Official Reef Re-opening

[Dave Dillehay]

No one ever thought this would happen and that wasn't the purpose - there has been much discussion about this

OK, so what was the purpose? The possibilities confound me!

Dave

 

[scorpiofish]

OK, so what was the purpose? The possibilities confound me!

Dave

First, you try and identify the problem (e.g. bacteria). Second, you try and determine the cause of the problem. Science has limitations. It can only create a list of possibilities, each of which much be further tested to determine cause and effect and then a solution. Despite a lengthy thread here on Scubaboard identifying the cause with 100% confidence (e.g. overdiving, bad diver behavior, sunscreen (quite laughable), there can be no such level of confidence.

So, closing the areas and then examining result does have the purpose: 1) problem gets worse 2) problem stay the same 3) problem diminishes. If the result is 1) or 2), then we can now quit trying to solve the problem by not diving the area, even though most of us knew this was likely. If the result were 3), then the problem MAY be impacted by divers (or the problem heals itself).

So, there is a purpose in this process of elimination.

As my wife mentioned, she remembers the conditions after the hurricane and wondered how Cozumel would recover. It did. It will. Oh, and when I say hurricane, I mean Hurricane Mitch in '88. Friends said not to go now. They don't know Coz. Besides, I'll dive Cedral and Tunich everyday without a complaint. I still haven't covered every inch. There's this pike blenny I saw in the sand near a small hunk of coral back in 2004. Still trying to find it, or its offspring.

In the meantime, we hit the ground in Coz for 35+ time today. Merry Christmas.

 

[Doctor Rig]

Deleted

 

[cvchief]

With the reopening of the southern reef can someone provide a conditions report? I would be interested to know:
1) General reef condition
2) Fish and critter status?
3) Have Lionfish, which were at a very low population level prior, re-invaded the reefs?

As of like the 13th:

1. Same old same old. Lots of bleaching. Same SCTLD. Some places the silly putty was working, some places it was failing. Same old same old.

2. Fish and critters seems the same as always.

3. MASSIVE lionfish on Columbia Deep. And a lot of them. Shoot as fast as you can. Someone was eating good that day.