Team
Update
Our next team meeting is April 18th at the
Nova houseboat. The main topic of discussion will be about Oceanfest. We
will also be planning the Burrow pit dive this Sunday April 20th and Deep
and Shallow site dive on April 28th.
Burrow Pit Dive on WildKat
Dave O'Neal
Dave Kaplan
Laura Kaplan
Matt Hoelscher
Andrea Valerioti
Deep and Shallow Reef Dive on Loggerhead II
Ernest Smit
Robin Sherman
Dave Kaplan
Laura Kaplan
Matt Hoelscher
Andrea Valerioti
In this issue:
1. Snorkel Trail?s last canon placed at Oceanfest
2. FWC New Rules on Lobster Trap Sizes
3. FWC Clarifies Boat Limits on Spiny Lobster
4. Datura Street Beach Dive with Photos
5. SOUTH FLORIDA REEF RESEARCH TEAM HISTORY
1. SFRRT INVITES YOU TO ATTEND THE PLACEMENT
OF THE FIFTH AND FINAL CANNON DURING OCEAN FEST 2002, THE ARTIFICIAL REEF
NOW 85% COMPLETE
The
Town Of Lauderdale By The Sea along with The Marine Archaeological Council,
Inc. and the S.F.R.R.T. both non-profit 501C-3 organizations in conjunction
with Ocean Fest 2002, will place the 5th and final cannon at the site of
Broward County's newest artificial reef. After four years of working
with the various governmental bodies, we have received all the required
permits. For the last 2 months the construction has been on going.
The permits allow us to create an artificial reef consisting of anchors,
cannons and a ballast pile, (a pile of rocks that will represent the weights
used to keep wooden ships up right in rough seas). At the same time
these materials will increase clean hard bottom surface area for marine
habitat. This will be an "Artificial Reef", although it is also our intention
to create interest in underwater archaeology for snorkelers as well as
scuba divers. The purpose of this snorkel trail is to stimulate awareness
of the rich maritime heritage that lies off our shores. This is often
lost; due to improper preservation techniques and/or inadvertent removal
by people who are unaware of their historical significance. As discussed
with Army Corps of Engineers, Chuck Schnapple, due to gradation size, people
are what disturb the rubble at the Keys San Pedro shipwreck site. We have
cemented our rubble together to avoid this problem. This is just
another example however as to why the public needs to be educated.
The "ballast pile"
will be low profile and high density, there by being stable and a good
substrate for the promotion of marine growth. The materials used
as a representation of a ballast pile are in fact rocks that shall meet
the requirements of FDOT Design Standards for Rubble Rip Rap. That
requires it to be of the required specific gravity. This rock is
metamorphic and there are only three quarries in the state of Florida that
can mine rock this dense. It other uses are to be placed in the water
for bank and shore protection, underwater groins and jetties.
Nothing has been or will be placed on LIVE
HARD BOTTOM.
There is more than
the 50ft. minimum buffer required by the permit between the artifacts and
living exposed bottom. We have had to revise many drawings of the
isometric outline of ballast pile, anchor and cannons. The Management
program also was revised numerous times. The number of yearly surveys
required by two Government agencies was two. The third required four.
In addition, due to the moving sands in the area, when we first picked
the site the was nothing on the exposed hard bottom, after three years
further surveys of the bottom later showed that Palathoia (false coral),
had settled in. So another area had to be found. We found the
site closer to shore. Changing once again the site coordinates.
Many of divers and
snorkelers visit the reefs just off Lauderdale By The Sea each year.
Our new artificial reef will take some pressure off the natural reefs in
the area. And at the same time educate the public and create an appreciation
for underwater archeology.
The South Florida
Reef Research Team Inc. will be studying the permit site to determine if
there is an increase in marine life within it. SFRRT invites you
to help financially, as a volunteer, through educating the public, fund
raising or diving to collect long-term data.
2. FWC New Rules on Lobster Trap Sizes
They also approved a rule to allow importation
of spiny lobster tails into Florida during the closed season under certain
conditions. In addition, the Commission approved draft rules to allow
lobster fishermen to possess, up to one undersized lobster (short) per
trap on board their vessels, plus 50 more shorts, to attract legal-sized
lobsters into traps, provided the vessels meet live well requirements for
shorts. The draft rules also would require that wire-reinforced wooden
slat lobster traps have a maximum distance of 2 ¼ inches between
the wooden slats and that the slats have a minimum width of 1-¼
inches, beginning in 2003.
3. FWC Clarifies Boat Limits on Spiny Lobster
Other
lobster rule proposals include clarifying that when one or more persons
possessing the special recreational crawfish license is aboard a vessel,
the vessel bag limit is 50 lobsters, regardless of the number of licensed
persons aboard, and formalizing policy regarding untagged lobster trap
administrative penalties. A final hearing on these proposed rules will
take place during the FWC's next regular meeting in May.
