[Coral-List] Diver distance from Reef

Sat Jul 27 13:49:11 EDT 2013

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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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
transmisi?n es propiedad exclusiva de la Comisi?n
Nacional de ?reas Naturales Protegidas. Si usted no es el
destinatario de esta informaci?n o si la ha recibido por
error, se le comunica que la copia, distribuci?n,
modificaci?n, retransmisi?n, revelaci?n o uso en cualquier
forma, est? estrictamente prohibida.

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

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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End of Coral-List Digest, Vol 59, Issue 23
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