General Meeting Minutesseanags.com/newsletter03-17.pdf · A PUBLICATION OF THE COLUMBUS SEA NAGS...

A PUBLICATION OF THE COLUMBUS SEA NAGS HTTP://WWW.SEANAGS.COM Mar. 2017

S’NAG-A-NEWS

This Issue General Meeting Minutes p. 1 Calendar p. 1 Executive Meeting Highlights p. 2 Dive Reports p. 2 From the Prez p. Environmental News p. 3 Log Book p. 6 Parting Shots p. 9

General Meeting Minutes Present: Steve Ranft, Mag Ranft, Andy Dennis, Glenn Mitchell, Ryan Jones, Laurel Sheppard, Dave Foley, Marty Bailey, Don Ellerbrock, Adam Biehl, John Guegold, Scott Pansing, Linda Pansing, Steve Locsey, Debbie Maxson, Ryan Parkevich Program – Ohio Shipwrecks: What’s in Your Backyard?” - Presented by Linda Pansing

50/50 Raffle winner Ryan Jones won and donated the wings back

to the club

Member Raffle John Guegold won the book “Shipwrecks:

Diving the Graveyard of the Atlantic” donated by Laurel Sheppard

Treasurer’s Report

$ 6,635.86

Announcements

1. 2017 marks 60th Anniversary of the Columbus Sea Nags. 2. Ryan Jones and Steve Locsey Dive Trip to Bonne Terre Mine in MO. April 22-24. If interested, contact Ryan or Steve. 3. 2017 Ohio Underwater Archaeology Workshop: Classroom instruction and hands-on practice will be April 29-30. In-water practice will be May 20 or 21.

http://www.inlandseas.org/event/nautical-archaeology-workshop-2/ 4. Clothing embroidery is $9.50 per item for our 3 color logo. We have 11 items but need 12, so bring your clothing in soon! 5. 2017 Club trip to Cozumel will be March 4th thru March 11th. 6. 2016 Club membership dues are $30.00, $40 for husband/wife. 2016 Ohio Council dues are $9.00. 7. Please contact Laurel Sheppard and Dave Foley with any program ideas for 2017. 8. Please contact Ryan Jones and Steve Locsey with any activities and dive ideas for 2017. 9. Our World Underwater Dive and Travel Expo will be held in Chicago, February 24-26, 2017. FMI: www.ourworldunderwater.com/chicago 10. 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

11. 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. 12. Twitter page!! Thanks to Josh Carney,

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

Calendar of Upcoming Events 2017 Mar 2 General Meeting @ Planks, 8:00 PM Program: Grenada Video 4 – 11 Club Dive trip to Cozumel 16 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM Apr 6 General Meeting @ Planks, 8:00 PM Program: Marty Bailey’s Malta trip


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20 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM 22 – 24 Bonne Terre Mine, Bonne Terre, MO May 4 General Meeting @ Planks, 8:00 PM Program: Underwater Photography by Mark Thomas 18 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM 21 Club Dive at Lake View RV Park, Lancaster Ohio June 1 General Meeting @ Planks, 8:00 PM Program: Cozumel Dive trip 10 Dive In at Circleville Dive Center 15 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM July 6 General Meeting @ Planks, 8:00 PM Program: No Program Only a social meeting 8 – 9 Annual Club Dive Weekend at White Star Quarry 20 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM 29 Sea Nags 60th Anniversary Celebration Aug 3 General Meeting @ Planks, 8:00 PM Program: Dave Foleys St Croix trip 12 Corn Roast/Swap Meet 17 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM 18 – 21 Club Dive at Pennyroyal Quarry Sept 7 General Meeting @ Planks, 8:00 PM Program: Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System 21 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM Oct 5 General Meeting @ Planks, 8:00 PM Program: Pennyroyal Revisited 19 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM Nov 2 General Meeting @ Planks, 8:00 PM Program: Sea Hunt episode 16 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM Dec 7 General Meeting @ Planks, 8:00 PM Program: TBD 21 Executive Meeting @ Planks, 7:00 PM Monthly meeting programs subject to change without notice.

