This Issue General Meeting Minutes - Columbus Sea …seanags.com/newsletter07-16.pdfThis Issue General Meeting Minutes p. 1 ... towns and WWI & WWII sites were fascinating. ... Full

A PUBLICATION OF THE COLUMBUS SEA NAGS HTTP://WWW.SEANAGS.COM July 2016

S’NAG-A-NEWS Page 1

This Issue General Meeting Minutes p. 1 Calendar p. 1 Executive Meeting Highlights p. 2 Dive Reports p. 2 From the Prez p. 4 Environmental News p. 5 Log Book p. 7 Parting Shots p.

General Meeting Minutes Present: Steve & Mag Ranft, Ryan Jones, Glenn Mitchell, Andrea Caito, Dave Foley, Donn Ellerbrock, Adam Biehl, Laurel Sheppard, Debbie Maxson, Marty Bailey, Gerry Kubatska, Ryan Parkevich, Andy Dennis and Steve Locsey. The cost to get shirts embroidered is $9.50 each for a 3 color logo. The minimum number to be embroidered at one time is 12. Please bring in items to be embroidered and when we have 12, we’ll get them embroidered. Program – Marty Bailey presented an interesting slide show on his trip to Germany, France and Brussels. The architecture in the towns and WWI & WWII sites were fascinating. Also of great interest was the dive opportunity in Nemo 33. In Brussels, the Atomium from the 1950 Worlds Fair was a great look into the past also.

50/50 Raffle winner Dave Foley who donated the winnings back to

the club.

Member Raffle A t shirt and a mask strap were donated for the

member raffle and were won by Dave Foley and Adam Biehl.

Treasurer’s Report

$ 6,699.08

Announcements 1.Want to go to Bonaire? Go with a group from the Sea Nags! Members will be in Bonaire for a total of two weeks. The first week is scheduled for Buddy Dive Resort Sept. 24 thru Oct 1, 2016 and the second week will be Oct 1 thru Oct 8, 2016. Some more information can be found in the attached pdfs (divi_poster.pdf and buddy_poster.pdf). To book contact Cheryl Patterson at Deep Blue Adventures Ph 1-888-266-2209 ext 101 or Email [email protected]. If wishing to use airline miles, you will need to book your own flight. Fly United to New Jersey and then Bonaire. Flights appear to be around $665 to $842 on Expedia & United web sites depending on dates selected. 2. Shipwrecks & Scuba is being held October 15, 2016. More information can be found at www.shipwrecksandscuba.com. 2. 2016 Club membership dues are $30.00, $40 for husband/wife. 2016 Ohio Council dues are $9.00. 3. Club logo patches and decals are available to new club members as a part of their membership dues. Returning members can purchase extra decals/stickers at a cost of $1.00 each—these are plastic/waterproof--and extra patches for $2.00 each while they last. Dues can be mailed to:

Glenn Mitchell 120 N. Warren Ave. Columbus, OH 43204

4. Facebook: You can find the Club Facebook page by going to: http://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/Columbus-Sea-Nags-SCUBA-

Divers-/289276535926?v=wall, thanks to Andy Dennis. 5. Twitter page!! Thanks to Josh Carney, the

club now has a Twitter page: <@CbusSeaNags>. Check it out today!



Calendar of Upcoming Events 2016 July 7 Social @ Planks, 7:00 PM No Program! 8 – 10 2nd Annual Whitestar Dive and Camping Trip with Twilight Dive Some members are planning to arrive at White Star by 9 or 10 am on July 8. 21 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM Aug 4 General Meeting @ Planks, 8:00 PM Program: Dave Foleys Turks and Caicos trip 6 Corn Roast &Swap Meet @ Circleville Dive Center @ 11 am 18 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM Sept 1 General Meeting @ Planks, 8:00 PM Program: TBD 17 Twilight Dive @ Circleville Dive Center, 5:00 PM 15 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM 24 – 25 Dive Trip to Pennyroyal Quarry, Pennyroyal Quarry Hopkinsville, KY www.pennyroyalscuba.com Oct 6 General Meeting @ Planks, 8:00 PM Program: TBD 20 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM Nov 3 General Meeting @ Planks, 8:00 PM Program: TBD 15 Shipwrecks & Scuba http://www.shipwrecksandscuba.com 17 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM Dec 1 General Meeting @ Planks, 8:00 PM Program: TBD 15 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM Monthly meeting programs subject to change without notice.

