Pacific Ocean

Spring Chicks

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For the last few days, we have been in northern New Caledonia, near the protected D’entrecasteaux Atolls National Park. It feels very remote up here, and from where the M/Y Golden Shadow sits just outside the park boundary, we can …

Swooping Mantas

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As I clambered dripping onto the boat after our second dive of the day on the west side of Huon Atoll, I was greeted by a cacophony of dive chatter- a sure sign that something eventful had been seen. To …

Sharks, Sharks Everywhere!

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We’ve been seeing quite a number of reef sharks in New Caledonia, particularly in the northern atolls. There are grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) on almost every dive, as well as silvertip sharks (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) and whitetip reef sharks (Triaenodon …

Reef Creatures of the Night

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Returning from their third dive of the day, most of the science team was happy to wash and pack away their gear, before heading for a hot shower and dinner. For two members of our dive team, however, the day’s …

Great Groupers

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We are currently visiting a remote coral reef about 150 kilometers off the northern coast of New Caledonia called Cook Reef, where we’ve seen an unusually high abundance of top predatory fish.  The large numbers of predatory fish are likely …

Currents on the Reef

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As the dive team descended on our first dive in the northern atolls of New Caledonia, Pelotas Reef, it was apparent to all that this would be a challenging dive. The reason – current! Sea Whips The presence of strong …

The Cryptic Yellow-Spotted Scorpionfish

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As I plunged into the water for my last dive of the day on the western tip of Cook Reef in New Caledonia I was greeted by the sight of many different types of fishes. Along with my dive buddy …

Marine Habitats as a Component of Biodiversity

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Biodiversity is the diversity of life from genes to ecosystems. Somewhere between these two extremes are habitats. Habitats are, simply speaking, an area where flora and fauna settle, live, feed, reproduce and die. More formally, marine habitats can be defined …