Executive Meeting Highlights February 16 @ Planks, 7:00 PM Present:

Steve Ranft, Mag Ranft, Glenn Mitchell, Ryan Jones, Dave Foley

60th Anniversary of Columbus Sea Nags Steak Dinner tentatively scheduled for July

29th at the Ranft residence Members = Free, Guests =$15/person 60th Anniversary logo T-shirt - no news from

Adam Biehl as of meeting. (Update 2/18/17 –

light gray t-shirt w/blue logo mimicking 50th anniversary design. $18 S-XL, $20 XXL)

2017 Club Dive Calendar March 4-11 Cozumel, Mexico July 29 Sea Nags 60th Anniversary

Celebration August 12 Sea Nags Annual Corn Roast August 18-21 Pennyroyal Scuba | Blue

Springs Resort, Inc. | Hopkinsville, Ky Donations The Executive Board has decided to donate

$100 to M.A.S.T. This donation will qualify Columbus Sea Nags as a Silver level sponsor which will enable Columbus Sea Nags to place literature on a joint sponsor table at the M.A.S.T. annual banquet and be listed in the dinner program and video. 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

(740) 653-4519

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

Lancaster, OH 43130 rvatlakeview.com

Spasms None reported Oral Reports None reported

Written Reports None reported


S’NAG-A-NEWS

Environmental News Coral Restoration Via Sexual Coral

Reproduction By Hayley-Jo Carr, Feb 13, 2017

Collecting larvae from ‘Brooder’ Corals

Is sexual coral reproduction — coral sex — the

future for helping to restore the world’s coral reefs?

Is it more effective than current coral restoration

methods?

The world’s coral reefs are in immediate danger of

destruction from human activities. Deforestation,

agricultural activities, pollution, coastal

development, overfishing, boat damage and mining

have all led to coral-reef decline. The biggest threat

facing coral reefs is global warming, which is a

main contributor to mass-bleaching events. As sea

temperatures continue to rise, so too will we lose

huge expanses of coral reefs around the world. Is

coral restoration via sexual coral reproduction a

solution?

Rehabilitating Coral Reefs

Apart from trying to reverse or slow these negative

impacts to reefs, scientists, conservationists and

scuba divers have been taking steps to help

rehabilitate coral reefs around the world. Building

coral nurseries and growing fragments of corals has

proven successful on the local level. Divers and

scientists attach fragments to manmade structures

where they can grow. The scientists then plant them

back into areas where reefs need some help. The

resulting coral reefs are now spawning, reproducing

and helping to restore even larger areas in turn.

Most common for this type of restoration work in

the Caribbean are the Acroporid corals, such as

Acropora palmata (elkhorn coral) and Acropora

cervicornis (staghorn coral). These are not only the

building blocks of Caribbean reefs, but have also

suffered dramatic decline across the region. The

IUCN Red List classifies both elkhorn and staghorn

corals as Critically Endangered. These branching

corals grow fast so they work well in these coral

gardens.

Sexual Coral Reproduction

Gaining popularity when it comes to coral

restoration is sexual coral reproduction. SECORE

(SExual COral REproduction) a global network of

scientists, public aquarium professionals and local

stakeholders, is a pioneer in this area. The

organization uses a multidisciplinary strategy,

which combines research, education, outreach and

active reef restoration. Here’s a brief video,

explaining SECORE’s work and vision.

The agency held its first workshop in 2010 in

Curacao. Since then, SECORE has begun

collaborations in other parts of the world, holding

workshops in Belize, Guam, Mexico and the

Philippines. Most recently they held a workshop at

the Cape Eleuthera Institute in the Bahamas, which

I attended representing Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas

conservation efforts. Theoretical background

lectures focused primarily on elkhorn coral

conservation, and featured hands-on practice in the

lab. Participants also trained in fieldwork and

learned how to observe coral spawning at night on

the reef. The process of sexual coral reproduction,

as shown in the video, can be done in a few ways.


S’NAG-A-NEWS

Types of Sexual Coral Reproduction

Some corals are “broadcast spawners,” which

release bundles of sperm and eggs (gametes) into

the water during an annual event. Divers can collect

the gametes using special nets and take them to a

lab. Here, scientists put the gametes into tanks

where the embryos will develop into coral larvae,

called planulae. Scientists give the larvae a substrate

to settle on, where they start to grow. Once large

enough, the larvae are then planted back onto a reef.

