Fuzzy Kelp
We saw colonies of Bugula netitina (brown bryozoan) on many of the giant kelp blades at San Clemente Island. They are called moss animals. Yep, they are invertebrate animals.
Kelp Forest is Back!
Diving into a forest of young giant kelp. This is what you want to see when you dive in Southern California. The kelp is coming back and looking healthy! This is at 80 feet of water at San Clemente Island last weekend. We expect to see beautiful canopy of giant kelp when we go back to San Clemente in July.
Protect the Purple Hydrocoral
https://www.kcet.org/shows/earth-focus/why-isnt-california-protecting-its-unique-purple-corals
This is a great article written by Clarissa Wei, one of our fellow divers. As her article mentions, we have seen an alarming decline in purple hydrocoral over the years. As many of you know, Dan Stephens has been spearheading our project to estabish mooring buoys at Farnsworth Bank. Our online petition has collected nearly 15,000 signatures and the Ocean Protection Council has agreed to provide funding, but the project still faces more challenges.
Some Peace and Quiet
A peaceful sunset in the Solomon Islands. This picture is from our previous trip to the Solomon Islands. We are going back there in November of 2018. Check our website for details!
Alien Creature
Xenocarcinus tuberculatus (Xeno crab, whip coral crab). They look like some kind of alien creatures. These tiny crabs are typically found clutching onto a whip coral (thus the common name whip coral crab). They come in a wide range of colors to match the color of the host coral. You have to look carefully to find one.