Executive Meeting Highlights May 19 @ Planks, 7:00 PM Present: Dave

Foley, Glenn Mitchell, Donn, Ellerbrock, Gerry Kubatska, Steve and Mag Ranft

All members are welcome to attend Executive Meetings

Dive Reports Please send dive reports to

<[email protected]>

Brought to you by

Lakeview RV Park Full Hook-ups • Scuba Diving • Propane

Laundry• Swimming• Fishing• Wi-Fi

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Joey & Terrie Stewart 2715 Sugar Grove Rd. Fax (740) 653-5606

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Spasms None reported Oral Reports None reported

Written Reports

First Club Twilight Dive at Circleville June 11, 2016

Dave Foley, Donn Ellerbrock, Steve Ranft & Gerry Kubatska dove the south quarry shortly after arriving. The cool water was a welcome relief after the high temperature (19’/42). While the guys were diving, Mag Ranft started the grill & grilled some dogs & burgers. After eating we set up to watch the movie when Glenn Mitchell & Andrea Caito arrived to join in. We watched Sharkwater which is a documentary about shark finning in Central America.



After the movie Dave Foley, Donn Ellerbrock & Gerry Kubatska completed a night dive (17’/43).

Another Trip to Old Garden (Sunday, June 19,

2016) By Rob Robison My first dive at Old Garden Beach (Rockport,

MA) resulted in the discovery and photographing

of nudibranchs, which I had never seen before in New England waters. So I eagerly awaited trip

#2 to see what else there might be in store. Besides Peter Ninh, my Neptunes dive buddy, had

promised to let me try out one of his steel 119 tanks, which contain nearly 20% more volume

than my steel 100s and provide much longer bottom time.

Peter and I met up bright and early at 8AM with Neptunes Rob and Kelly Christian at

Macy’s in Braintree, consolidated gear from three to two vehicles, and headed up the expressway

to Old Garden. We ran into Neptunes President Doug Eaton and Ken Hayes (past Pres.) at the

Burger King pit stop along the way. They were heading to Magnolia or Kettle Cove. A few minutes

later we arrived at the site only to find a half dozen divers already suiting up and a kids road race

fundraising event. We offloaded our gear behind the park sign, parked our vehicles and began

gearing up.

Peter, Kelly and Rob C.

One of the nice things about changing to a steel 119 was that I was able to offload 10 lbs. of lead because of the cylinder’s extra weight. On hitting the water, I discovered I was perfectly weighted and was able to control my buoyancy much more easily. This was particularly helpful as the dive progressed. Although no nudibranchs were sighted—this was really a hunting trip after all, I did find some life as though it were from another planet; to

Peter setting his flag

wit: Sea Urchins populating a large boulder below.



Sea Urchins Blood Star

Rob Christian was on a tear for lobsters and bagged two nice ones.

Rob C on the hunt

Peter & Rob C extracting a lobster

As the first dive drew to a close, Peter spotted a doormat flounder or two, which I promptly nailed with my paralyzer-tipped spear pole. He and Rob C were amazed at how powerful, accurate, and quick the pole hit the targets. Dive time: 55 min; Depth: 41’; H2O: 53°; Vis. 25 – 30’; Weather: clear skies and bright

sunshine, steady breeze. Lovely day. While we were changing tanks, warming up with

