We went and had a look at the reef in front of the main jetty under the full moon.
Blue Button Jelly Fish (Porpita Porpita), Blue Bottle Jelly Fish and their predator: the Janthina Sea Snail have washed up onto the Northern shore of the island by hundreds. All of them are pelagic species that float on the surface. The Snail creates a bubble raft and follows the Jellyfish to feed.
The Blue Bottle Jellyfish is a stinger, while the Blue Button will never sting. It's better to know this if you are planning on going swimming. This dive was to collect and clean the reef of the wood that had broken off our jetty on the North side of the island. Jaslan tied the rope, while I collected the wood under water. Darto was on the platform with a team of two people to help pull up the wood. Anemone were already colonising the wood, which means that they had moved their location. I didn't know that. We relocated them onto the reef where the Clown fish were also going for the ride.
We spotted dolphins for the second time in two days. The beach is cleaned on a daily basis before any of the guests are awake. Plastic bottles, debris, algae and on occasion tar are all cleaned up. It is like putting brand new sheets onto a bed.. the turtles love it! The Christmas season storms took not only our north jetty but have also created havoc on the "main land". Indeed, for many Nikoi Islanders (as they call themselves), Bintan Island acts as the main land. Kelongs, which are the local fishing off shore platforms, extended piers... have all been destroyed and washed away. All the beaches are covered in debris and plastic...
We are living in the oil civilisation. If you look around you and take away all the objects that are directly or indirectly created by oil (plastics, paint...) you will be surprised to see what is actually left... Nikoi's beaches are cleaned everyday. On a calm day it is a matter of a few hours, but after a good storm or constant wind for a few days there will not be much white sand visible. Tar washes onto our beaches as well and that is not a good sign since it has been happening more often this year. Clean beaches are like brand new sheets on a bed. I am sure the turtles would love it as they wouldn't have to fight against plastic bottles, fishing lines, polyester floats, debris, flip flops, light bulbs and so on... The sand has shifted more than usual this year and as a result the turtles nesting sites might change compared to the last season. University students from the Marine University of Bintan will start coming over once a week to study Nikoi's marine ecosystems with the hope to create a long term monitoring program for the benefit of the reefs. Not only this will provide data for Nikoi and Bintan, but it would also enable Nikoi, which is a running business, to create the base for a secure site, easier to monitor and with logistical support which is usually very expensive to set up. Located directly offshore from Bintan's east coast, the long-term aim would be to create a no take zone. This will only be possible with the support of the local fishing community, and not though government enforcement. Even if it has failed in the past, nothing is ever achieved if we do not keep on trying. To be continued... We all know that the ocean is not what is used to be. Or do we?
For the majority of the population of our planet, and despite the effort of a few individuals to bring up the demise of oceanic ecosystems everywhere, the underwater world is as alien as the moon or Mars. In fact it is even more alien since we see the moon on a constant basis. Out of all the coastal communities around the world, few ever put a mask on, and that includes the one's living in the ocean, such as fisherman or boat people for example. The few that do, do it so often that it's most ly done on a recreational basis. Lately, disaster stories of our planet are starting to sell via the media but regarding the underwater world, documentaries all seem to describe it as a huge invisible ocean. What only very few people understand is that it took teams of hundreds of people to go to the remotest location to gather a few exiting shots. By nature, if one is passionate about something, one tends to bypass the rubbish. Obvious in so many places where we are able to edit with our senses what we do not want to see. In Indonesia, kids play next to tons of rubbish mainly plastic because it is the reality they where brought up in. It is the same underwater. On a dead reef, I will tend to focus on the few remaining living elements. Of course I know the reef is dying but my impulse draws me to the what is alive. And more than ever, what I realize is that I am seeking hope to contradict some of the thoughts that arise in my mind. It is not all fucked, it is not all doomed, and there is a chance to recover. I am lucky here, as I am so close to Singapore meaning I am able to study in a total system approach, a small but significant area of ocean ecosystems. Further on I will talk about issues, big and small, little events, seasonal events, and conservation challenges and observations. As I speak, we are in the transition of season. In the sea the water is getting murky. One side of the island is “closing down” due to the north east winds setting in with it’s sisters swells. The trees are blooming new leaves in outburst, birds are starting to crowd the shore of Bintan, and the fisherman are going to take their annual rest, giving the ocean a break. And believe me, there is nothing better than a break on the pressure we inflict on the oceanic ecosystems. To be continued… |
AuthorMichel Lippitsch, oceanauts on spaceship earth. Archives
September 2016
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