January 11, 2005
1/11 - How Deep Is Your Love (of coral reefs)?
Five people sent me this link last week, as if it was banner headline news that the deepest coral reef in the U.S. was "discovered" last month. Is this really news? It was "discovered" by Univ. of S. Florida divers five years ago. And 250 feet is nothing for living corals in the Caribbean. I remember diving with Jeremy Jackson's graduate students in Discovery Bay, Jamaica in 1978 (pre-hurrican Allen) down to 225 feet to collect brachiopods under plate corals, and being able to see live coral plates continuing down for another hundred feet. Back in the days when dives to 225 feet were considered cool, instead of just stupid (another baseline that's shifted).
Trials of Life: When sponges attack.
Posted by Randy Olson at January 11, 2005 03:31 AM