Other corals are “brooders,” featuring internal

fertilization and embryogenesis before they release

settlement-competent larvae. Scientists can take

these larvae into a lab and allow them to grow in

controlled conditions as well, until they’re big

enough to plant back onto a reef. Raising the larvae

in the lab gives them the best chance of survival to

develop without surrounding stressors, such as

predators, sediment and pollution.

Coral Sex vs. Coral Nurseries

Sexual coral reproduction restoration differs from

coral-nursery restoration efforts in that it is much

more labor efficient and, apparently, more cost

effective. Coral nurseries require materials to build,

lots of manpower to set up, and many hours to clean

algae off the structures. Nursery workers must

follow up by out-planting the corals with a nail, zip-

tie or epoxy. Sexual coral also needs a lab setup and

expertise in creating the labs. But this method can

also produce higher quantities of recruits and

requires significantly less labor as there’s no

cleaning involved. With the SECORE-designed

substrate, there are also no extensive out-planting

costs.

Get Involved

Many groups are starting local conservation projects

using SECORE techniques. Get involved by

educating yourself on when and where different

species of corals spawn in your country. Data

around the world on these events is limited but

crucial if coral sexual reproduction is to be a

successful means of restoration. Divers are the main

worker bees for many conservation activities, so

contact SECORE or similar coral-restoration

agencies to determine what information they’re

looking for and then pop on your fins and go out

searching.

At Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas, we have a

successful coral nursery and are excited at the

prospect of developing a lab to start coral sexual

restoration efforts. Right now, we are busy night

diving to record local spawning events.

Although coral restoration is crucial, remember that

this is not the only answer to the problems facing

coral reefs. Continuously rising water temperatures

and destruction of reefs via manmade or natural

occurrences means these structures are in constant

peril. Reef restoration is just one part of a much

bigger puzzle that we must solve before it’s too late.

If you would like to become a Coral Nursery &

Restoration Diver or Instructor, contact Hayley-Jo

Carr at Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas.

Source:

http://scubadiverlife.com/coral-restoration-via-

sexual-coral-reproduction/


S’NAG-A-NEWS

A monster lionfish is seized in hunt that netted

hundreds more By Kevin Wadlow Feb. 16, 2017

Emily Stokes of the REEF Lionfish Program logs and scores

some of the 420 lionfish captured in Saturday’s one-day

contest. Sarah Schindehette REEF

A monster lionfish measuring nearly 18 inches long

set a new single-fish size record for the REEF

Lionfish Derby series Saturday in Key Largo.

In the largest Key Largo Winter Lionfish Derby

ever, 48 underwater hunters on 14 teams fanned out

at dawn to remove 420 lionfish from Florida Keys

waters in the one-day contest.

The winning team from the Islamorada Dive Center

returned with 181 lionfish, which topped the

previous Key Largo Winter Derby record (161

lionfish).

Also turning in big harvests in the fifth annual

contest were runners-up Fancy Feast Killaz squad

with 97 lionfish and the Lion Reapers with 97 of the

unwanted invasive fish.

The team from Ocean Divers bagged the biggest

lionfish, recorded at 452 millimeters. That’s “the

largest lionfish that has ever been turned in at any

official REEF Lionfish Derby,” said Emily Stokes,

a lionfish-program staffer with the Reef

Environmental Education Foundation, based in Key

Largo.

A researcher from the University of Pennsylvania

attended the contest to examine and analyze the

stomach contents of harvested lionfish, which are

considered a major threat to native fish species

including snapper and grouper, along with other

reef fish.

Lionfish, a Pacific Ocean species, defend

themselves with an array of venomous spines and

have no significant natural predators in Atlantic

waters. A lionfish will eat anything that fits in its

mouth and can reproduce throughout the year.

Some reefs in the Bahamas have lost from 65

percent to 95 percent of the native fish to lionfish in

a two-year period, Oregon State University

biologist Stephanie Green reported.

“Regular removals and removal events such as

derbies have been found to significantly reduce

lionfish populations” at local reefs, Stokes said.

