CCC Members’ Mini Expedition to the S.Red Sea
Added to website: 28 November 2005
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Photographs: Tony Basset, Tom Reid, Simon Draper
Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) recognises that there are many people interested in marine conservation who, through time constraints, are unable to commit to a full 4-8 week expedition. To cater for this interest we launched the CCC Society in November 2004 and as membership developed started to arrange members’ mini-expeditions. The second visit to the Red Sea took place between 11-18 November, 2005.
The Red Sea is becoming increasingly important as a conservation resource for hermatypic or reef-building corals. In 1998 there was a world-wide coral bleaching event caused by high water temperatures and exacerbated by other stress factors such as disease and pollution. In coral bleaching, the microscopic zooxanthellae dinoflagellate algae that reside within the coral polyps are expelled and the coloration they contribute to the coral polyp is lost. More important than the cosmetic loss of colour observed by divers is the loss of photosynthetic carbon fixation within the living reef. With an 80 per cent reduction in energy available for growth, the reef becomes a static rather than dynamic structure, eventually unable to recover from annual storm damage and other natural or anthropogenic pressures. Unless the zooxanthellae become re-established, the reef is likely to become overgrown with algae and the coral will die. In 1998 the Red Sea was unaffected by bleaching and retained pristine coral formations especially in the undeveloped south. While 2005 has seen further extensive and possibly catastrophic bleaching in the Caribbean, the Egyptian Red Sea is once again generally unaffected. While growth of at least some hermatypic corals is possible between18°-40°, for optimum reef development water temperatures of 25°-30° are required. Faced with global warming, the Red Sea is probably better placed to avoid temperature-induced bleaching than areas in lower latitudes. In August, despite air temperatures that can reach 40°, the sea surface isotherms, which run approximately east-west, reach only 27° in the northern Red Sea and 30° in the southern Egyptian Red Sea. Throughout the year the prevailing strong northerly wind drives water circulation to the depths at 1000m hence stabilising temperatures. Continued relative immunity to bleaching is however contingent on protecting the reefs from other stresses.
CCC has recently announced a new collaborative Red Sea programme in partnership with the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Association (the authority responsible for the conservation of coral reef resources within the Red Sea Governorate) and the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Agency (an Egyptian registered NGO concerned with the sustainable use of the natural resources within the Red Sea). The planned survey region is the fringing reefs and pinnacles supporting reefal development accessed from Marsa Alam. This area is rich in relatively unspoilt reef systems but is potentially threatened by anthropogenic damage caused by uncontrolled development. The impacting agents include increased loading of nutrients resulting from inappropriate waste water handling facilities, the inundation of the reef systems with sediments mobilised by near-shore construction and land reclamation activities. Additionally an active tourism industry with poor operations management can directly damage reefs by inappropriate anchoring practices and physical contact by divers and snorkellers.
With this background, a Coral Cay Conservation Society members’ live-aboard mini-expedition to the waters south of Marsa Alam was judged particularly timely. The objective was to provide a series of lectures and guided underwater identification sessions as an introduction to reef ecology and conservation. There was also an emphasis on providing a full dive programme with three dives and an optional night dive each day. A further objective was to add to the library of photographic images initiated on the visit to the northern Red Sea in May 2005. Finally, we were aiming to provide a thoroughly enjoyable and social week with plenty of opportunity to talk to other members with similar interests.
After a flight from Gatwick we arrived at Port Ghalib and shipped aboard the 28m MY Asmaa. Early the next day we set off towards the southernmost point on our trip, the Fury Shoals. Over the following days all participants became familiar with the distinction between Acropora and non-Acropora coral species, with their life forms and with the characteristics of the soft octocorals. The salient features of other reef taxa were also covered. In addition, James Comley, CCC’s Head of Marine Science, gave lectures on reef conservation and coral bleaching. A final special lecture, which participants found fascinating, was an overview of CCC’s post-tsunami survey of coral reefs in the Andaman Sea. In this way the programme effectively linked the day-to-day observations being made underwater with conservation issues on a global scale.
Underwater, a real highlight was the huge number of both hard and soft corals seen in the Fury Shoals region. The total number of species was estimated as being in excess of 100. Participants were able to note and photograph the various life forms of the hard corals. The massive corals (especially Porites sp) were particularly impressive. The Hydrocoral, species Millepora (Fire Corals) were present, as usual in both blade and branching forms. Of the soft corals, Deadman’s Fingers (Sinularia spp), and the pulsing Xenia spp. were widely distributed along with many others including Flower and Leather corals. The Organ Pipe Tubipora musica displayed a carpet of flower-like polyps with a corallite structure tinged purple in colour.
Spanish Dancers and colourful nudibranchs were recorded as were, at the opposite end of the size scale, large Green Turtles, observed at close-quarters grazing on sea grass beds. These impressive creatures reach a body weight of 150kg and a length in excess of 1.5m. Adults can remain submerged for up to 5 hours by slowing their heart rate to one beat per minute.
A sighting of the so-called Guitar Shark was noteworthy. Two species are seen in the Red Sea, both of the genus Rhynchobatis. Although Elasmobranchs with a cartilaginous skeleton, they are in fact rays rather than sharks. When swimming away from the diver they present a characteristic ‘three-finned appearance’ as the two dorsal fins are located well back on the body in a line with the caudal fin. Other fish seen included the Oceanic White Tip Shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) on Elphinstone Reef. Five of these majestic sharks, which can reach 3.5m in length, circled as we made our way back to the boat at around 8m. Oceanic White Tips are pelagic and found over deep water, rarely inshore. They may be observed near the surface, as at Elphinstone, or may descend to over 150m. They are circumtropical, generally inhabiting waters with temperatures over 20°. As members of the Carcharhinidae, or Requiem Sharks, they have a characteristic shape shared by others of the genus which includes the majority of sharks associated with reefs.
Other fish of striking appearance included the batfish, Platax orbicularis, a much larger shoal of which were seen on a previous Members’ trip circling the stern of the Thistlegorm wreck in the north. The Unicorn Fish, Naso unicornis, was readily identified from its unique appearance as was the long thin snouted, Indian Bird Wrasse (Gomphosus caeruleus). Other favourites were the massive Napoleon Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) which can grow to 2.3m, the aptly named and colourful Picasso Fish (Rhinecanthus assasi) and the Coral Hind (Cephalopholis miniata). The latter, a red grouper with blue spots, is common in coral-rich areas with clear water. The larger Peacock Grouper (Cephalopholis argus) was also seen.
On returning to Marsa Ghalib, we spent the final night in hotel comfort with the opportunity to relax, chat, exchange photo’s, regain our ‘land legs’, de-gas prior to the return flight and generally reacclimatise, albeit reluctantly, to life ashore. We all departed our separate ways at Gatwick promising to sign on for the next CCC trip!
By Simon Draper
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