A trip to the coral reefs

DaniHbbo

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Oct 14, 2015
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When the guide gives us an indication of jump and eventually penetrate into the clean waters of the Moluccas can discover a background of corals of extraordinary beauty, including a multitude of fish of all sizes, shapes and colors hides . We are in the area called Melisa Garden on the island Penemu or, as it appears on maps, Pulau Penemu (Indonesia).

To get here it has taken almost two days' journey from Spain to Manado, a city north of Indonesia, and then embark on a dive boat that made the journey to the island of Papua New Guinea, where the vessel has to find calm water in which to develop their business for a few months.

The purpose of the trip was snorkeling and videos in the archipelago of Raja Ampat. These islands are within the so-called Coral Triangle. This area covers an area of more than six million square kilometers, where more than 100,000 square kilometers of coral reefs. Here many species of organisms is one of the most biodiverse marine areas around the planet are concentrated.

By immersing ourselves in the water and look around us immediately struck by the abundance of stony corals, large platforms table corals, gorgonians of all kinds
By immersing ourselves in the water and look around immediately struck by the abundance of stony corals, large platforms table corals, gorgonians of all kinds, large sponges and many other animals that live attached to the substrate. Not really the bottom rocks look as all are covered by living organisms. The data are impressive: of the nearly 800 known coral species, more than 600 live in these waters, and in the Coral Triangle have identified more than 2,200 species of reef fish.

One of the problems of diving in this area is the great strength of ocean currents, often very strong, especially when diving in the remaining channels between nearby islands. This can be very annoying, and difficult dives, has much biological importance because it contributes to disperse to distant areas eggs and larvae of marine organisms that live in these reefs, which favors biological repopulation of remote areas .

Of the nearly 800 known coral species, more than 600 live in these waters
All this natural heritage is threatened by human activities. As in many other parts of the world, the population of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia has moved from the countryside to the coastal regions seeking greater quality of life, which has led to a depopulation of the interior and overcrowding the coast.

This has negative consequences for the marine environment. Economic activities are producing massive felling of trees, increasing soil erosion of the mountains and the influx of sediment into the sea. In addition, over-exploitation of fishery resources occurs, or fishing with cyanide and explosives, destroying the reefs. Also into the sea many untreated sewage, pollutants and plastics. To this long list of attacks we must add other factors such as global warming, invasive species and acidification of the sea.

The reefs in the Coral Triangle have great ecological value, but are threatened by human activities, it is worth taking a long trip to visit one of the areas of the world that has a greater biological wealth.
 

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