Andi, changes in the reef is a complete understatement. They are dying. Since I began diving in the seventies, there is only about fifteen percent left of what there was in the Caribbean. Sometimes I get so depressed, if I let myself, I start crying while I dive past the desolation that once was thriving.
In the summer of 2005, there was a warming event, they call it, here in the US Virgins, and the surrounding islands. The whole sea got four degrees too hot, all the way to past safe diving limits of 130 feet deep. Four degrees doesn't sound like much, but the equivalent on land might be ?? fifty degrees hotter, I'd guess. About 80% of the corals here died. Colonies that were mature when Christopher Columbus was sailing around died.
In this photo, which is a normal coral head here, I see one living bit down in front, and another on the left, and one tall sponge, and one encrusting sponge. If this was a proper healthy coral head, there would be dozens of corals, sponges, sea fans, all fighting for a little bit of room to grow. and lots of fish.
A healthy reef is the most amazing sight, but if there are any left on Earth, I don't know. Corals are animals, they don't make viable seeds that can last through adversity, they spawn fragile eggs.
On land, if a plot is bulldozed, plants quickly regrow. On the coral reef, if it's killed, it silts over, and stays dead.
I take photos of what's still alive. I just swim past the rest.
Sorry.
. If you mentioned above about the size of the pot you transferred your baby's from and into what size pot I missed it. Guilty. I'm going to go back and re-read, can't believe I didn't pay attention.