Samples of lionfish ceviche were given away at the

Key Largo contest, hosted by Sharkey’s Pub &

Galley, to promote awareness of lionfish as a tasty

seafood treat.

Major sponsors for the REEF Winter Lionfish

Derby includeed the Florida Keys National Marine

Sanctuary, the Florida Park Service, Florida Fish

and Wildlife Conservation Commission, ZooKeeper

and Divers Direct.

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

y/florida-keys/article133055084.html


S’NAG-A-NEWS

Log Book Mysterious New Shipwrecks Found In Australian Waters By Signe Dean, Jan. 25, 2017

Researchers have discovered four new 19th century

shipwrecks in the Coral Sea.

When a team of explorers set out from Bundaberg

two weeks ago, they were pretty sure they’d find

something interesting in the Coral Sea. The area is

notorious for wrecking many 19th century ships on

the jagged underwater cliffs—and many of the

wrecks are yet to be found.

Last week the joint expedition by researchers from

Australian National Maritime Museum (ANNM)

and the Silentworld Foundation yielded a whopping

four discoveries—previously unknown remains of

ships thought to be at least 150 years old.

The team discovered the four sites on the Kenn

Reefs, some 520 kilometres off the eastern coast of

Australia. According to the archaeologists, at least

one of the ships carried convicts and free settlers to

Australia, thus we might glimpse new insights into

early Australian history.

A cluster of mid-nineteenth century Admiralty Pattern anchors

found at one of the shipwreck sites discovered at Kenn Reefs.

IMAGE COURTESY JULIA

SUMERLING/SILENTWORLD FOUNDATION

“The team had seven days on the reef to conduct the

survey and recording of the shipwreck sites,” says

maritime archaeologist Paul Hundley, director of

the Silentworld Foundation.

“The expedition was about a year in the planning

stage. This included historical research into the

ships known to have been lost on Kenn Reefs and

the accounts provided by the shipwreck survivors.”

Even though the explorers had a pretty good idea

where to look thanks to previous surveys and

historical records, it was still exciting to dive to the

seabed and see the remains of ships that had been

missing for over a hundred years.


S’NAG-A-NEWS

Maritime archaeologists Renee Malliaros (left) and Pete

Illidge (right) work with team member Lee Graham (centre) to

document a cannon at one of the shipwreck sites discovered at

Kenn Reefs. IMAGE COURTESYJULIA


Apart from getting their feet wet, the researchers

also used a magnetometer to detect changes in the

Earth’s magnetic field due to large iron objects

underwater, such as cannons and anchors. This

helped them to accurately map the wreck sites.

“The 1850s, when the majority of shipwrecks

occurred at Kenn Reefs, were a period of increased

migration to Australia,” explains Dr James Hunter,

curator at the ANNM who took part in the

expedition.

“Ships were the lifeblood of these activities, but for

the most part get scant mention in archival sources.

Archaeology provides a unique opportunity to

significantly expand our knowledge of these

vessels—how they were designed and built, who

operated them, and what they were carrying.”

The team had to receive special permits to explore

these marine archaeological sites, since any

shipwrecks older than 75 years—including the ones

at Kenn Reefs—are protected under the Historic

Shipwrecks Act (1976). It’s illegal to disturb them

or remove any items without authorisation.

“These sites are fragile and irreplaceable, and in

most instances have become embedded within their

surrounding coral reef and sand cay ecosystems,”

says Hunter. “Consequently, they should be left

undisturbed.”

Australian National Maritime Museum maritime

archaeologist Dr James Hunter

photogrammetrically records an anchor on one of

the shipwreck sites discovered at Kenn Reefs.

IMAGE COURTESY JULIA


Armed with all the new data collected on this year’s

expedition, the researchers now have detective work

ahead of them to identify the individual ships that

met their untimely end on the coral atoll.

“This work is complicated by the fact that these

ships wreck physically very close to one another,”

says Hundley. But the researchers do have plenty of

historical records to go by.

“Because the majority of these wrecks occurred in

the mid-19th century, we have very good records of

the vessels, their captains and their construction, as

well as written accounts of the circumstances of

their wrecking and subsequent survival activities

afterward.”

