It seems that the aquarium stores sell far more species of soft coral from the Indopacific than from the Caribbean. There seems to be a lot more species of soft coral from the Indopacific as well. Not only that but they seem to be more colorful as well. Dendronepthya is pink to purple while some mushroom corals are rainbow colors. Xenia corals pulse like hands and purple clove polyps are a beautiful purple color.I have not seen this kind of soft coral in the Caribbean and what soft coral there is is brown or greenish. I have dived in the Caribbean many times from Cayman Islands to Cancun to the Virgin Islands. All are beautiful but compared to diving in Thailand the corals and fish seem plain because of how brightly colored to corals and fish are in the Indopacific. In any case I feel that the soft corals in the Indopacific are so colorful they almost look fake or painted by an artist.
There seems to be more types of soft coral in the Indopacific than the Caribbean
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Biodiversity is much higher in the western Pacific (the Golden Triangle that includes the Philippines is tops) than in the Caribbean.
divekraz
Contributor
I just came back from diving in the Komodo Islands on the Damai 2 for 10 days. The corals were unbelievable as well as the the other wildlife. The Caribbean does not compare to the Pacific and especially Indonesia. I've done everything from Bernuda to Bon Aire. I don't bother filming the Atlantic anymore as I've become to jaded with diving in the Pacific
The Caribbean and the South Pacific have completely different conditions; they are in no way comparable. The sheer size, temperatures, and geologic history of the South Pacific and adjacent areas puts them is a separate and very distinct category. The Red Sea has similar conditions, and also has colorful soft corals and a profusion of species. The Caribbean is a much smaller, cooler place, among other significant differences. Comparing the biodiversity and color palette of the Caribbean to those of Hawaii or the Sea of Cortez would be much less invidious, much more reflective of reality.
Five hundred years of intensive human activity in the Caribbean have certainly degraded conditions there. I first saw and dived the Caribbean almost 50 years ago. The difference between then and now is enormous and heartbreaking. The Caribbean of a few centuries back must have been amazing. The late Archie Carr, in his wonderful "So Excellent a Fishe", touches on some of this as he describes the plight of sea turtles. This book was written decades ago. I can only imagine Dr. Carr's reaction were he alive to see what we have done to the Caribbean in the years since his death.
Five hundred years of intensive human activity in the Caribbean have certainly degraded conditions there. I first saw and dived the Caribbean almost 50 years ago. The difference between then and now is enormous and heartbreaking. The Caribbean of a few centuries back must have been amazing. The late Archie Carr, in his wonderful "So Excellent a Fishe", touches on some of this as he describes the plight of sea turtles. This book was written decades ago. I can only imagine Dr. Carr's reaction were he alive to see what we have done to the Caribbean in the years since his death.
DevonDiver
N/A
Coral Triangle - Marine Biodiversity
"The Coral Triangle is a geographical term so named as it refers to a roughly triangular area of the tropical marine waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste that contain at least 500 species of reef-building corals in each ecoregion.
This region encompasses portions of two biogeographic regions: the Indonesian-Philippines Region, and the Far Southwestern Pacific Region.
The Coral Triangle is recognized as the global centre of marine biodiversity and a global priority for conservation.
It also called the "Amazon of the seas" and covers 5.7 million square kilometers of ocean waters. Its biological resources sustain the lives of over 120 million people. According to the Coral Triangle Knowledge Network, about $3 billion in fisheries exports and another $3 billion in coastal tourism revenues are derived as annual foreign exchange income in the region.
The WWF considers the region a top priority for marine conservation, and the organization is addressing the threats it faces through its Coral Triangle Program, launched in 2007.
"The Coral Triangle is a geographical term so named as it refers to a roughly triangular area of the tropical marine waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste that contain at least 500 species of reef-building corals in each ecoregion.
This region encompasses portions of two biogeographic regions: the Indonesian-Philippines Region, and the Far Southwestern Pacific Region.
The Coral Triangle is recognized as the global centre of marine biodiversity and a global priority for conservation.
It also called the "Amazon of the seas" and covers 5.7 million square kilometers of ocean waters. Its biological resources sustain the lives of over 120 million people. According to the Coral Triangle Knowledge Network, about $3 billion in fisheries exports and another $3 billion in coastal tourism revenues are derived as annual foreign exchange income in the region.
The WWF considers the region a top priority for marine conservation, and the organization is addressing the threats it faces through its Coral Triangle Program, launched in 2007.
No. There are many soft corals in the Caribbean. The term itself is very general. The conditions in various seas and oceans are very different and the infinitely complex evolutionary development of life over vast periods of time was also very different. In any case, what we call colors are strictly a subjective human perception of phenomena that serve purposes having nothing to do with what the human eye experiences.
b-dog's question pretty much nailed it.
Coral's gotta eat, and the Indo-Pacific provides a much better menu.
If you look at the Western Hemisphere on Google Earth, you'll note that the entire Caribbean basin and the Gulf of Mexico, even though they encompass many beautiful places, are essentially backwaters. No major global currents flow through them, and they don't experience much temperature differentiation. And although the gin-clear water in the Caribbean gives a diver great viz, it's clear because it's not carrying a lot of nutrients.
Now look at the Coral Triangle, which is essentially a picket fence between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The warm Western Pacific has its sea level at a higher altitude than the cold, deep Indian Ocean south of it. The Pacific water literally runs downhill through the Coral Triangle, and the deep, cold Indian currents bring nutrients from the other side. This creates a nutrient soup where they meet in the Coral Triangle. The often soupy viz there is all about plankton, i.e., coral food (and food for thousands of other small critters), constantly washed back and forth over the coral. The current also prevents warming ocean waters from staying stationary, causing bleaching.
So for us Western Hemisphere locals who like coral, we just happen to be living on the wrong side of the world.
Coral's gotta eat, and the Indo-Pacific provides a much better menu.
If you look at the Western Hemisphere on Google Earth, you'll note that the entire Caribbean basin and the Gulf of Mexico, even though they encompass many beautiful places, are essentially backwaters. No major global currents flow through them, and they don't experience much temperature differentiation. And although the gin-clear water in the Caribbean gives a diver great viz, it's clear because it's not carrying a lot of nutrients.
Now look at the Coral Triangle, which is essentially a picket fence between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The warm Western Pacific has its sea level at a higher altitude than the cold, deep Indian Ocean south of it. The Pacific water literally runs downhill through the Coral Triangle, and the deep, cold Indian currents bring nutrients from the other side. This creates a nutrient soup where they meet in the Coral Triangle. The often soupy viz there is all about plankton, i.e., coral food (and food for thousands of other small critters), constantly washed back and forth over the coral. The current also prevents warming ocean waters from staying stationary, causing bleaching.
So for us Western Hemisphere locals who like coral, we just happen to be living on the wrong side of the world.
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