Reef Report
Saturday, September 11

I.Care Coral Restoration with Key Dives, Islamorada
    
Remembering the Fallen, Contributing to the Future

Today’s dive in Islamorada was with I.Care, an organization founded in 2019 dedicated to Coral Reef restoration. They partner with Mote Marine Laboratory, which grows and supplies their corals. In preparation for the coral planting we watched an interactive marine biology education session on the main types of corals in the Keys and the different negative effects of increased ocean temperatures, bleaching, algae have on these corals. Staghorn and Elkhorn are amongst the most endangered keys corals. We worked with tools on the surface, yes even PlayDoh, to practice the techniques we would be implementing underwater to plant the Staghorn corals. The marine biology interns with I.Care watched closely to ensure successful planting. We went out with Mike Goldberg, Keys Dive owner and co-founder of I.Care, on the “Big Stride”. We worked 2 different sites.

Senior Active Divers members Lee Wood (Safety Officer) and Environmental Programs Director Roy Wasson led the way. At the first site we planted Staghorn coral.

Dive 1: Capt. Arno’s Reef - 29 ft depth, visibility 30 ft., 43 min dive in a balmy 87 surf temp. A few 3-foot waves made it interesting to board the boat. When the work was done we swam around and enjoyed seeing some snappers, a beautiful moray eel, skates, pufferfish, and Florida spiny lobster. 

Dive 2: Rocky Top - The second site was a treat. It was so alive with many coral and various fish species. There we checked on the health of previously transplanted sites. We checked for loose coral, cleaned algae off them, and looked for the predatory yellow footed snail. Dive conditions were great with surf temp 87, visibility 30 feet, depth 22 ft for 51 min. 

--Active Divers member Frances Rodriguez

Reef Report

Sunday, September 12

Pompano Beach with South Florida Diving Headquarters

This dive was scheduled to be a Goliath Grouper dive on the Castor Wreck with Loggerhead Charters in Boynton Beach. However, we learned that morning that Capt. Jim’s boat wouldn’t start. So we were able to move the dive to Pompano which was a good thing because Kathleen Whitcomb was already on her way to the dive site from Cape Coral on the West Coast of Florida, while Lisa Littleton was coming all the way from Cocoa Beach. Out of the 17 divers scheduled, 13 of us opted in for the new dive site. We had the boat nearly all to ourselves and the diving was nothing short of spectacular. Plus we were celebrating my 1,000th dive! I have always logged my dives religiously, even before I became a dive professional. My first dive was on August 3, 2001 in Key Largo. Vicki Maggiulli Lessly was on that first dive with me 20 years ago and was also on my 1,000th on Sunday! What a magnificent celebration. Kudos and thanks to everyone who weathered the dive site change and were treated to fabulous conditions! Capt. Dave was an absolute delight and never gave us a hard time for taking 60+ minutes bottom time (thanks Dave!)

Dive 1: Sanctuary Reef – depth 68, visibility 60+, water temp 87, seas 2-3 feet. Down below the rollers a world of wonders awaited including a large green moral eel hanging out closely with a curious French angelfish doing acrobatics just above the eel’s mouth, also trunkfish, pufferfish, porkfish, enormous schools of grunts and snappers. On the safety stop we witnessed hundreds of ballyhoo dancing near the surface. 

Dive 2: Turtle Ledge/Abbey Too – depth 57, visibility 60+, water temp 87, seas 2-3 feet. We divided the groups into “Team Nitrox” led by Amber and me, and “Team Air” led by Divemaster-in-training Jean Gruss. Jean’s team saw a large loggerhead turtle while our team happened upon a steep ledge at the very end of the dive with one of the largest biomasses I’ve ever seen of French grunts, smallmouth grunts, tomtates, and yellowtail snappers. It was a magnificent way to end a marvelous day of diving. I’m looking forward to the next 1,000!

-- Active Divers Vice President and Safety Officer Rachel Davis