Diving in PNG

Scott Portelli · Issue 96, May/Jun 2017 · pp. 38–45

Products mentioned: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Seacam Housing, Phantom 4

it). There is evidence that corals can switch their zooxanthellae to more heat resistant variants. In other words – corals can adapt, and the bleaching process may be part of this adaptation. The real problem for corals round the world is not temperature; it is toxic pollution. Most of the world’s reefs have deteriorated because cities, agriculture and industry have been built close to shore and pollute the local ocean through run-off. We now have an army of divers out there surveying the reef and collecting data. First reports for reefs important to Cairns tourism (early April) give the following approximate averages from 378 underwater surveys:- healthy coral 33%; bleaching restricted to tips of corals 4%; corals paled 37%; white bleached corals 22%; dead corals 3%. I had better repeat that – on the Cairns dive sites up to Cod Hole only about 3% of corals have died. Environmental organ…