coffee, or snacking, a flotilla of sailboats had begun parading out of Rockport Harbor to race around a triangular course set a shade north of us. Just a beautiful sight (Sorry, no photos). And then it was time to head back to the hydrosphere. I left the camera behind on this dive to go into full hunt mode, and boy howdy, was it worth it! While Peter and Rob were tearing along looking for those succulent crustaceans, I found a doormat, hit it with my pole spear, and stuffed it in my game bag. A lobster was sitting out in the open, barely camouflaged by the broad-leafed kelp and found its way into my bag as well. I saw another good sized flounder and startled it, causing it to flee in the opposite direction of our dive. Chasing after it, I became separated from Peter and Rob C., and although the fish didn’t escape, they did. We couldn’t find each other and so continued the dive on different paths. They headed down below the thermocline to around 45’ and found Peter’s favorite spot, where he reported the vis was nearly 45’! Rob managed to land one more lobster for a total catch of three, while I bagged a few more good to doormat-sized flounder (7 total), plus a second lobster that was semi-soft due to its recent molt. I surfaced early; didn’t need any more catch. My bottom time was 46 minutes, 54°, with vis around 25 – 30’. I still had plenty of air in my 100. Peter and Rob’s bottom time was closer to an hour.



Cooler full of flounder and 2 lobsters

What a great way to spend Father’s day: diving with friends, taking some interesting photos, and bringing home the bacon from the ocean. What made this day extra special was that Kelly watched out for us and even had the life guard call the harbormaster on a boater who was buzzing us. Also special was that Peter altered the dive location so that I could join them and make the dive. At this stage of my life of nearly 68 years, I try to avoid risky entries, such as the one at Lane Cove off slippery rocks, and other situations that create undue risk like zero vis dives. They are not fun! Though swimming up to 12 thousand yards per week, I am not as strong and as steady as I was 10 years ago, much less 20 or 30. I am not interested in proving my manliness, either—been there, done that—and as a grandparent, I have extra responsibilities. Now, I just want to stay active and have fun. I am so glad to have found dive buddies through the South Shore Neptunes Dive Club who can help me do just that. We all had a great time. I hope you enjoyed the weekend as well, diving into it and having a blast. It was a glorious day and an exhilarating pair of dives.

Safe diving everyone!

Rob

Flounder fillets & cooked lobsters

P.S. My wife has been wondering when I was going to bring home some flounder, something she has really missed the past 11 years. She was more than delighted to come home yesterday to find me finishing up filleting the last of the seven flounder and finding the two lobsters already cooked and in the fridge. She was so excited, she ran out to the store for corn on the cob and we had flounder and corn for supper. Mmmmmm! It has been a long time coming.

Rob

Environmental News Global coral bleaching could land heavy blow on

Florida’s recovering reefs By Jenny Staletovich, Miami Hearld, June 21, 2016



Scientists fear a global bleaching event that has now become

the largest on record could hit Florida’s 220-mile reef tract,

the nation’s only shallow inshore reef. Don Kincaid Florida

Keys National Marine Sanctuary

A global coral bleaching that now ranks as the largest and longest on record could count Florida reefs among its next victims, scientists warned this week. As a powerful El Niño in the Pacific fizzles, scientists say they are keeping a close on the 220-mile reef tract that stretches between the Dry Tortugas and Fort Pierce, where recent bleaching has claimed less than one percent of the reef. After the last major El Niño in 1998, the region lost about 30 percent of the reef, a mortality rate that could climb higher in the face of climate change and increasing ocean temperatures. “If you think of corals as a canary, they’re chirping really loud right now, the ones that are alive,” said Jennifer Koss, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Conservation Program director. “We can’t afford to not listen to them.” The planet is now in the midst of the biggest bleaching event ever documented, which has raised alarms about an ecosystem that globally acts an economic engine for some countries, the NOAA scientests announced Monday at a Honolulu conference. Reefs also serve as a

