Epic Goliath diving and more deaths +

[Amazz]

I have been diving with the Goliaths every Saturday and Sunday for the past two months on the Jupiter Wreck Trek and MGIII. While the numbers have decreased, the behavior certainly changed this weekend for the full moon. Reports on Saturday during the day: crazy close interactions with Goliaths and baitballs on Blue Tang. You could kiss and hug the Goliaths and they wouldn't move away. I did a twilight dive on Emerald Sat. night and found the same. They were completely oblivious to us. Their behavior during the full moon phase told this lay person that they were in mating mode and couldn't care less about divers.

On a very sad note: A good friend of mine told me that he encountered a nearly dead golliath on the Bonaire on Friday that was tagged by FSU. I encountered a nearly dead goliath to the east of the Miss Jenny on Saturday night. I didn't get the FSU tag number because I was leading dive and didn't want to leave the group. But this particular fish had a large (at least 6 inch) gouge cut from it's dorsal fin. Unfortunately, that's the FSU research tattoo. I have good reason to believe these were two separate near dead goliaths because of observations and current. I observed an extremely large goliath inside of the Zion wreck today. It had a large circle hook with HEAVY mono hanging from it's injured jaw. It looked like this particular fish fought too hard and lost a piece of it's jaw. Too many of these critically endangered fish have large chunks of dorsal fin cut out. Sad.

I believe that FSU is the research team leading this study. I heard they reported 3 goliath deaths in three years. I personally have seen 5 deaths in the last month.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I have been diving with the Goliaths every Saturday and Sunday for the past two months on the Jupiter Wreck Trek and MGIII. While the numbers have decreased, the behavior certainly changed this weekend for the full moon. Reports on Saturday during the day: crazy close interactions with Goliaths and baitballs on Blue Tang. You could kiss and hug the Goliaths and they wouldn't move away. I did a twilight dive on Emerald Sat. night and found the same. They were completely oblivious to us. Their behavior during the full moon phase told this lay person that they were in mating mode and couldn't care less about divers.

On a very sad note: A good friend of mine told me that he encountered a nearly dead golliath on the Bonaire on Friday that was tagged by FSU. I encountered a nearly dead goliath to the east of the Miss Jenny on Saturday night. I didn't get the FSU tag number because I was leading dive and didn't want to leave the group. But this particular fish had a large (at least 6 inch) gouge cut from it's dorsal fin. Unfortunately, that's the FSU research tattoo. I have good reason to believe these were two separate near dead goliaths because of observations and current. I observed an extremely large goliath inside of the Zion wreck today. It had a large circle hook with HEAVY mono hanging from it's injured jaw. It looked like this particular fish fought too hard and lost a piece of it's jaw. Too many of these critically endangered fish have large chunks of dorsal fin cut out. Sad.

I believe that FSU is the research team leading this study. I heard they reported 3 goliath deaths in three years. I personally have seen 5 deaths in the last month.

The fish with the missing dorsal rays have been caught by hook and line. The dorsal fin rays are removed in order to determine the age of the fish. This sample is taken because the other reliable method to age fish is to remove the ear bones... which can only be collected from dead specimens... The fish with the missing rays should heal quickly.

Samples are also taken for DNA analysis which is used for genetic studies to help identify migratory patterns or identify different breeeding populations. I don't think that we should be "sad" when we see these specimens, but rather glad that they are being studied without killing them.

I know the scientists at FSU would be extremely appreciative of any reports of tagged fish and of course unintended mortality is important information as well. Reporting the tag numbers of any fish observed is very useful data.

The hooks are very strong but they are designed to corrode relatively quickly and generally will not harm the fish if hooked in the mouth.

 

[Amazz]

Sorry, but I don't concur. My observations are that these samples taken are quite violent and disruptive to some of these fish. It is "sad" to see a gentle giant dying on the sand with research tags and large chunks taken from their dorsal fins. I have seen this 5 times on one site in a one month period. Seeing a gasping giant fish dying on the sand is heartbreaking. Yes, circle hooks corrode. However, the damage to the fish's jaw that looks to have been broken takes longer to heal, if at all. I personally saw this fish, which had a serious injury.

