Tag: reef

Crab Gallery

A flat rock crab (Percnon planissimum) among boulders in Suck-Em-Up Cave at 25′ depth
A yellow-spotted guard crab (Trapezia flavopunctata) in cauliflower coral
Bloody hermit crab (Dardanus sanguinocarpus) in a cave at 20ft depth
Yellow-spotted Guard Crab (Trapezia flavopunctata) in a large Elkhorn Coral at O’oma
Hawaiian swimming crab (Charybdis hawaiensis) found sheltering in the arms of a cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina) during the day
Red swimming crab (Gonioinfradens paucidentata) in a reef ledge at Pentagon
Convex crab (Carpilius convexus) hiding in coral at 60ft depth
Laurent’s Hermit Crab, (Calcinus laurentae) at 30ft depth, Kua Bay
A flat rock crab (Percnon planissimum) among boulders in a cave at 40′ depth
Bloody hermit crab (Dardanus sanguinocarpus) on a wall at 20ft depth
A yellow-spotted guard crab (Trapezia flavopunctata) shelters in the arms of an antler coral (Pocillopora eydouxi)
A yellow-spotted guard crab (Trapezia flavopunctata) shelters in the arms of an antler coral (Pocillopora eydouxi)
A female sea urchin crab (Echinoecus pentagonus) in the anal cavity of a large banded urchin (Echinothrix calamaris)
Yellow-spotted Guard Crab (Trapezia flavopunctata) at O’oma
Yellow hairy hermit crab (Aniculus maximus) at Twin Sisters Cave, photo by Pete Tucker
Laurent’s Hermit Crab, (Calcinus laurentae) at 25ft depth, Suck-Em-Up Cave
Haig’s hermit crab (calcinus haigae) at 30ft depth, Hoover’s Tower
A yellow-spotted guard crab (Trapezia flavopunctata) shelters in the arms of an cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina)
A pebble crab (Etisus splendidus), photo by Pete Tucker
A yellow-spotted guard crab (Trapezia flavopunctata) in cauliflower coral
Pale anemone crab (Dardanus deformis) using a pimpled basket snail shell at 30ft depth, Puakō
Red Swimming Crab (Gonioinfradens paucidentata) in a crevice at 40′ depth, Kaloko

Shrimp Gallery

A marbled shrimp (Saron marmoratus) between boulders in a cave floor, 40ft depth
Banded Coral Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) in a cave at 50ft depth, Kona
Lottin’s Snapping Shrimp (Alpheus lottini) deep in a califlower coral head (Pocillopora meandrina)
Banded Coral Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) on the reef at Puako
A pair of Banded Coral Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) at 40′ depth, O’oma
Flamebacked Coral Shrimp (Stenopus pyrsonotus) under a boulder at ʻAuʻau Crater
Banded Coral Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) at 40ft depth, Hoover’s Towers

Diving Gallery

Red swimming crab (Gonioinfradens paucidentata) in a reef ledge at Pentagon
A Whitemouth Moray (Gymnothorax meleagris) in the reef at Mahukona
Gold lace nudibranch (Halgerda terramtuentis) in a cave at 25ft depth at The Pentagon
A pair of White-margin Nudibranch (Glossodoris rufomarginata), 25ft depth at O’oma
A Snowflake Moray (Echidna nebulosa) in the reef at Three Tables, Oahu
Bluestripe squirrelfish (Sargocentron tiere) in a small cave at Pentagon
Commerson’s Frogfish (Antennarius commerson) at 25′ depth
Pete looking for subjects to photograph on a Kona reef
The author, Andrew Cooper, doing the usual… Photographing the reef life. Photo by Pete Tucker
Flowery Flounder (Bothus mancus) on the reef at O’oma
A lantern toby (Canthigaster epilampra) hiding in a reef crevice
Diver Mark Devenot cruising the reef at Hoover’s Towers north of Honokohau
Fourspot Butterflyfish (Chaetodon quadrimaculatus) under a coral head at O’oma
Pete attempting to photograph garden eels at the base of the reef at Eel Cove
A group whitebar surgeonfish (Acanthurus leucopareius) of clean algae and parasites off a green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)
Redbarred hawkfish (Cirrhitops fasciatus) perched in a reef crevice
A red reef lobster (Enoplometopus occidentalis) in a cave at The Hive
A Hawaiian Dascyllus (Dascyllus albisella) hovers over the reef
Racoon butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula) at 25ft depth, Hoover’s Tower
A green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) takes advantage of a cleaning station on the Puakō reef
Snow goddess nudibranch (Ardeadoris poliahu) in a cave at 25ft depth
Kirk and Deb explore the reef at Mahukona
A longnose butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus) in nighttime coloration during a night dive at Puakō
A Fellows Nudibranch (Hiatodoris fellowsi) in a cave at 35ft depth

Coral Bleaching on the Kohala Coast

I had been hearing it was bad, I really did not know how bad.

Coral Bleaching
A cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina) mostly bleached, just remnants of healthy coral with symbiotic zooxanthellae algae still in place
Last time we were diving south of Kona the reef looked really healthy. With all of the rains creating murky water we had not been out in over a month. While entertaining off-island guests we went to out favorite beach at Waialea Bay for a little snorkeling and swimming.

It is pretty bad.

The warm waters have been hard on our local corals. Nearly all of the cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina) is completely white, completely bleached. The encrusting lobe and finger coral (Porites lobata) was better, but some colonies were looking a little lighter in color than I would like to see. Some of the other lobe corals (Porites evermanni) were also bleaching.

As we were snorkeling in a fairly shallow bay this could be a worst case sampling of the coastline. I hope so, it was distressing to see the reef under such stress. The water was warm, far warmer than I ever remember in my eight years on island.

The current El Nino event is forecast to last through the end of the year. It will be interesting to see if the corals recover, and how much of the colonies will die. I will have to make a point to swim the same section of reef a few more time as the fall turns to winter. I should swim to the same bit of reef and take a few more photos.