first line of defense against tsunamis, fierce winter storms and, in Florida in particular, hurricanes. Over the last two years, Florida’s reef tract has suffered some bleaching and disease outbreaks, but so far little of the reef died, said Billy Causey, NOAA’s Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean regional director at the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. The tract has also appeared to stabilize after the 1998 bleaching, with just a few ups and downs including a 2010 record freeze that killed some inshore reefs. But the forecast for continued bleaching through 2017 is cause for concern, he said. That’s partly because Florida reefs lack the diversity of species that make up other reefs, making them more vulnerable. Florida also sits at a crossroads for the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean in relatively small basins where water quality can be poor. In the past, he said, Florida conditions often served as a first warning for events around the planet. “It seems like we were at ground zero in Florida,” he said. Globally, scientists fear that as the two-year bleaching continues, reefs already hit will suffer a second blow. Bleaching occurs when high water temperatures or pollution cause coral to expel the algae inside them that provide food and give them their color. Without a source of food, the coral weaken and become more susceptible to disease. In 2013, a massive heat wave scientists dubbed the Blob hit the northeast Pacific, followed in 2015 by the El Niño that has resulted in about two years of continuous waves of warm water, said Mark Eakin, NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch coordinator.



“The warming in the Pacific has already put in place a warming pattern downstream in the Caribbean area,” he said. “That’s why we have so much concern in the Caribbean.” Monitoring programs established following the 1998 event will help scientists track conditions and watch for bleaching, Causey said. If needed, managers may need to close areas to protect them. Causey is also hopeful some reefs will acclimate to new conditions or more resilient corals will emerge. “What I’m seeing personally is that areas that bleach, one coral head is totally bleached and next to it not touched at all,” he said. “There are reefs out there that will be more resilient in the future.”

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/enviro

nment/article85008222.html

‘Coral zombies’ may spell doom for coral reefs around the world University of Central Florida, June 21, 2016

Scientists have known for a while that coral reefs around the world are dying, and in a worst-case scenario they were counting on large, healthy-looking corals to repopulate. But a new study presented at the 13th International Coral Reef Symposium in Honolulu today shows that these seemingly healthy colonies are "Coral Zombies" with no reproductive ability, which makes them useless in a recovery effort. "It's pretty discouraging," said University of Central Florida biologist John E. Fauth, one of the researchers who sampled 34 sites across the Caribbean for the study. "This is not good news."

Cheryl M. Woodley, a marine biologist with NOAA's National Ocean Service led the study, which sampled 327 coral colonies off the coasts of Florida, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix in the US. Virgin Islands. The researchers analyzed the samples to determine the reproductive ability of elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata), which is a threatened species. In some places -- including two sites in the Florida Keys -- the coral had no eggs or sperm. The study suggests that with no ability to propogate, elkhorn corals in those spots will eventually die out -- like zombies, they essentially are walking dead. Two samples from a more remote area in St. Croix found the coral had 100 percent reproduction ability. "Basically the places with the heaviest tourism had the most severe damage," Fauth said. He dove and took samples from all of the Puerto Rican sites in the study, along with marine biologists Michael Nemeth and Katie Flynn. This study adds to growing evidence that coral reefs frequented by divers are in peril. Last year a study found that oxybenzone, a common UV-filtering compound in sunscreen, is in high concentrations in the waters around the more popular coral reefs in Hawaii and the Caribbean. The chemical not only kills coral, it causes DNA damage in adult corral and deforms the larval stage, making it unlikely they can develop properly. The highest concentrations of oxybenzone were found in reefs most popular with tourists. Fauth was a co-investigator of that 2015 study, which was published in the journal Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. Oxybenzone also causes coral bleaching, which is a prime cause of coral mortality