By the way: the fish mortalities are dbeing reported by the FSU team. I'm concerned they are not acknowledging it accurately. They are yanking the fish from the bottom, hacking them, and throwing them back.

It's the divers who see the results of their efforts. We are seeing dead goliaths beyond what they report.

 

[Scott L]

I was out on the Narcosis last night while visiting the Zion Train and Mizpah corridors. There were a couple of PHD scientists on board. Let me see if I can dig up Dr. Sara's business card. Amazz, are you sure the GG aren't just males rolling over for you to scratch their bellies?

 

[Amazz]

Amazz, are you sure the GG aren't just males rolling over for you to scratch their bellies?

And then there's that :cool2:

I highly respect Dr. Sarah, her work, and her love of the ocean. I have read several of her publications. I'm not anti-science. I just have an ethical disagreement with Team FSU's methods.

 

[Murfdizzle21]

Angie here's a link to my video from Saturday, Sept 23, 2012 AM boat on the Blue Tang. The grouper were very docile and I got some really close up shots.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/fl...goliaths-september-29-2012-a.html#post6503962

 

[rjnjupiter]

I believe if you ask Dr Sarah,she would propose a less invasive method for aging.

 

[danvolker]

This is true. Dr Sarah was pushing for a much less invasive aging method, but the scientists leading this project would not go along with her.
However, according to Sarah, this aging research is crucial....The scientists are actually allowed close to 400 deaths in their permits, and there are only a tiny fraction of this being killed with the method used---the final study they will end up with will be used to prove WHY the goliaths can not be put into a fishing or harvest season for the commercial guys--why this would decimate the breeding populations, and we would lose the Goliaths all over again as we did in the 80's.

Dr Sarah will be releasing a ground breaking paper on this in the next 2 to 3 weeks...it is still in embargo now, but the moment this is past, I will have a copy of it on the www.sfdj.com website.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

This is true. Dr Sarah was pushing for a much less invasive aging method, but the scientists leading this project would not go along with her.
However, according to Sarah, this aging research is crucial....The scientists are actually allowed close to 400 deaths in their permits, and there are only a tiny fraction of this being killed with the method used---the final study they will end up with will be used to prove WHY the goliaths can not be put into a fishing or harvest season for the commercial guys--why this would decimate the breeding populations, and we would lose the Goliaths all over again as we did in the 80's.

Dr Sarah will be releasing a ground breaking paper on this in the next 2 to 3 weeks...it is still in embargo now, but the moment this is past, I will have a copy of it on the www.sfdj.com website.

Dan:

Maybe you can save everyone a lot of time and money and bother... that is, if you already know what the final conclusion of the FSU study is going to be....

 

[danvolker]

Dan:

Maybe you can save everyone a lot of time and money and bother... that is, if you already know what the final conclusion of the FSU study is going to be....

How can I say much about the paper, before I can legally quote it?
What I can say, is it will show that a commercial season would destroy the breeding population. This will be clear. This by itself is a deal stopper for opening a season.
It will also show that the Goliaths are essentially a non-factor to sport fish or any choice fishing species that the fishing lobbies care about....and that claims of fisherman that the goliaths have eaten all the life on their favorite fishing grounds, and ruined their fishing, will be shown to be absolutely wrong. Goliaths have a very slow metabolism, eat very little, they don't eat what the fisherman want to catch, or what the desired catch of the fisherman would want to eat, etc...
I think we have a greedy bunch of commerical spearfisherman that want to make big money shooting goliaths, and they need to be shown as what they are, and how destructive this practice would be. I will support any sustainable harvesting/ spearfishing of species we like to eat, that are good for human consumption. Goliaths will never be part of this.

DD...Are we on the same page in this, or are you with the commercial spearos on this?