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Behind the
Science,
Ten year teaser
Not just a
Cleaning
tool
Sassy
Spoonbill
The Story
of Empanada,
Part 3
International
Coastal
Cleanup
PADI
Advanced Open Water
Diver Course,
Pez Maya style
The Dive
Academy
The Wonderful
World of BCD Maintenance
Protect the
Reef Song
Contents
2 You are the Difference
3 Behind the Science, Ten year teaser
5 Not Just a Cleaning Tool
6 Sassy Spoonbill
7 International Coastal Cleanup
8 Creatures of Pez Maya
9 PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course, Pez Maya style
11 The Dive Academy
13 The Wonderful World of BCD Maintenance
15 The Story of Empanada, Part 3
17 Protect the reef song
18 The Pez Puzzler
19 Global Vision International App
Photographers
Andy Ez
Luis Miguel Beristain
The Pez Maya Magazine is published every 3 months by the GVI Mexico - Pez Maya team.
This is and always will be a free publication. Copyright GVI.2015
Andy Ez
Behind
the
Ten Year Teaser
Science
By Sam Wilson
So we have reached the end of a great year for MBRS monitoring, and we almost completed all the sites! So very close.
Whats even better is we managed to find time to analyze a lot of our sites from over the past 10 years of monitoring! This
is incredibly useful as we can now start looking at the most important aspects of coral reef conservation, the trends and
correlations between variables. I know, I didnt make that sound very exciting, but wait until you see our sexy graphs.
For this article we will focus on the main groups of the reef: macroalgae, hard coral and the parrot fish family (Scaridae).
First off, lets look at the general trends in our 10 meter sites.
As you can see from Graph 1, we actually have a positive outlook across the 10 meter sites over the decade. Most of our sites, along with many other places
in the Caribbean, suffered losses from the 2004 and
2005 hurricane seasons. These sites have since shown
a steady level of recovery, with an R2 of 0.58 we can
assume a significant trend of recovery. R2 values help
us see relationships between data, any value above 0.5
indicates a positive linear relationship (i.e. when X increases, so does Y). For us, this means that each year
we have recorded more coral colonies than the last, so
the coral colonies are recovering.
Coral Communities researchers, for those that arent
familiar with the coral methodology, record every coral that intersects with the transect line, even if only a
dead section of the colony is in contact.
Graph 1. Comparison of coral cover based on Coral Communities (CC) data across 10 meter sites
Graph 2. Percentage cover of hard corals and macroalgae based on point intercept (PI) data across 10 meter sites
Now due to overfishing of important herbivorous fish, reduction of other herbivorous species such as the long-spined sea
urchin due to disease and an increase in diseases across all coral species, the ability for coral to recover from such extreme
weather events has been significantly reduced.
It appears that for our reef the combination of all these impacts was enough to stop the coral colonies from out-competing
the algal community.
The importance of collecting long term datasets is also shown here, as not only can we see that coral is still the least dominant of the two, but that the proportion of cover fluctuates over time. This is very normal in stable ecosystems; percentage
cover is never exactly the same year to year, as different groups will always compete with each other.
So not only has our reef encountered a phase shift from coral dominant to algal dominant, but the new proportions appear
to be part of a stable ecosystem.
This isnt necessarily a good thing, as the corals should ideally be more dominant. The reduction in over-all coral cover
means the reef is more vulnerable to degradation should another storm hit, or diseases become even more prevalent.
And now for something a little different!
Weve seen how macroalgae has become more dominant, and touched on how overfishing has been an influential factor, but how about seeing this influence for
yourself?
Trick question, you dont get a choice.
On the right in graph 3 and 4, we have once again used
the percentage cover of macroalgae, but this time we
compare it to the abundance of the parrot fish family
(Scaridae). Scaridae are one of the main herbivorous
groups responsible for the control of algae, and we
have found that our data actually reflects this relationship at both our 10 meter and 20 meter sites.
Graph 3. Comparison of parrot fish (Scaridae) abundance and macroalgae % cover for PP10
Andy Ez
Sassy
Spoonbill
By Sam Wilson
Im versatile, lightweight, flexible, moisture resistant, strong and inexpensive. Im 90% of the oceans trash, Im found on every mile of every
beach and have made my way into every water system. What am I?
Our planet is a blue planet. There are 165 major rivers covering 1% of
the Earth, 117 million lakes covering 4% and 5 oceans cover 71%. Not
one of those are plastic free.
8 million metric tons of plastic make their way into Earths oceans every year. Thats the equivalent to having 5 plastic bags covering every
foot of coastline around the world. By 2025, those 5 plastic bags are
going to turn into 10. That would be 155 million tons of trash in the
ocean every year if we don't change our waste management.
This past October, GVI Pez Maya partnered with Ocean Conservancy,
a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, to participate in the International Coastal Clean Up (ICC) event. Ocean Conservancy created
the International Coastal Clean Up event in 1986. It started off with
just 12 sites off the coast of Texas and has grown to more than 6,000
sites in over 100 countries. With more than 9 million volunteers, there
has been over 145 million pounds (~66 million kgs) of trash picked up
since the ICC was created.
