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Dry Tortugas Cruise Day 2 - August 26, 2007
Continuing work at the Tortugas Ecological Reserve, part of the Long Term Agreement between the National Marine Sanctuary Program and the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.
a video survey of coral cover for
comparison with our other technique
of using digital still photos.
Photo credit: Shelby Moneysmith
out onto the sand, we encounter a
seagrass, called paddlegrass
(Halophila decipiens). Finding
these plants in 85 feet of water is
a good sign, pointing towards
a healthy ecosystem.
Photo credit: Shelby Moneysmith
In 1999 Dr. Nancy Foster, then the Assistant Administrator of the National Ocean Service, initiated a formal research agreement between two of NOS’s program offices: the National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) and the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS). A shared goal of both NMSP and NCCOS is to effectively manage NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuaries using the best available science and to utilize NOAA research capabilities, embodied in NCCOS, to assist in meeting this goal.
As we sail through the Tortugas Ecological Reserve, we are aware that our vessel is named after the late Dr. Foster whom many of us knew personally. We think that she would be proud of the breadth and magnitude of research carried out on board her namesake, in support of the agreement which she created.
A major goal of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve (TER) is to protect special habitats of adult fish and to reduce fishing effort in critical areas. It is expected that this will help conserve spawning stocks of these fishes. In general, the more time an adult fish spends inside the boundary of the TER, the greater degree of protection it is afforded. Size and scale then become important elements of Reserve design. At some threshold size, most species will not be spending enough time under protection if the Reserve is too small. The Tortugas Ecological Reserve (TER), implemented in July, 2001, is the largest reserve (800 nm²) under U.S. jurisdiction in the western central Atlantic Ocean and offers the best opportunity to study the benefits of reserves to fisheries species and to habitat health.
encounter a juvenile red grouper.
Photo credit: Brian Degan.
a school of barjacks visits
the divers. Photo credit: Brian Degan.
Our work in the TER addresses fundamental questions regarding the habitat basis of the Reserve concept. We are examining habitat utilization of fishes working both on and off the reef, focusing on the deep edge of the reef where it transitions into sand. We do this because habitat edges are often sensitive to ecological change. We seek to determine the functional scale of coral reef ecosystems to provide information on the necessary scale of reserves. One method is visual surveys and diver aided–net collections in a variety of habitats.
Our first dive today was on a beautiful reef spur. It rose up from a depth of 85 feet at the sand to 69 feet on top of the reef. The reef itself was very up and down, with bridges of reef that formed tunnels through the reef. From a distance, the tunnels would link up with the open water behind. The reef looked like a large creature, with a set of huge light green eyes peering down at you. The spur was about 70 feet wide, before dipping down to a sand channel and it was teeming with fish: red grouper, gray angelfish, and a myriad of smaller, cryptic, brightly colored reef fish.
safety stop. Divers must hang for 3
minutes at this depth to
allow their bodies to lose excess
nitrogen. Photo credit: Shelby
Moneysmith
bosun’s chair to re–align a towing
block on the A–frame. Photo
credit: Amy Uhrin.
Our second dive of the day was at a less remarkable site. Low relief pavement rose slightly out of the sand but was colonized by many soft corals, some small hard corals, and much algae. Far fewer large fish were seen at this location, which is not surprising given the lack of physical structure which attracts them.
The deck crew and officers load and off–load the three smaller vessels at least twice a day, rotating the dive teams out to the site with clock–like precision. The Captain swings the Nancy Foster around on a dime to give us a lee wind so the small boat is not being banged against the hull while we board. It is a very impressive operation and we are getting spoiled, having the boats brought along side for effortless embarking and disembarking. The seas are very calm and we are hoping our shortened cruise (the Nancy Foster was delayed a week with computer problems) will have such great working conditions every day.
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Today’s website contributor—M. Fonseca: checking his dive computer as he descends to the study site; note the small reserve scuba tank, this is standard practice for teams to carry an emergency supply to the seafloor. Photo credit: Shelby Moneysmith. |
For more information
- Ongoing Monitoring of Tortugas Ecological Reserve: Assessing the Consequences of Reserve Designation. M.S. Fonseca, Uhrin, A.V., Currin, C.A., Burke, J.S., Field, D.W., Addison, C.M., Wood, L.L., Piniak, G.A., Viehman, T.S., Bonn, C.S. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 22, January 2006.
- Biogeographic Analysis of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve (includes link to report)
- NOAA Press Release: After Five Years of Protection, NOAA Marine Reserve Shows Increasing Numbers, Size of Fish
- Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program