A couple of weeks ago I saw an interesting article on BBC news. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34129490)
It explained a new tool being developed by the QLD government in the ongoing battle against the Crown of Thrones starfish (COTS). The COT is a coral eating monster which is responsible to a great level of decline on the GBR.
The population of COTS have exploded over the last few decades due to excess levels of nutrients dispersed into the oceans. This has enabled a high portion of juveniles to survive, and with 60,000,000 eggs even a 1% increase in survival rates can lead to exponential growth as each generation benefits from the high levels of nutrients. With few predators the COTS have produce huge numbers of coral ravishing individuals. In outbreak areas the density of COT has been so high the level of coral degrades faster then it grows therefore destroying the reefs.
As we returned from another successful day-trip out to the GBR we moored aside the COTS Research Vessel to pick up some
passengers transferring back to land. Two guys came aboard with a large box covered in fragile stickers. My first presumption was the box was full of COTS ready for dissection and investigation. Intrigued I asked what was inside and was given a look.
Inside was a high tech looking submersible called the COTS BOT. This amazing new tech is fitted with 3 cameras capable to detecting COTS by analysing shapes, colour and texture. Once the BOT has detected a COT it moves in for the kill and lowers within striking range. An air powered piston armed with a deadly injection then fires into the COT.
The injections is a newly developed chemical which terminates the animal with a single injection, previously an injection in each arm was required. Armed with this technology the COTS BOT can be programmed with coordinates and launched from a boat while the crew stay dry and watch their
terminator at work.
Its was awesome to see this technology first hand and to talk to the men behind it. Although the COTS BOT is still in a trail period it should be ready for its first mission within a couple of months. This tech could really help the QLD government in its battle with COTS. Currently with only one dive boat to patrol the whole 2,700 km of the GBR they need all the help they can get.
In the morning the dive team disposed of 700 COTS in a single diving session. The COTS BOT will assist the divers but they are still needed as the the COTS can escape death by the BOT by hiding under a rock or in crevices. This is a somewhat futuristic method of ecology control but with such a huge area to cover it seems totally necessary.
https://wiki.qut.edu.au/display/cyphy/COTSBot
My name is Joe. Here I want to show what I've been up to while traveling the world on a mission to enjoy, protect and promote the ocean. http://photosarebetter.tumblr.com/
Wednesday, 4 November 2015
Friday, 16 October 2015
Made it to Cairns, got an job: On-board Photographer for Cairns Dive Center
We made it to Cairns, after driving 9,000km over a month from Perth we arrived into Cairns through the amazing Daintree Rainforest. I think in the last two hours of the journey we made more turns on the small winding jungle roads than we did for the previous 8500km.
We arrived on Friday and by Monday I was working on-board Reefkist for Cairns Dive Center (CDC).
My duty is to take photos of the customers through out to day, on the boat and under the water.
Check out some of the photo's I've taken here: http://photosarebetter.tumblr.com/
here is a video i made of general day on board the boat, enjoy!
We arrived on Friday and by Monday I was working on-board Reefkist for Cairns Dive Center (CDC).
My duty is to take photos of the customers through out to day, on the boat and under the water.
Check out some of the photo's I've taken here: http://photosarebetter.tumblr.com/
here is a video i made of general day on board the boat, enjoy!
Wednesday, 19 August 2015
Diving in Exmouth
Maybe this post should be titled driving in Exmouth because unfortunately not too much diving was done. Instead we spent a good few days driving on the - one road in one road out - system of the Cape Range national park beautiful in its own right but not why we were here.
After setting off from Perth we spent about a week to go the 1000 or so kilometres up the west coast of Australia. Passing an uncountable number of dead kangaroos (far more than live ones), some amazing scenery and a handful of unfriendly locals we arrive to look for work in Exmouth.
Exmouth itself is a small town which was established due to the navy presence in the area. Now it soaks in the glory of the whale sharks and the Ningaloo reef which brings hosts of tourist eager to pay $350 to swim with a 10m beast. Everything in the town is named after or wore the logo of the reef or the sharks; Ningaloo bottled water, basking shark gym and Ningaloo bowls club to name a few.
Unfortunately for us we arrived a month or so too late as the tourist season was coming to an end. We spent a week badgering all the shark and scuba diving companies in the area but to no avail.
After travelling all this way we were determined to dive the Ningaloo but after spending all our savings on dive gear and getting to Exmouth there no way we could afford the $200 each price tag. So after some negotiations and some very kind efforts by the Exmouth Dive Center manager Danellie we agree to do a days work to pay for the days diving. We spent a day cleaning the centres fleet of 6 minivans and pressure washing the floor of the equipment room. The next day were able to go out on the dive boat.
We went to Marion Island for two dives off the EDC's very nice dive boat. The sites were shallow ~15m but the array of colourful corals was amazing. This area is one of the best in the world to see soft and hard corals and due to the EDC being the only dive center to come here often is pristine and beautiful. Some of the colour has been lost on the photos but you can get some idea.