The trucks were packed up with trash bags and buckets, the volunteers
were wedged into the collectivos, and we started our way down the dirt
road to Punta Allen.
Punta Allen is a small fishing village at the end of the Boca Paila Peninsula in the Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve. Around 470 people live in
the village, a 5 block by 7 block area.
Now don't get me wrong, Punta Allen is an absolutely beautiful village, but just like many small fishing villages around the Caribbean,
the beach is covered with trash. Most of it is thought to be brought in
by Cruise ships and other Caribbean countries with open landfills. The
trash covered beach is not only ugly to look at, but its very dangerous
for the people who live there and the kids who run around. If you found
broken glass in front of your house, you would pick it up, wouldn't
you? Why don't we have the same mindset for our beaches?
When the trucks entered into Punta Allen, everyone finally understood
we were there for a purpose.
It was a sunny, hot day in Mexico. Hats and sunglasses were grabbed
from bags and sunscreen was being passed around. All the bags and
buckets were taken from the trucks and we walked to meet the Punta
Allen volunteers for the beach clean.
There were around 100 people, a lot more than we anticipated, ages
ranging from 5-65 all eager and ready to get their hands dirty and clean
up their home. Most of them were kids too. A primary school class
and a secondary school class as well. We told them the game plan and
groups were made. Trash goes in the mesh bags, plastic bottles in the
black, bottle caps in the clear, glass in the buckets. The second each
group was made and they had their materials, a competition was created. Which group can pick up the most trash?
They started running everywhere, smiles on their faces and not missing one thing on the sand in front of them. I have never seen anyone
so happy to participate in a beach clean. They were excited to find a
plastic bottle and place it in the bag. Maybe it was because they could
see first hand the effects of cleaning up since this is their home. Or
maybe it was just because they are kids and they made it into a game.
Either way, with the help of everyone, 270kg of trash was picked up
and thrown away or recycled in just one hour!
At the end of the clean, sweat was rolling down faces, cheeks were
rosy, and eyelids were starting to droop. But deep inside of everyone,
you could see the accomplishment. The mass pile of trash in front of
us was the reason why we came to Punta Allen. The appreciation we
received from the locals was thanks enough.
So back in the cars we went, all tired from our long morning in the sun
but so happy that 270kg of trash would never make its way back into
the ocean.
Creatures of
Pez Maya
Thespidae
This
peculiar
creature,
found in the surroundings
of Pez Maya, is a grass
mantis part of the Thespidae family. This particular insect resembles the
twigs of the trees among
which it lives, helping it
to camouflage itself from
its prey.
Andy Ez
By Eugene Beery
For those of you that arent familiar with PADIs Advanced Open Water Diver Course here is a quick breakdown. The
course is the second level of the recreational diver ladder following your Open Water Diver certification. It consists of 5
individual dives that focus on specific fields or aspects of diving as opposed to the Open Water course which focuses on the
basics of diving as a whole. The individual dives pertain to an array of possible fields including deep diving, navigation,
wreck diving, enriched air diving, search and recovery, peak performance buoyancy, night diving , underwater naturalist,
fish ID and many many more. Each of these dives also has a correlating chapter in the PADI Adventures in Diving manual
which acts as an introduction before completing the practical in water skills. To obtain the certification you must complete
5 of the adventure dives, two of which are mandatory, Deep Diver and Underwater Navigation, and three of which are
elective so you can choose what best suits your needs or interests. You complete each chapter in the manual pertaining to
the dives that you have chosen. Upon completion you are then certified to dive as deep as 30m and youll have expanded your
knowledge of the various types of diving.
In Pez Maya we have selected the 5 dives that best suit our volunteers needs and what will help them progress most during
their time with us as a diver and conservationist.
The dives include the following:
Underwater Naturalist
The Underwater Naturalist dive has been chosen because it is excellent
preparation for the main focus of our program which is monitoring the
coral reef and to do this our divers need to be able to identify different
species underwater - which is the focus of this dive. We take you through
different techniques of how to identify different species underwater and
then for the dive we select 5 fish, 5 corals and 2 plants. The students have
to write down the defining features of the species and when back on land
utilize our identification books to find the specific coral, fish or plant that
we had selected. In addition during the knowledge development portion
you learn the key differences between the terrestrial and aquatic worlds
and how to dive and interact with aquatic life responsibly and with the least
impact possible. Not only does this dive prepare you for your science training but it gives you the knowledge needed to be a role model diver for the
protection of the marine environment.
Underwater Navigator
This is one of the mandatory dives required by PADI and it is so for a
reason. The skills and knowledge in this portion are vital to becoming an
independent and aware diver that knows how to plan a dive pertaining
to conditions and location and follow that plan accordingly. This is very
important on the road to becoming an expert diver. You learn different
techniques for navigating including utilizing natural references and using
a compass. To put your skills to the test we have our students learn how to
estimate distance underwater and using that knowledge navigate a reciprocal heading of approximately 40m and then a 30mx30m square using a
compass and returning to the starting point. To finish the dive we have our
students guide us through a portion of the reef and return to the starting
point using nothing but natural references. During the knowledge development you learn how to navigate in different conditions taking things such
as visibility, currents and topography into consideration. These skills are
important to make the most of your dives, make your air last and minimize
stress which is always a plus.