The next regular FWC meeting will take place
May 29-31 in St. Augustine
4. Datura Street Beach Dive Report 3/22/02
Datura Street is one block South of Commercial
Blvd. It is widely reputed as the best beach dive in the Southeast. After
only diving the first reef I didn't agree. After diving the second reef
line I know understand why.
Check out all the photos of the diver here:
http://www.oocities.org/tiswango/0203datura/
Conditions:
Seas 1 foot
Winds NE 10-15 knots
Time 10:30 AM
Visibility 40 feet, best I've seen yet!
Bottom Time: 1 hour 42 minutes
Max Depth: 16 FSW
Water Temp: 77 degrees
Surface: 78 degrees
Team: Ralf, Nancy, and Matt
We kicked out
on our backs to the first reef line. I love the way the sands turns to
rock, then the rock to Swiss cheese with holes all over the place for fish
to hide in. The hard bottom turns back into sand. You have about a 50-75
feet to the second reef line. It was an easy 5-minute swim underwater.
I was AMAZED at all the coral formations. I need to start learning the
corals b/c there were some many different ones down there.
The highlight of
the trip for me was watching a Sand Diver get cleaned up by a group on
Neon Gobies. He had his month wide up and the gobies didn't miss a spot.
All three of us hung out watched for a while. We left and came back later
and the Sand Diver was still there. Nancy and I fought for the attention
of a Yellowtail Damselfish. Nancy also spotted a Porcupine Puffer hiding
out. I love its heart shaped eye.
On they way back
I stopped off at the Shipwreck Snorkel Trail and show a few photos. In
6 months once the canons grow some algae I think they are going to look
really cool. I don't know when the anchor will be put down? We have two
more cannons to place during Ocean Fest.
5. SOUTH FLORIDA REEF RESEARCH TEAM HISTORY
Divers
Wanted!
The South Florida
Reef Research Team (SFLRRT) was founded over 10 years ago to answer one
question. How is the ocean environment changing off Broward? County?
The people asking
this question were neither scientists nor marine biologists. They
were local recreational divers who wanted to understand more about the
ocean that they loved diving in.
After polling the
local scientific community a need became very apparent. No one was collecting
long term data about our favorite dive sites that we visited every week.
A team formed to
collect valuable research data on a quarterly basis at two selected sites,
a deep site and shallow site, just North of Commercial.
The divers record
fish surveys, water samples, and visibility and shoot a 20 frame photo
mosaic of the bottom to document changes in the area over the past three
months.
To continue this
valuable work we need divers willing to help collect this
Essential data.
Would you like to learn more about the reef
systems off Broward County?
Are you an experienced diver looking for a
new underwater challenge to master?
Would you like to dive and network with other
concerned divers who want to help protect the environment?
Please take the next step to learn more about
the South Florida Reef
Research Team. Come to our next meeting. Call
us on the Research Diver Hotline and look us up on the web.
Matthew Hoelscher
954.989.6361 Research Dive Hotline 954.430.3338
Team Coordinator: www.oocities.org/sflrrt
Education Coordinator: www.pbcrrt.org Member: www.toastmasters.org
www.h-heads.com www.savetheseaturtle.org www.oceanwatch.org
www.REEF.org
The
Town Of Lauderdale By The Sea along with The Marine Archaeological Council,
Inc. and the S.F.R.R.T. both non-profit 501C-3 organizations in conjunction
with Ocean Fest 2002, will place the 5th and final cannon at the site of
Broward County's newest artificial reef. After four years of working
with the various governmental bodies, we have received all the required
permits. For the last 2 months the construction has been on going.
The permits allow us to create an artificial reef consisting of anchors,
cannons and a ballast pile, (a pile of rocks that will represent the weights
used to keep wooden ships up right in rough seas). At the same time
these materials will increase clean hard bottom surface area for marine
habitat. This will be an "Artificial Reef", although it is also our intention
to create interest in underwater archaeology for snorkelers as well as
scuba divers. The purpose of this snorkel trail is to stimulate awareness
of the rich maritime heritage that lies off our shores. This is often
lost; due to improper preservation techniques and/or inadvertent removal
by people who are unaware of their historical significance. As discussed
with Army Corps of Engineers, Chuck Schnapple, due to gradation size, people
are what disturb the rubble at the Keys San Pedro shipwreck site. We have
cemented our rubble together to avoid this problem. This is just
another example however as to why the public needs to be educated.
Other
lobster rule proposals include clarifying that when one or more persons
possessing the special recreational crawfish license is aboard a vessel,
the vessel bag limit is 50 lobsters, regardless of the number of licensed
persons aboard, and formalizing policy regarding untagged lobster trap
administrative penalties. A final hearing on these proposed rules will
take place during the FWC's next regular meeting in May.
Divers
Wanted!