Tritan's Trumpet Migration

[KrisB]

Please KrisB, if you want to talk about bigger issues, start your own thread.

You'll note that the OP posed the question on legality in post #5, to which #13 was a reply.

Many of the further posts were in response to the knee-jerk reaction that we have too many Crown of Thorns around. A statement which I find patently incorrect.

These are not new creatures to the ocean, and populations of all of them seem to be relatively benign, at least around the typical Maui dive sites. My biggest issue is why people complain so much about the COT when the cushions are more plentiful and munch on the same stuff.

Steve, you truly find a way to find the smallest, teeniest issue to bring forward and make a big deal out of it.

If someone takes a shell, that sucks for the shell, and may have some impact on the ecosystem. But it's legal. And up to his/her conscience.

Truly... is the COT not showing equal levels of endangered-ness around here? Perhaps we should be mindful of the people that seek to go out and destroy them.

 

[makomike]

The documentation you cited had no reference to *where* it's invasive.

An invasive species is necessarily defined alongside the region in which it is not a natural occurrence.

I saw no reference to Hawaii under the GISD documentation.

Furthermore, I think we need to be careful in defining a "demografic [sic] bloom" -- in the last year of diving Maui's reefs (roughly 230 dives), I've only seen a handful of CoT's, and I don't think I've seen more than one on any single dive.

Given that sample (and lacking any to the contrary), it would seem to me that we have a healthy population of both the CoT and the controlling species.

Dive the north shore. i have seen over 20 cot on one dive. actually very common on windward side. as a matter of fact i am pretty darn sure i have seen more than 1 on EVERY dive i have done on that side.

 

[KrisB]

Dive the north shore. i have seen over 20 cot on one dive. actually very common on windward side. as a matter of fact i am pretty darn sure i have seen more than 1 on EVERY dive i have done on that side.

So what's keeping them over there and not over here? Do we have more TT's and other predators over here than it appears?

 

[DiveWestOahu]

also the TT's are prized for the shell for hula groups as the sound from one with a large enough "bowl" is far better than a helmet shell, i've heard people offering over $1000 for a shell with a big bowl, then does that make it a cultural thing?
I think if we try to help mother nature the best thing we can do is stop trying to help,,,, remember the mongoose, white fly, lady bug ect ect

 

[friscuba]

I've not found a definitive website stating whether the crown of thorns star is even native or not. The a captain's log on the Aggressor site says it's introduced, another couple sites mentioned a big explosion of them was found in Hawaii around '69/'70, nothing I can find though from a science oriented site specifically says they were introduced or are native to the region. If they were introduced, and we're picking up the only predator they've got here, then that's trouble.

In Kona, there are plenty of COTs and precious few Triton's Trumpets. You basically can't go a dive without seeing multiple COTs, and I know fo a handful of the regular sites that have a Triton's trumpet around. That's one shell I really think should stay on the reef.

 

[makomike]

So what's keeping them over there and not over here? Do we have more TT's and other predators over here than it appears?

I've been wondering that for a long time.

La Perouse seems to have more than our typical south dive sites also. I've only dove there maybe 4 times, but have seen a handfull everytime. Probably 2 - 5 every dive. Interesting though.

Boy the ones on the windward side were typically very, very large. At least compared to the ones I've seen on the south side.

 

[redrover]

I agree, it's better to leave it... but I think if I ever found one in shallowish water (less than 25') I'd make a point of transporting him deeper. At least that way the vacationer snorkelers wouldn't be tempted to grab him.

What do you all think of this?
The last one I saw was about 5' in front of the steps at Two Step and kinda freaked me out being at the most traffic.

 

[makomike]

Someone told me they(the county?) used to hire a team to kill the COT like they do on the GBR. They said there used to be alot more around. Anyone know if that is true?

 

[KrisB]

Someone told me they(the county?) used to hire a team to kill the COT like they do on the GBR. They said there used to be alot more around. Anyone know if that is true?

That sounds like something (given that it seems to have been more effective on the tourist side of the island) that was more driven by the desire to not get stung... perhaps they'll be killing urchins next?

 

[makomike]

What do you all think of this?
The last one I saw was about 5' in front of the steps at Two Step and kinda freaked me out being at the most traffic.

The group CORAL met with me and some other mgmt about setting "voluntary" rules for diver(that may be adopted by the state as not so voluntay.) One rule was don't touch, but if you do pick up a "hardy" animal on the reef i.e. cushion star it must be put back in the identical place or within a small(not defined) area that it was found. They were worried about following migration patterns or following the scent of a mate. They even metioned DMs taking markers to mark the spot to return it too.

I do always try to return animals where i found it. If i do pick up something just want to lesson the impact. dont know if it helps. just something I've always done. Not alot of things I or allow clients to pick up. Just the way I've always been.

In danger though, i probably would want to move it out of harms way.