worldwide. Corals bleach when they lose or expel the algae that normally live inside them, thus losing a valuable source of nutrition. In another study presented at the symposium on Monday, researchers found the same sunscreen chemical is common in Hawaii, Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and concentrations peak during high tide. "It's almost counterintuitive," said Fauth, who is a co-author of that study as well. "We think that aerosol sunscreen is to blame." When you spray sunscreen, much of it lands on the sand or water, Fauth said. So when the high tide comes in, it collects all the overspray and pulls it back out to sea. Together, the two new studies show that coral reefs are in more danger than already thought. Several species of coral are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Reproductive failure in Caribbean coral already was identified as a critical factor preventing their recovery. The news that even corals that appear healthy may be incapable of reproducing and that a chemical linked to coral decline commonly occurs at high concentrations is a double blow, Fauth said. "We have to act now," Fauth said. "It is simple things like not using chemicals that harm our coral. Wear rash guards or go without sunscreen during dives. And it is making a serious commitment to conservation and management of our reefs. Coral reefs are the world's most productive marine ecosystems and support commercial and recreational fisheries and tourism. We want to do everything we can to ensure that the underwater beauty we see today is around for generations to come."

Other members of the Coral Zombie study include: A.R. Burnett, S. Griffin, L.A. May and Z. Moffitt of the NOAA NOS, M. Brandt from the University of the Virgin Islands, C.A. Downs from the Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, Z. Hillis-Starr from the National Park Service, K.S. Lunz of Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and Z. Miller, A. Moulding, M. Nemeth and D. Williams of NOAA Fisheries.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160

621193108.htm

Log Book Andrea Doria shipwreck more badly deteriorated than expected By AP, June 13, 2016

The wreck of the Italian ocean liner the Andrea Doria off Nantucket may be more badly deteriorated than previous sonar images suggest, with its bow nearly broken off, a team of undersea explorers said Monday. OceanGate, a Washington-based crew that mans an underwater vessel, spent two full days at the wreck earlier this month capturing more than a dozen sonar images of the liner, which went down in 1956 after colliding with another ship. Fifty-one people died, 46 of them on the Andrea Doria. Stockton Rush, OceanGate's CEO, said the images, which are still being processed, suggest a large section of the bow has broken off since the last time a sonar image of the ship was taken two years ago by another organization. "It looks so dramatically different," he said,



speaking at Boston's Long Wharf, where the underwater vessel rested on a docked boat. "When you look at the shape of the hull, it appears a lot has come off." Rush said it's not clear when the bow started breaking up. He said previous sonar images were taken from the surface and are not as detailed as the ones being produced by his team. OceanGate had hoped to spend up to a week at the wreck capturing detailed sonar images. But bad weather, including high waves, heavy fog and strong winds, cut the expedition short. "What you can control is your equipment and your people. Mother Nature can then make up her own mind," Rush said. He said the team managed to complete two of eight planned dives — each lasting about three hours — using the Cyclops I, an underwater vessel capable of fitting five people. The team plans to return next year to continue its sonar mapping work. The plan is to create a "virtual model" of the exterior of the wreck as well as its debris field. Such detailed imagery could prove invaluable to scuba divers, as identifiable landmarks on the popular wreck have decayed over time, making it hard for divers to safely find their way around, Rush said. The wreck, which rests on the ocean floor about 240 feet down and about 50 miles south of Nantucket, has claimed the lives of 16 divers over the years. OceanGate says its expedition was the first manned submersible trip to the wreck since 1995. This July 25 marks the 60th anniversary

of the Andrea Doria's sinking.

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/explorers-explain-

mission-andrea-doria-shipwreck-043517783.html



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NEXT MEETING: 8:00 p.m., Plank’s Café, Thurs., July 7, 2016. No Program, social meeting only

OFFICERS 2016

President Steve Ranft

(614) 834-3941

[email protected]

Vice President

Ryan Jones

[email protected]

Treasurer

Glenn Mitchell

(614) 272-2448

[email protected]

Secretary

Mag Ranft

(614) 834-3941

[email protected]

Newsletter Editor

Gerry Kubatska

(614)307-3668

[email protected]

The Columbus Sea Nags

Documents

This Issue General Meeting Minutes - Columbus Sea …seanags.com/newsletter07-16.pdfThis Issue General Meeting Minutes p. 1 ... towns and WWI & WWII sites were fascinating. ... Full