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Puerto Rico & Vieques 2008 Cruise, day four: March 29, 2008
Lighthouse
(Credit: Amy V.
Uhrin)
This morning’s dives fell under the watchful eye of the Puerto Ferro lighthouse. Located near the former U.S. Navy bombing range (now the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge), the abandoned and inactive light is deteriorating rapidly. Established in 1896, the building is of typical nineteenth century Spanish architectural design with a stucco keepers quarters and white octagonal stone tower directly in the center. The lighthouse was abandoned in 1926. In 1975, the United States Coast Guard erected a black steel skeletal tower. The Puerto Ferro lighthouse is listed in the U.S. Federal Register of Historic Places.
staghorn coral
(Credit:
Brian Degan)
(Credit: Amy V.
Uhrin)
In the afternoon, divers encountered a colony of staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis), a rare sighting in this area. Once abundant throughout the Bahamas and the Caribbean, staghorn coral has suffered mass mortality since the 1990s due mainly to disease outbreaks, especially white band disease. The fragile branches of this coral render it highly susceptible to breakage during hurricanes, leading to localized losses. In 2006, this species was listed as threatened throughout its range under the Endangered Species Act.
The elegant anemone (Actinoporus elegans) is an interesting creature with its numerous knob–like tentacles. This specimen was found in a sand patch within a larger seagrass meadow. Another interesting creature, the puffer fish will blow up like a balloon, when feeling stressed or threatened. This bandtail puffer (Sphoeroides spengleri) was scooped up in the push net, counted, identified, and safely returned to the water.
This beautiful juvenile French angelfish (Pomacanthus paru) was found cruising along the reef by scientist Brian Degan.
Juvenile French angelfish (Credit: Brian Degan) Click to enlarge |
