Posted on 02/13/2006 6:40:17 PM PST by blam
Lost World (part two) found in the Caribbean
By Charles Clover
(Filed: 14/02/2006)
A treasure trove of undiscovered marine life has been found on an underwater mountain top in the Caribbean.
Scientists found an average of a new species a day on a 14-day dive on the little-studied Saba Bank Atoll, a submerged volcano which is the world's third largest coral atoll.
The Saba Bank Atoll rises from the abyssal depths to just 25ft below the surface
The expedition, which was plagued by high winds and strong currents, found 200 species of fish where only 50 were recorded before, among them two new and undiscovered species of goby.
The expedition, mounted by scientists from Conservation International, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Netherlands Antilles government, found vast beds of seaweed, which included a dozen new species.
The area of the coral reef at the top of the sea mount, 150 miles south-east of Puerto Rico in the Dutch Windward islands, extends to 90 square miles. The sea mount rises from the abyssal depths to just 25ft below the surface.
Michael Smith, the director of Conservation International's Caribbean Biodiversity Initiative, said the atoll was one of the least explored parts of the Caribbean - despite it being in an important shipping lane and where supertankers frequently anchored on their way to an oil terminal on St Eustatius Island nearby.
The discovery of the marine riches on Saba Bank Atoll is the second big find in two months for the American-based charity, which was also partly responsible for the expedition that last week announced it had found a "lost world" with unknown species of birds and plants in the west of New Guinea.
The atoll has revealed 200 fish species, including gobies [top two] and anglerfish
"We have been looking for the kinds of places that seem to have fallen through the cracks and not been studied very well," said Mr Smith.
The scientists said the fragile ecosystems of Saba Bank became damaged by anchors and chains of ships that avoid anchoring fees in the territorial waters of St Eustatius. The large ships also endangered local fishermen of Saba in their small boats, forcing them away from traditional lobster and reef fish grounds and causing the loss of fish pots that become so-called "ghost traps", which harmed fish stocks.
Mr Smith said the unprecedented richness of marine life and vulnerable status of the atoll's coral beds made Saba Bank a prime candidate for protection as a particularly sensitive sea area under the International Maritime Organisation's rules. This could help to protect it from pollution and damage.
Leroy Peterson, a Saba fisherman, said the expedition was crucial in protecting Saba Bank's unique marine life. "There should be 'no-anchor' zones. For things to survive there must be stricter controls," he said.
The atoll is within the 200-mile limit of Saba, whose citizens claim descent from pirates, speak English as their main language and are Dutch citizens.
Next month, the Netherlands navy will launch a six-week survey of Saba Bank by the Snellius, a 265ft research vessel capable of conducting comprehensive bottom coverage using sonar and other technology.
Information from the diving expedition and hydrographical survey would help to prepare the campaign to get Saba Bank designated as a protected area, said Mr Smith.
Neat! New species, and it's not far from here. I'm going to learn more about this.
http://www.mina.vomil.an/Archive/nieuwsbrief-99sep.html
scroll 1/2 way down for info.
Neat place indeed:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=saba+bank+atoll&btnG=Google+Search
First the discovery of lots of new stuff in New Guinea, now this. I'm suspicious. I'm guessing there'll be another such "startling" discovery, followed by an enviro-wacko campaign of some sort. This string of discoveries reads like something out of Chrichton's "State of Fear."
This is on ABC after "Lost", right?
That is exciting.
That place is more a sand bar/mud flat covered with sea grasses than it is a reef habitat like the Great Barrier reef.
Good, because reefs can be super bad if they scratch you and parasites get into your bloodstream.
Cool News ....I cannot imagine the feeling these divers had when they made the discovery....
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