Sea Urchin's as chum?

[opiniongirl]

Not a fan of feeding, but people will do it anyways...

The only way is to bring with you the type of food naturally eaten. For example, divers in BC tend to feed Wolf-Eels to get them out. (although still frowned upon) The best way to do this is to purchase scallops (naturally eaten, and only a few) from a store, and bring them down with you.

Taking marine life to feed marine life is definately a no-no (especially in parks) and feeding human food is also a no-no...but as people are going to do it anyway, may as well suggest a way that's least harmful to the animals and environment..

 

[Talldiverman]

Good info, I think many are misinformed about the urchin population in Catalina. on the first trip I made there in the about '97 I was told that the urchins were destroying the kelp forest by eating the bases away. The overpopulation of urchins was caused by the disappearance of the sea otters. So it was a man caused problem and all you had to do help save the reef was to feed an urchin or two to the fish on your dive.

Apparently this is just a bunch of crap :11: and I have needlessly killed a few urchin and trained a few fish to eat from divers.
Industry education on these things needs to improve to save our beautiful reefs!

 

[kelpmermaid]

Actually, the kelp problems may have been related more to warm El Nino currents. The urchins may have been there opportunistically to feed on the leftovers.

 

[headhunter]

Good info, I think many are misinformed about the urchin population in Catalina. on the first trip I made there in the about '97 I was told that the urchins were destroying the kelp forest by eating the bases away. The overpopulation of urchins was caused by the disappearance of the sea otters. So it was a man caused problem and all you had to do help save the reef was to feed an urchin or two to the fish on your dive.

Apparently this is just a bunch of crap :11: and I have needlessly killed a few urchin and trained a few fish to eat from divers.
Industry education on these things needs to improve to save our beautiful reefs!

Actually, this was true at one time. I'm not sure when it stopped being true. Dr. Bill would probably be able to tell us about when this changed. In the mid to late 80's I remember that it got to a point where it looked like there was a shag carpet of purple sea urchins. They were eating the holdfasts on the kelp and it was just floating away.

Now, I don't see that many urchins (by comparison). I also don't see as much kelp as I used to either. It used to be really thick. Of course, there was also a time when everything was covered with over 10-inch abalones, too. I imagine that the area has simply struck a new "balance".

Christian

 

[archman]

The west coast otter-urchin-kelp interdependencies are one of the classical marine case studies taught in marine ecology, and the specific case study cited for "keystone predation" in marine environments. Over the last twenty years the concept of keystone predators has fallen into disfavor, mostly as a result of better understandings of community structure and function. It's still taught, but with a lesser emphasis on its importance and relevance.

 

[scubadobadoo]

At the last Wrinkles dive I noticed the Garibaldis were VERY agressive. I found it difficult to take pictures since these guys would not leave me alone even though I never fed them anything. Here is a picture of them following Melvin and I around the dive site. Clearly these guys have been fed too much!

http://www.scubapost.net/gallery/wrinkles11212004/scaledwrinkles112120040193

That photo was good for a laugh in this context. They look like they are about to take your reg and punch you in the eye if you don't feed them. Hee hee! Thanks for sharing. West Side Story underwater. Singing--"Here come the giribaldi's..."

Sorry. I'm in a silly mood.

 

[headhunter]

That photo was good for a laugh in this context. They look like they are about to take your reg and punch you in the eye if you don't feed them. Hee hee! Thanks for sharing. West Side Story underwater. Singing--"Here come the giribaldi's..."

Sorry. I'm in a silly mood.

That's funny!

We'll call it Kelp Side Story.

[Enter a gang of Garabaldi snapping their fins (since they don't have fingers) and singing]

:musical_n When you a fish, you're a fish all the way,
From your first urchin taste to your last dying day. :musical_n

Start the auditions!

Christian

 

[drbill]

Urchins are still a problem in other areas of soCal, especially where sewage still enters the waters or where sheephead have been largely fished out. I see purple urchin barrens in the northern Channel Islands when I dive there (and very few sheephead). There may be areas around Catalina where this is true as well- I don't get very far from the dive park these days since I no longer have my own boat.

Dr. Bill

 

[saf_25]

... If you want to see fish gather, simply click two rocks together for a while and many species will come running.

Dr. Bill

I actually saw someone able to do this with their hands - he took one and made a fist, then slapped it with the other hand (which he kept flat) and the fish flocked around us! Much better than killing something for our own amusment!

 

[Talldiverman]

Most fish are seriuously curious. To make that sound with bare hands is really easy just hit your plam really hard, you can also snap your fingers really hard and it will carry well too.
If you are in a sandy area, just settle on the bottom (watch for urchins- those things hurt) and start digging in the sand, the fish will come to scavenge for leftovers as they think you are feeding.