Coral death on HD/HM????

[nikyyo]

"Between 30 metres an 18-15, a lot of dead soft coral and sea stars, besides that it seems ok."

Unfortunately, "besides that" understates the situation just a bit. Soft corals are pretty much the whole point of being there. I certainly hope that these reports are inaccurate in terms of the corals being dead. Time will tell. That truly is one nasty picture.

 

[Bowmouth]

Soft corals laying flat on the reef does not immediately mean that they are dead or dying. If there's a slack period and lack of current soft corals will "deflate", shrivel up and lay down on the reef. For them to be stimulated again, get fully erect and filled with water they will need a steady current.

It's like an old man with and without Viagra....

 

[Christian]

Soft corals laying flat on the reef does not immediately mean that they are dead or dying. If there's a slack period and lack of current soft corals will "deflate", shrivel up and lay down on the reef. For them to be stimulated again, get fully erect and filled with water they will need a steady current.

It's like an old man with and without Viagra....

No one has implied that soft coral is dead when not erect. I'm afraid this is something different. The people reporting have been diving this site multiple times every week for more than six seasons. There are no one better suited to judge when things are out of the ordinary, I'm afraid to say. Let's hope.

/christian

 

[Zippsy]

Soft corals laying flat on the reef does not immediately mean that they are dead or dying. If there's a slack period and lack of current soft corals will "deflate", shrivel up and lay down on the reef. For them to be stimulated again, get fully erect and filled with water they will need a steady current. ....

I can't honestly say I have ever seen that happen in my past 17 years of diving.

 

[Bowmouth]

No one has implied that soft coral is dead when not erect.
/christian

Dear Christian,

In most of your previous messages in this thread you are referring to the soft corals likely dying or being death. I only wanted to point out that as you probably already know soft corals naturally shrivel up and sometimes lay flat on the reef when there's a period of very slack current.
If the soft corals are truly dying they will loose their grip on the reef and rot away. Let's hope that's not the case...

 

[Bowmouth]

I can't honestly say I have ever seen that happen in my past 17 years of diving.

Soft corals do depend largely on pumping themselves up with water to get their size and firmness and to be able to stand tall in the watercolumn and feed.
They will prefer to feed when there's a steady current flow and nutrients are easily catched by them from the water column.
If there's a prolonged period of slack current they will start to deflate themselves, shrivel up and sometimes (larger species) lay flat on the reef.

 

[Christian]

Dear Christian,

In most of your previous messages in this thread you are referring to the soft corals likely dying or being death. I only wanted to point out that as you probably already know soft corals naturally shrivel up and sometimes lay flat on the reef when there's a period of very slack current.
If the soft corals are truly dying they will loose their grip on the reef and rot away. Let's hope that's not the case...

Yes I'm aware of the nature of soft corals. Unfortuantelly, as I also write in one of the posts, a DM from Lanta diver report that they are also coming loose. I haven't heard that they have started to rot yet, but that would be a little too early perhaps.

/christian

 

[Zippsy]

Soft corals do depend largely on pumping themselves up with water to get their size and firmness and to be able to stand tall in the watercolumn and feed.
They will prefer to feed when there's a steady current flow and nutrients are easily catched by them from the water column.
If there's a prolonged period of slack current they will start to deflate themselves, shrivel up and sometimes (larger species) lay flat on the reef.

That may be true. I guess what I should say is that I have never seen a dive site in South East Asia with current slack enough to make soft corals lie down, much less shrivel up and pretend they are dead. Let me also point out that I regularly seek out the calmest waters I can find for most dives. I've seen anemones fold up around the tentacles many times but the thing still looks like it's alive and well. I guess this rigor mortis appearance must happen in dead-calm waters like a small lake. I haven't made it there yet.

 

[nondive]

I guess what I should say is that I have never seen a dive site in South East Asia with current slack enough to make soft corals lie down, much less shrivel up and pretend they are dead. Let me also point out that I regularly seek out the calmest waters I can find for most dives. I've seen anemones fold up around the tentacles many times but the thing still looks like it's alive and well.

I agreed with what you said.

 

[sailmaryann]

For what it's worth: further south, near tarutau/langkawi, there has been a quasi-permanent red tide now for about 2 months. It basically flows between the 2 islands, and snakes north or south depending on currents. Thankfully quite localized for the time being, but i wonder how far it could reach?

shame waht we are doing to the planet...