Big thanks to Danellie and the EDC for getting us in the water. I would love to come back and dive the navy pier but that will have to be for another year. Now we make our way 6000km to Cairns in the pursuit of work under the waves.
Wednesday, 12 August 2015
Fundraising in Perth
For the past 3 months I've been fundraising for the Conservation Council of Western Australia (CCWA).
CCWA or Cons Council is an environmental charity which has been running for around 50 years. They act as a peak body for over 100 different environmental groups over WA as well having thier own campaigns. The big one being to stop shale gas fracking which has only recently started to emerge in WA after being present in the eastern states for a few years.
The process of fracking which was once described as "a green fossil fuel which could be the solution to climate change" is unfortunately neither of those. The high level of methane leakage which occurs during extraction is often overlooked and acts as a potent green house gas. The chemicals used contaminate local water sources and the environment, causing serve health impacts. Even without the environmental or health problems the impact fracking has on local communities is terrible. Usually farming and rural communities are disrupted by the huge scale industrial activities, sometimes less than 1km from their homes.
With special permission from governments, fracking companies have no need to monitor their environmental impacts and have no need to prove these processes are safe for the environment. They also can by pass trespass laws and use land not owned by them without consent. To me this is madness and proof that if you have enough money you can get away with anything.
The job itself was ok, like any job it had its good and bad days, I enjoyed promoting a message to protect the environment and hearing the views of the general public. The best days were spent talking to open minded people (mostly at universities) who already had an interest in the environment and were happy to stop, chat and sign up to ccwa. Other days it seemed impossible to get people to stop. With most people passing by with a disgruntled grunt or a 'not today', if you did manage to get someone to stop the next task was to persuade them that handing over thier card details and donating $30 a month was a good thing to do today. Often pretty tricky and depending on the area I could go unsuccessful all day! A twenty minute round in circle conversation with a Christian or group of turned out to be a common feature of the day too.
On some of the longer days I tried to calculate whether my wages were costing the charity more money than I was collecting but by the time I left I had got a fair few sign ups, one off donations and spread the word about the need to protect the environment to many people, so was happy with my efforts.
Since leaving Perth and heading into outback Australia the anti-fracking fight was much more prevalent and real. Farms, homes and trucks wore the "lock the gate" placard. Used to warn off potential frackers. To the communities here the effects would be felt far more than in the cities. Although it felt good to know there was some connection between the too.
Thanks Duey, Tony and the rest of CCWA crew!
www.ccwa.org.au
Monday, 8 June 2015
Empty the Tanks- Perth
06/06/2015
Sam, Rowan and me went to a activity to raise awareness and hopefully free cetaceans from captivity.
Sunday, 24 May 2015
ORRCA training at Coogee Beach, WA
Yesterday we took part in course run by ORRCA the Organistion for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia. It was a day long course with around 25 attendees. It was great to see a range of people there with different ages and backgrounds all sharing a passion to want to protect some of the most amazing animals on the planet. There was a large group for Sea Shepard along with people from other conservation groups such as Stop the Shark Cull, Save Marine Life and Ban Balloons Freo.
First we listened to a lecture informing us on all the cetaceans in Australia along with the theory on how to save them. Interestingly the most important thing to consider with a standing is keeping the animal as calm and stress free as possible. Alot of techniques use the knowledge of mob mentality when trying to save the animals. For example, the dominate leader (usually the largest female) is always re-floated first in order the draw the other animals away from the beach We also learnt health and safety aspects, how to deal with the media at standings and the legislation in place.
After a lunch break it was time to put the theory into practice. We all kitted up in our wetsuits and hit the beach whera some tasks had been set up for us. Firstly as a group we have to organise ourselves into teams and save 4 beached animals, in this case 2 large females and 2 baby dolphins in the form of blow up swimming pool toys. We had to ensure the "animals" were stress free, keep wet and positioned the right way. Despite the strange looks from onlookers it was fun and we manage to do it pretty well although it took us 15mintues to find one baby which was half way down the beach!
Next was time to practice using the whale and dolphin slings. I had a turn being a whale and was picked up and release successfully back into the ocean. It was fun day and we were awarded with a card and certificate. We are now part of the ORRCA team, in the case of a stranding we will be contacted and activated to help save the animals.
Thanks to the ORRCA crew and the rest of the team!
http://www.orrca.org.au/
(more photos to come)
Tuesday, 17 March 2015
Diving Weligama
It's our last day in Weligama and time to move on. I've been diving here for 3 weeks, during that time have taken people fun diving, taught DSD's and assisted with open water and advance open water courses. Rowan has also completed a course and is now an advance open water diver.
Dives complete: 20 + 4 confined dives
Deepest dive: 31m
Unfortunately much of the once pristine and beautiful reefs has been dystroyed in southern Sri Lanka. The damage has been caused by trawling fishing nets, dynamite fishing and 2004's tsunami. The evidence can be seen as the sea floor is covered in fragments of dead coral. It's sad to see, sometimes you see glimpse of the beauty of the past but much is now desolate and bare. One dive site was even describes as 'apocalyptic' by ofher divers.