Source:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/australia/my


S’NAG-A-NEWS

sterious-new-shipwrecks-found-in-australian-

waters.aspx

Historic submarine could turn into artificial reef off Jupiter coast By Alanna Quillen, Jan 11, 2017

JUPITER, Fla. - Something big is coming to the shores of Jupiter and Juno beaches. Palm Beach County leaders want to sink a decades-old submarine to create an artificial reef. Retired U.S. Navy submarine USS Clamagore is 320 feet long and dates all the way back to World War II. It served during the Cold War. Right now, it's based at Patriot's Point Naval and Maritime Museum in South Carolina but the hull is deteriorating and the submarine is on the verge of capsizing. Palm Beach County commissioners say it's getting too expensive for the museum to maintain. "The museum up in Charleston is losing money and they would really like to unload this as quickly as possible," said PBC commissioner Hal Valeche, whose district includes Jupiter. "We wanted to honor the people that served on

it, we wanted to honor the submarine service in general." On Tuesday, Palm Beach County commissioners voted unanimously to set aside $1 million towards a project to sink submarine. This could be the very first submarine in the entire state to be sunk off the coast as an artificial reef. Commissioner Valeche believes the USS Clamagore could be a new tourism draw for divers. The sub would be sunk to depths of about 90 feet. "I don't think very many people have a submarine as a diver destination," he said. Valeche said the money the county is using to contribute to the submarine is not coming from taxpayers. "It's coming from the marine vessel registration fees. So it's not in any way supported by taxpayers," he said. The total cost of cleaning out, moving and sinking the submarine is $4 million. While the county will cover $1 million, the contract will be voided if the remaining $3 million is not raised by private sources. Jena McNeal, the artificial reef coordinator for the Department of Environmental Resources Management says the submarine will be a great benefit to the environment. Currently, there are about 150 artificial reefs in Palm Beach County. "They provide additional habitats for fish and corals to grow on, and they also take the pressure off natural reefs. So divers can visit these artificial reefs instead of our natural reefs," she said.


S’NAG-A-NEWS

McNeal said the county was approached by Patriot's Point about the project. Her department worked with the West Palm Beach Diving Association to find a suitable site for the submarine. A site has been selected about two miles south of the Juno Beach Pier. But the news is shaking things up in Knoxville, Tennessee, where a group called the USS Clamagore Preservation and Memorial Association worked for years to preserve the submarine. "It's very depressing," said Marlin Helms, the group's vice chairman. "I was really hoping to bring it to Tennessee. We wanted to use it as the foundation of a military history museum." County commissioners say this is the best option for the submarine. "I think reality is, if we don't do it, it's going to get scrapped. It would be turned into razor blades," said Valeche. Wesley John and his grandson, Dillon, are one of the hundreds who fish off the Jupiter coast. "I can't wait. I'd love to see the sub before they sink it," said Wesley. "I was old enough to remember the WWII subs and how important they were. And to see one before it goes down would be a thrill." The new addition to the waters could make fishing a bit more interesting. "Something like that could attract more wildlife and more divers, maybe bring some more fish here," said Dillon. If the project finds enough funding,county leaders say you can expect to see the

submarine sink later this year or early next year.

Source:

http://www.wptv.com/news/region-n-palm-beach-

county/jupiter/historic-submarine-could-turn-into-

artificial-reef-off-jupiter-coast

Parting Shots Photos from Rob Robison

Top: Whitetip Reef Shark Middle: Hammerhead

Bottom: Chinese Trumpet fish


S’NAG-A-NEWS

AD Rates

S’Nag-A-News monthly advertising rates are as follows: Business Card $4.00 1/4 Page $10.00 1/2 Page $20.00 Full Page $30.00 Club members receive a 10% discount on advertising rates. Non-members receive a 10% discount for three months paid in advance.

NEXT MEETING: 8:00 p.m., Plank’s Café, Thurs., March 2, 2017. Grenada Video

OFFICERS 2017

President Steve Ranft

(614) 309-4138

[email protected]

Vice President

Ryan Jones

[email protected]

Treasurer

Glenn Mitchell

(614) 272-2448

[email protected]

Secretary

Dave Foley

[email protected]

Newsletter Editor

Gerry Kubatska

(614)307-3668

[email protected]

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