Underwater Naturalist

1. Underwater Naturalist • Introduction • Human Perceptions • Responsible interaction

2. Underwater Naturalist “a person versed in the natural history of the aquatic realm”

3. Working in an Aquatic Realm UW Naturalists apply observations of the UW environment which will aid in understanding the organisms which live there This process starts with the ecology – the study of the interrelationship of living things and their environment

4. Working in an Aquatic Realm Ecology not only examines organisms and their relationships with their environment but also their ecosystems

5. Working in an Aquatic Realm The Terrestrial Environment vs. The Aquatic Environment • Density – water is 800 times more dense then air • movement is restricted resulting in more streamline body structures

6. Working in an Aquatic Realm The Terrestrial Environment vs. The Aquatic Environment • Gravity – because of its density water adds buoyancy to a submerged body • some aquatic organisms exist in a near weightless state

7. Working in an Aquatic Realm The Terrestrial Environment vs. The Aquatic Environment Gravity - a near weightless state – allows for larger animals

8. Working in an Aquatic Realm The Terrestrial Environment vs. The Aquatic Environment Movement – water currents are the equivalent to the terrestrial winds

9. Working in an Aquatic Realm The Terrestrial Environment vs. The Aquatic Environment • Movement – water currents are the equivalent to the terrestrial winds • Allows the transport of food (plankton) and sperm and eggs over great distances – fertilization occurs outside of the parents body

10. Working in an Aquatic Realm The Terrestrial Environment vs. The Aquatic Environment • Light – water filters out the light – even in the clearest water light will not penetrate beyond 600 fsw • first the reds are lost until only the violet light exists • plants which require light can only exist in the shallower water zones

11. Working in an Aquatic Realm The Terrestrial Environment vs. The Aquatic Environment • Oxygen – a necessary component for most marine life – has an uneven distribution in open water. • lakes water has a tendency to stagnate (low O2) in the deepest areas • inhabitants such as marine mammals, reptiles and amphibians need to return to the surface to for oxygen

12. Human Perceptions Terrestrial experiences with organisms may have only limited value in understanding aquatic organisms These translated perceptions can lead to misperceptions about “dangerous” marine organisms and the nature of aquatic organisms in general.

13. Human Perceptions Some common misperceptions: • If it’s alive it moves! • Rocks don’t move – Coral looks like a rock therefore coral must not be a living creature

14. Human Perceptions Some common misperceptions: Aquatic Mythology – misperceptions due to urban myth and tall tales • - The truth is - animal behavior evolves from survival needs

15. Human Perceptions Some common misperceptions: 3 key points regarding “dangerous aquatic life” • Animals rarely attack unprovoked – it is usually in defense • Your intent is irrelevant – what counts is how the animal perceives your action • Animals do NOT attack out of malice – they attack for 1 of 4 reasons • 1. defending themselves • 2. defending their territory, a mate or their young • 3. to obtain food • 4. by mistake • Underwater attacks seem to be more severe then terrestrial attacks • 1. they are perceived as being more sensational thereby they elicit an emotional response • 2. there is usually more “history” on terrestrial attacks • 3. there is a lack of knowledge of the habits and habitats of aquatic organisms

16. Human Perceptions The 4 most common misperceptions: • Wide spread beliefs stemming from a rare occurrence • All shark are dangerous – “I once heard that a surfer got bit while surfing”

17. Human Perceptions The 4 most common misperceptions: • Beliefs that a marine organism is similar to a domesticated land animal • The people that think certain marine creatures are domesticated

18. Human Perceptions The 4 most common misperceptions: • Beliefs that organism that lack terrestrial lifelike characteristic must not be living • Such as corals, sponge and nudibranch

19. Human Perceptions The 4 most common misperceptions: • Beliefs that some animals exhibit human characteristics • This misperception is usually created by the entertainment media such as the TV show “Flipper”

20. Human Perceptions Responsible interaction Like it or not – you are entering their environment so you will have at least minimal interaction with them Interaction can range from relatively passive with little negative effect all the way to interaction that results in death to the creature

21. Human Perceptions Responsible interaction Interactions can come in a variety of ways • Passive interactions – has the least effect on the animal • involves only observation • Touching and Handling – terrifying to the animal and can cause injury • Riding or being towed – there is NEVER a time when this is appropriate • Spearfishing and gathering – can possibly have long term detrimental e effect on species population and environment • should always follow legal guideline • Collecting for aquariums – HAS long term effects on populations • Legal guidelines must be followed • Feeding aquatic animals – should be avoided – know the eating habits • Underwater Photography – should be carried out with as little negative effect as possible – BUOYANCY CONTROL IS A MUST!

22. Underwater Naturalist Responsible interaction Critical Scuba Techniques that preserve environment Most diver inflicted damage is unintentional and therefore CAN and SHOULD be prevented! Secure all dangling equipment – this includes but is not limited to: all gauges all 2nd stages all accessories – camera, bag, reel, slate etc. This not only saves the equipment and the environment but it also makes you more efficient by making you more streamline

23. Underwater Naturalist Responsible interaction Critical Scuba Techniques that preserve environment Most diver inflicted damage is unintentional and therefore CAN and SHOULD be prevented! Use good diving techniques! good buoyancy control – no bombing to the bottom keep your fins off the reef – know what your fins are doing! keep all movement to a minimum – be efficient underwater Glide through the water – be like a fish – not a tug boat

24. Underwater Naturalist What we expect from you in the Key’s • The UW Naturalist dive is the last dive of the weekend • by now you will have completed your night dive and your deep dive • by now you will have accrued over 5 hours of actual bottom time • your skills should have improved dramatically • by now your level of confidence in your abilities will be at its peak You will be carrying a slate and we will ask you, along with your buddy, to locate a reef area is his highly populated with a variety of marine life We would like you to record all that you see for a period of 5 minutes. We want you to look at the “Big Picture” we DON’T want a fish count we want to know about the eco-system. This is a test of your observational skill in a marine environment