Some dive sites and local snorkeling spots seem to lack in fish which the local 'jungle' diving trade maybe to blame. The local men catch fish, shrimps and other desirable marine life which is sold for the booming aquarium market. There equitment is stored at the side of the dive shop and they even use the same tanks. Thaminda used to be a 'jungle' diver so now allows his old colleges to make use of his centre. All the 'jungle' fishing it's totally unregulated and seemingly out of control. It seems crazy to facilitate the decline of marine life while at the same time making a business taking toritst to see it!
Despite all this we have enjoyed our stay and met some amazing friendly people. It's nice to feel part of a family while being so far from our own. I won't be taking some of the dive practices I witnessed with me which are very much in the 'Sri Lankan' style, we even took our equitment to the boat by tuc-tuc. However I have made some new friends and gained some new diving expirence.
Thaminda and me outside the shop- "diver diver, you ok?"
A huge thank you to Thaminda and his family, who were very welcoming, funny and hospitable. Shout out to the rest of dive team and crew too! Buuuuuuut, See you in Trincomalee!
Thursday, 5 March 2015
Save Our Beach, Welligama Sri Lanka
We were involved in a beach clean in Weligama, southern Sri Lanka. I am working at Welligama dive centre who invited us along to help clean the beach. We didn't know to expect but we're presently surprised to see around 20 locals there ready with there masks and fins. We were told to wait as the 'gorvernemnt' were coming.
After 20 minutes of sitting and joking with the group, all sweating in the mid day sun. The 'governement' arrived. We couldn't believe it when a march of 100 school kids came round the corner. They had made signs and were chanting "save our beach!". At the end of the march there were local people who worked for the environmental protect agency and local marine biologists.
We met on the beach in a huddle and a few words were said, none of which we could understand but ended to a round of applause. Then we set of collecting any rubbish we could find. The kids and teachers on land and the rest of us in the sea.
They end result was a huge pile of rubbish from the beach and the reef. A politician appear, eager to see what work had been done. Handshakes all round, a few snaps from the local journalist and we were done.
We then all refreshed with orange juice and a spicy bun. It was great to see such a range of people their all contributing to save the beach. A man we met told us they want to make it a national event with people all over the country helping clean the beach. We made a few good contacts who want us to help with conservation projects in Sri Lanka, exciting times!
Wednesday, 25 February 2015
Visit to Turtle Conservation Centre, Mount Latvinia Sri Lanka
So we have left the UK to explore the world with the focus of the trip on promoting and actively helping with Marine Conservation. We decided to fly to Sri Lanka to start our trip.
We had our visit two nights book to stay in Mount Latvinia, 20mins south of Colomobo, so why not while we are here visit the Turtle Consevation Centre which was 200m from our hotel on the golden sand of Mount Latvinia beach.
The centre, which is just a few huts of the beach, is home to all 5 species of turtle which Sri Lanka plays host too; green turtle, hawksbill, black turtle, leatherback and Oliver Ridley turtle. Examples of the species were held in the various tanks, some waiting to be released back into the sea, some not old enough yet and others to badly damaged to be released.
The centre was established 10years ago due to threats posed to turtles from habitat destruction, hunting for meat and eggs and entanglement in fishing gear. As well as the various tanks the centre also had a hatchery with over 2000 eggs which have been collected from the beach in order to protect them and ensure safe release. The day before we arrived some eggs had hatched, we were lucky enough to see over 100 goofball sized one day old babies.
The centre does some great work in protecting turtles but relies heavily on donations from tourists. More investment from the government is needed to take to conservation effort higher. You can't help feeling the focus of the centre is to attach more tourists. The information available was faded and outdated. Nevertheless that said they are still doing a great job in helping protect the turtles.
Thursday, 12 February 2015
SOS IOM- The Ocean Art Show
As part of an SOS IOM event my girlfriend decided to organise an Ocean Art Show.
The event hosted 12 different artist all from the Isle of Man who exhibited a variety of art; drawings, paints, prints, film and 3D art. The exhibition was a great success with over 100 people attending.
The aim was to highlight the issue of ocean conservation and to bridge the gap between conservation and art. I helped set up the exhibition and displayed some videos I made on the Island.
Here's a film about the day..
And we even made it in the paper!
The event hosted 12 different artist all from the Isle of Man who exhibited a variety of art; drawings, paints, prints, film and 3D art. The exhibition was a great success with over 100 people attending.
The aim was to highlight the issue of ocean conservation and to bridge the gap between conservation and art. I helped set up the exhibition and displayed some videos I made on the Island.
Here's a film about the day..
And we even made it in the paper!
Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Gracie the Grey Seal
Filmed and edited some footage of a grey seal we saw while diving on the Isle of Man.
Gracie, Grey Seal (Isle of Man) from Joe Redfern on Vimeo.
Gracie, Grey Seal (Isle of Man) from Joe Redfern on Vimeo.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)