Coral reef biology's most prolific and peculiar symbiotic pair, Roger Steene (left) and Dr Gerald Allen (right), with NAI'A divemaster, Rusi Vulakoro, examine what they hope will be a new cardinalfish species.
WILD REEF FIJI
"You've made a believer out of me. Fiji is such a fantastic place - grossly underrated by both divers and scientists. NAI'A is a wonderful experience, I wish I'd done it ten years ago! I can't wait to get back - that flasher wrasse is still waiting."
Dr. Gerald Allen, Conservation International
Gerry Allen joined NAI'A in May for our inaugural Wild Reef Fiji Survey Expedition along with his long-time dive buddy and co-author, Roger Steene, and a stellar group of scientists, photographers, and citizen-scientist NAI'A divers. What an eye-opener it was!
Gerry, a world-renowned marine biologist with 30 years experience in the Indo-Pacific, knows 2,500 fish species by sight and scientific name, so we all took full advantage of his knowledge. By the end of the two weeks he had noted at least a dozen fish he considers "very special", including two or more that are certainly undescribed. (More on that in future newsletters!) The only problem was that Gerry was so keen to photograph the elusive flasher wrasse along the deep rubble slopes that we could barely entice him to admire the spectacular coral reefs of which we are so proud. Roger Steene, however, working on his third coffee-table book of magnificent underwater photos, was thrilled to photograph lovely wide-angle scenes as well as Fiji's unusually colorful endemic species.
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Gerry was aboard NAI'A managing fish surveys and representing Conservation International. Four researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society, led by Australian marine biologist, Dr. Michael Marnane, also joined the conservation project launch to collect solid data about the state of Fiji's healthiest reefs and fish populations. Fiji's Didi Dulunaqio (champion of the community-based Namena Barrier Reef conservation program) and Loraini Sivo (a recent USP marine biology graduate), together with WCS field scientist Linda Farley, helped Michael swim transects, measure coral cover, and calculate fish abundance and size distribution.
"The reefs I've dived here are as good or better as any I've studied throughout Indonesia or PNG -- this place is definitely worth saving!" Marnane said.
"There is relatively little fishing pressure here, so now is an opportune time to establish a protected area -- before people become heavily dependent on the area.
"In only a few short years this place could be wiped out by commercial fishing."
For reasons these scientists are helping to unravel, the reefs of central Fiji are among the most robust, diverse and resilient in the world. Partly this is due to the relatively low fishing pressure in the area and partly it is because of the strong currents and good nutrient flow. But the entire picture remains a mystery. When parts of Fiji and much of the eastern South Pacific suffered coral bleaching in 2000, many of the reefs in central Fiji were untouched, and those that did suffer significant bleaching have showed signs of recovery far more quickly and dramatically than expected.
There is a dawning recognition among conservation groups that some places, even if they are at the center of biodiversity and traditional scientific focus, are too badly abused to save. While other places, for a combination of reasons worth studying, are still thriving. Some debilitating forces are impossible to control in the short term -- like coral bleaching -- so it makes good practical sense to protect the reefs that have thus far survived coral bleaching against the things we CAN control -- such as over fishing by foreign fleets or pollution from coastal development. |
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Fiji's central region -- Bligh Water and Lomaiviti -- are perfect candidates for a large-scale marine protected area network. The reefs are still robust and rich and there is limited indigenous or local commercial fishing pressure. Fiji's traditional chiefly systems still function, so a grassroots campaign combined with Government action has an excellent chance of working. The concept has attracted the attention of several of the big foundations -- the money behind the conservation NGOs -- that are looking to spend resources wisely and practically, in a way that achieves real results -- and fast.
For ten years NAI'A has explored Fiji's wide-range of reefs and islands, and we know the region intimately now. It has long frustrated us that much of the conventional wisdom in scientific circles is that Fiji's reefs are either taxonomically ordinary or devoid of abundance. Even the diving media have made spurious and dangerous generalizations about Fiji's reefs -- as they have about many destinations. Yet, NAI'A's areas are in superb shape and a far cry from the descriptions of academics with limited experience and scope. Divers who've explored Bligh Water, Namena and Gau with us understand our enthusiasm for conserving the area and glorifying it. Photographers and filmmakers, such as the IMAX® film Coral Reef Adventure team who chose Fiji as the location for the vast majority of their underwater footage, are discovering the world's brightest color and most varied marine animal encounters here. Gradually we sharing the same richness of life with the world's most influential scientists and gaining for Fiji's Lomaiviti Region the respect, adoration and protection it deserves.
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WHALES ALIVE
As if to celebrate Fiji's new legislation to protect all whales in her EEZ, NAI'A passengers have surged in to sign up for the few remaining berths on our Tonga Humpback Whale Expeditions. We start this year's series season in Tonga on July 24 and as this News Flash goes out, our scheduled charters are full. But we've penciled in Aug 27-Sep 5 for overflow. Meanwhile almost all the space on the 2004 expeditions is already taken by returning passengers, leaving only eight empty berths next year!
But don't panic. If you miss out on one of the few remaining berths, you can always buy a Bob Talbot poster or wait until Howard & Michele Hall broadcasts a HiDef Video. They are joining us for one of this year's expeditions with Underwater Images producer, Kandy Kendall. If past performance is any guide, Howard will go home with some amazing footage. If Howard had been with us last year when we enjoyed a three-hour interaction with a humpback pod that included a female who was very near to giving birth, he'd probably have been right next to her when she popped, and naturally have captured the whole sequence!
NAI'A IN VANUATU & NEW CALEDONIA
Our wanderlust, and the exploratory urges of our passengers, has NAI'A embarking on more discovery tours next year. During late May and June we will return to Vanuatu, where we enjoyed great adventures three years ago. From there we will cross over to New Caledonia, a magnificent archipelago not well known except by adventurous Francophiles. Apparently most of the reef fish there suffer from serious ciguatera poisoning, so no one catches them. Lots of reef fish = lots of predators and the big-fish action is rumoured to be exceptional. Rob and Cat will visit New Caledonia on a reconnaissance mission this year, but NAI'A's journeys there will likely focus on the isolated, uninhabited, and seldom-seen northern reefs and atolls. At a recent conservation conference we asked a French fisheries scientist from New Caledonia about the north and he got so excited talking about it that he lost his English. Judging by his effusive gestures and fulsome grins, he loved the place!
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SPECIAL GUEST HOSTED EXPEDITIONS IN FIJI
Next year NAI'A will host several special expeditions featuring guest experts. Well-known naturalist/photographers Larry & Denise Tackett will be aboard April as will be the "Digital Duo", digital photography authors Jack & Sue Drafahl. Monterey Bay Aquarium co-founder Dr. Steve Webster brings a group back for his 5th NAI'A charter May 1-11. Gates Underwater Housings will host a video shoot-out on NAI'A from May 12-22 with Stan Waterman as competition critic, judge, referee, and, having just turned 81, Ship's Official Old Fart. Stan again returns to his Fiji home aboard NAI'A as special guest host for the November 13-23, 2004 trip.
VISIT US IN LONG BEACH
Come and say BULA to Alexx at Scuba Show 2003: Long Beach, CA, June 21-22.
UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS BOOK
Like everyone else in this email age, NAI'A gets its share of spam. After starting too many mornings by sifting through dozens of invitations to send our banking details to Nigeria, protect our computers against evil hackers, or enlarge particular parts of our anatomy, we're closing down naia@is.com.fj. Unless you want to turn us on to a discount source for Viagra, please ONLY write to explore@naia.com.fj
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