes de Alacranes NP, need your
  help to Support a proposed regulation: for divers to keep a 1.5m distance
  from the reef. 

  Read my English translation of his message below, and contact him if you can
  help.

   

  GB

   

  Dear Georgina:
   
  An apology for distracting from your busy schedule.
   
  We are in the process of modifying the Management  Program of Alacranes
  Reefs National Park, Yucatan, Mexico. We are proposing to incorporate a new
  regulation on diving practices re: a minimum distance of 1.5 m to coral
  formations in order to avoid damage to them. We conducted a literature
  search, but none of the publications justifies convincingly the distance to
  be respected, just mention good practice and control buoyancy, even some of
  Mexico AMP (2.5m  for Sian Ka'an, 1.5m for  Cozumel, etc..).
   
  Based on the above, I request your support for this query thru your network
  and contacts.  I hope something will come out somewhere in the world, which
  will strengthen the proposal to impose minimum distance to make diving in
  the NPAA.
    
  Thank you ??. hoping to greet us soon, maybe in Merida??
  I await your comments.
  Cordially
  RK

  Lic. Ren? H. Kant?n Palma

  Comisi?n Nacional de ?reas Naturales Protegidas

  Director 

  Parque Nacional Arrecife Alacranes

  Reserva de la Biosfera R?a Celest?n

  Calle 18 No, 120 X Av. P?rez Ponce, Col. Itzimn?

  M?rida, Yucat?n, C.P. 97100

  Tel. 999 938 07 09 / 999 938 07 08

  Ext. 101 y 106

  renekantun at hotmail.com

    ??  



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