Coast Guard, NOAA, Army divers pull tons of trash off reefs

A fishing trip of sorts has resulted in a huge catch for agencies working to preserve coral reefs.
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On a three-week mission to Maro Reef, Kure and Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Army 7th Engineer Dive Team pulled more than 32 metric tons of debris off coral reefs.

The debris, primarily fishing nets, was brought back to Honolulu yesterday and put on display this morning at the Coast Guard station on Sand Island.

"It was a great effort by all the people involved," said Coast Guard Cmdr. Jeffrey Randall, commanding officer of the Walnut.

Randall said NOAA mapped the sites to be cleared, Army divers bagged the trash and the 225-foot Walnut provided the heavy crane for lifting the debris and deck space for containers in which the debris was stored...[Link]

Divers target invasive species

Spear fishermen bagged more than 300 fish during yesterday's Roi Round-up Dive Tournament targeting three invasive species that threaten the health of Maui's reefs.
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The event was organized by divers concerned about reef conservation and also served as a fundraiser for Lance Otsubo and Kimi Werner, who will represent the state at the U.S. National Spearfishing Championships in August off Malibu, Calif.

"We wanted to make a tournament to have fun and to raise money for the divers, but we didn't want to deplete the reefs, so we made it for invasive species," said organizer Darrell Tanaka. "Maui doesn't have the fish it used to have 10 to 20 years ago. A lot of divers are here because they want to give back to the reefs. They see the depletion and this is one of the ways we can bring the fish back."

Participants from Maui, O'ahu and Lana'i took aim at roi (blue-spotted grouper), ta'ape (blue-lined snapper) and to'au (black-tailed snapper). The three species were introduced to Hawaiian waters in the 1950s to boost declining stocks for sport fishing, but never caught on as popular eating fish. For one thing, roi is a high-risk fish for ciguatera poisoning...[HonoluluAdvertiser.com]

Video Shows Warship Reef Damage

The state on Friday released underwater video of some of the reef damage caused from the grounding of the Navy ship USS Port Royal.

The $1 billion warship ran around in waters just off the Honolulu International Airport's Reef Runway more than three months ago.

The underwater video showed divers assessing the damage a few days after the Navy dislodged the vessel...[KITV.com]

Diver leads effort to rid Honolulu Harbor of junk

Diver Robin Bond Jr. has seen all kinds of junk at the bottom of Honolulu Harbor. Air conditioners, car batteries, mopeds and bicycles. Even a freezer, a forklift and a handgun.

"It's a huge underwater dump," Bond said.

And he's determined to change that.

The operations manager at Wikoliana Educational Excursions at Pier 7 is spearheading a pilot program to kick off later this month that will salvage decades worth of items dumped in the harbor. Whatever is salvaged will be recycled and proceeds will be donated to schools helping the program, believed to be the first of its kind in Hawai'i.

State officials and businesses are already supporting the program, and Bond hopes that he'll be able to expand the cleanup along the length of the harbor. He also plans to eventually use one of the vessels being fitted for his company to salvage junk farther out in the harbor.

"There's definitely an environmental need for us to be proactive," said Bond.

He said he's most concerned about the environmental effects of car batteries and other toxic materials...[HonoluluAdvertiser]

WWII German bomb found at Munxar Reef

Army divers recently raised a German Luftwaffe bomb from the Munxar Reef off Marsascala at a depth of 12 metres, after information was provided by some civilian divers.

An EOD diving team from the AFM's Ammunition and Explosives Company of 3 Regiment was sent to investigate. The munition was a Sprengbombe Cylindrich (SC) 1000 general demolition bomb.

The bomb weighed one ton and was 100 inches long with its tail attachment. It was among one of the largest bombs in the Luftwaffe's arsenal, used to great effect in all theatres of conflict during WWII.

In the recovery operation, the bomb was slung and attached to a gradual-release air-lifting bag. Once the bag surfaced, it was replaced by four 45-gallon drums, and after the bomb was rendered safe it was towed further out to sea by an AFM Maritime Squadron patrol-boat for disposal...[TimesofMalta]

Coral is found thriving on the sunken USS Arizona

The USS Arizona is in "far better shape than can be imagined based on scientific evidence," says Brett Seymour, of the National Park Service.

Navy divers are helping the Park Service map the hull of the sunken battleship using 3-D, high-definition imaging.

The Park Service is finding soft and hard coral on the battleship -- where no hard coral was growing in the 1980s.

Also under way is a film of the underwater world of the Arizona that will be shown in the new visitors center.

Officials say the new technology helps them better understand the structural integrity of the 93-year-old vessel and whether it is any danger to the environment.

The camera system also will be used to videotape a Japanese midget submarine sunk off Pearl Harbor in the 1941 attack...[StarBulletin]

New bill aims to protect Molokai's reefs from scuba divers

Molokai seems to attract independent people and the island has a reputation for standing on its own. Now, if a new fisheries bill passes, independence is exactly what Molokai will have.

'Molokai's Fisheries Bill' was introduced in the House by Mele Carroll and in the Senate by Kalani English. It has passed the first reading in both and will be headed for hearings if all goes well. As of this writing, 14 different Senators have signed on to the introduction of the bill.

The act establishes a community-based subsistence fishing area around Molokai to help protect the fish stocks and coral reef habitats. It would place the responsibility with the Molokai people, arguing there has been negligence by state agencies.

"Lack of meaningful stewardship threatens to cause irreparable harm to the cultural, social and economic well-being of the island," states the bill...[CDNN]

"The Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fishes, Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Whales, and Seals"

By John P. Hoover / Mutual Publishing / $24.95

Based on Hoover's "Hawaii's Fishes, a Guide for Snorkelers and Divers," but with bulked-up content for advanced underwater enthusiasts. The book is filled with photos and facts covering fishes, whales, dolphins and turtles. Check out the lizardfish on Page 188, swallowing a whole unicornfish. Freaky. It's an identification guide for someone who spends a lot of time underwater, but would also be a vital resource for aquarium owners or anyone with a fascination for fishes.