Deep Diver
This is one of the most popular and sought after fields of diving and is also
the second mandatory dive of the Advanced Open Water course. Just the
shear fact of going to 30m is amazing in itself but it is not the only point
of this dive. Our students learn about the physiological effects of diving
deeper and how to plan accordingly. They learn how to deal with gas narcosis, managing air supply and what additional equipment may be needed to
execute specific dives. To finish this training we then go to 30m to explore
the deeper reefs here at Pez Maya. We see things like black coral and the occasional nurse shark, and along the way we may even present certain games
to test your motor functions and cognitive skills at depth as opposed to the
surface. We also bring along various objects to show you how the increased
pressure effects different materials and objects. Finally all of our students
are given a colour chart so they can witness colour change at depth and
note which spectrums penetrate deeper. All in all this is definitely a favorite
and also an important skill to have while progressing as a diver.
So as you can see the PADI Advanced Open Water Course is an extremely fun and beneficial experience for any diver. In
general the course is challenging and fun but at Pez Maya its just that much better. As with all of our courses, because our
volunteers stay with us for extended periods of time, we not only introduce and assess these advanced skills but we have the
opportunity to continue to refine your skills and provide feedback until you are a safe, confident and independent diver with
a new arsenal of skills and experience.
The Dive
Academy
By Kerry Passingham
Andy Ez
Interns who gain their PADI Divemaster and Instructor status through GVIs Dive Academy come away
with a lot more than certification cards. They come
away with a strong understanding of life in a marine conservation base, practical coral reef health
research monitoring experience, an increased
knowledge and awareness of local and global conservation issues, as well as an understanding of the
logistics and day to day runnings of a successful
PADI 5* IDC Dive Resort.
If you have already been a volunteer at Pez Maya
you will have experienced most of the elements
explained above first hand but we thought you
might want to have a bit more of an in depth understanding of the internships that happen here
and the added components the interns complete
whilst on base and at XTC. Oh and of course give
you all the juicy details about the new MSDT Internship. If you have already got the marine conservation experience you can jump directly to the
Divemaster or MSDT programs, just contact our
Country Expert in the office and they will give you
all the information you need. But you are always
welcome to come back to Pez Maya and help out
on the monitoring of the coral reefs!
By Jim Clark
Your Buoyancy Controlling Device or BCD to all of those in the diving world, is an extremely important piece of equipment. Anyone with
their own equipment will know how essential it is to take care of it, and how vital it is to ensure that it is maintained and cleaned properly,
to make them last as long as possible.
The first thing you need to know for looking after your BCD is what to do with it once you have been on a dive:
- Always wash your BCD with fresh water after every dive, inside and out, and make
sure to never use solvents that could damage the equipment. Ensure that this is done
immediately if you have just been diving in chlorinated water as this can break down
rubbers and plastics quite quickly.
- To prevent mold growth and bacteria you can use salt water, this will inhibit the
growth of mold/fungus. However once the water has evaporated you will be left with a
BCD covered in salt, this might seem irrelevant but these crystals can do major damage
to your BCD bladder and can tear or rupture it.
So now the extra bits, this only takes a few minutes and is essential for extending the
life of your BCD, it is how the clean the inside of your BCD. You need to hold down
the deflator button while having a good flow of fresh water up into the mouthpiece,
so that it goes inside the bladder of the BCD. Once it is full, slosh the water around to
make sure every part of the inside gets a good clean, then you can dump out the water
through the inflator hose to clean the last bit. Hold the BCD with the hose at the lowest
point, so all the water drains out. You can repeat this step again, but you should be fine.
- Then you need to inflate the BCD through oral inflate or a tank, a good amount needs
to be in there, and this is to ensure that the internal bladder does not dry stuck together.
As this could cause big problems when you come to use it again, and potentially tear
the bladder.
- Finally leave it to dry in a shaded area, if putting it away for the night, put a bit of air
into the BCD while in storage ready for you to dive again, hopefully the very next day!
So that is your guide to general maintenance of your BCD, now we will look into the problems that can occur with a BCD, how it affects
your dive and how they can be fixed.
The Story of
Empanada
Third part
By Steffanie Ransom
As he started to swim,
the waves felt much rougher,
the current was strong,
to get further was tougher.
Living in the Mangroves,
the water was calm,
and even in a storm,
there was no need for alarm.
The trees and the plants
would protect any fish,
it was the easiest of lives
if that was ones wish.
But Empanada was not now
the pup he once was,
he felt strength surging through him,
and he knew it because
He felt so ashamed
and scared of his hunger,
the reef was so beautiful,
hed never want to plunder!
Empanada blinked
(or he would if he could),
He wouldnt eat Myrtle,
he explained he was good.
Empanada agreed,
but did not understand,
why this turtle would say
that the reef would withstand
S
T T
B D `
T A AC
The
Pez
Puzzler
The rules of the game are simple:
each of the nine blocks has to
contain all the numbers 1 to 9
within its squares. Each number
can only appear once in a row,
column or box.