Lomboks Electric ReefsYour Body Underwater

Investigating Indias IslandsShark Societies

SD Issue 5/2014, AA N

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PPS 1473/11/2012(022874)

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SCIENCE IN DIVING

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SD Issue 5/2014, AA No. 79CONTENTS

Phot

o

Lia

Bar

rett

AUSTRALIA 34SOCIAL NETWORKINGBy Justin GilliganNew technology is shedding light on the intricacies of shark societies in Jervis Bay

BEYOND 18SCIENCE IN EDEN By Umeed Mistry and Tasneem Khan In Indias pristine Andaman Islands is a research station that supports interdisciplinary research, development, and conservation, whose doors are open to tourists looking for a diving experience that goes deeper

Destinations

ENCOUNTERS 26 REEFS ELECTRIC!By Sian WilliamsA little island in Indonesia is taking reef restoration to the next level, using renewable energy to power electric reefs that are resilient to bleaching DQGDFLGLFDWLRQ

CHILDREN OF THE SEA 40 By Pierre CousteauHarnessing the power of the people: How logging your dives can contribute to a vital body of research that is mapping the health of the ocean

BODY MATTERS 46 By Darja Tjioe and Alice GraingerThe science behind some of the weird ways our bodies react to being deep underwater, and what, if anything, we can do about them

FINDING YOUR INNER WHALE 42 By Darja Tjoe Human beings share an ancient UHH[ZLWKDOOPDPPDOVWKDWhints at our evolutionary connection to the deep-diving creatures of the ocean

FeaturesSTUCK IN REVERSE 54By Imran AhmedGetting things back-to-front and just right for more than just PDJQLFDWLRQ5HYHUVH5LQJMacro looks like its here to stay

Find Alert Diver facing page 64, packed with essential information from the Divers $OHUW1HWZRUN$VLD3DFLFWKHexperts in dive safety, training and accident management

Through The Lens

On the CoverDuring the underwater3some Expedition, 2014, Aaron Wong captures Pierre-Yves Cousteau contemplating the waters of the Maldives

Image Aaron Wong All Rights Reserved

Who among us didnt want to be an intrepid, shark-whispering marine biologist when we grew up? Well apparently its never too late if you want to get involved in some underwater VFLHQFHLWVDOPRVWDVHDV\DVGRQQLQJ\RXUWDQNDQGQV

As weve found out, getting up-close and personal with cute and sociable sharks, venturing out to a remote research station in the wild Andaman Islands, or using your diving skills to EXLOGHOHFWULHGFRUDOUHHIVDUHMXVWsome of the ways that divers are taking their underwater adventures that little bit deeper, and getting in touch with WKHLULQQHUPDGVFLHQWLVW

But science in diving doesnt stop DWUHVHDUFKDQGFRQVHUYDWLRQ$OOOLIHcame from the water, and our bodies physiological responses to being deep within it reminds us of this fact in the PRVWH[WUDRUGLQDU\ZD\V

Science also holds the answers to some of the unmentionable issues LQYROYHGLQWKLVJODPRURXVVSRUW/LNHZK\RXUEODGGHUVLQYDULDEO\OOup half way through a dive and why nitrogen can make deep diving a little ELWDGGLFWLYH

There are many ways to have fun underwater, and it looks like getting serious is one of them: Science XQGHUZDWHUFDQEHVHULRXVIXQ +HUHVKRZ

FROM THE EDITOR

Editor

S C U B A P R O . C OM

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EVERFLEX WETSUITSuited for the extraordinary.

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SDAA

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We all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins, the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came.John F. Kennedy, Americas Cup Opening Speech, September 14, 1962

To me the sea is a continual miracle;7KHVKHVWKDWVZLPWKHURFNVWKHPRWLRQRIthe waves the ships, with men in them,What stranger miracles are there?Walt Whitman, excerpt from Miracles, 1856

It was during and after the Second World War that the great expansion [in oceanography], which is still going on, began. The realisation by governments of the importance of marine problems and their readiness to make money available for research, the growth in the number of scientists at work and the increasing VRSKLVWLFDWLRQRIVFLHQWLFHTXLSPHQWKDYHmade it feasible to study the ocean on a scale and to a degree of complexity never attempted and never possible before.... As man increasingly overcrowds and exploits his tiny planet, the VLJQLFDQFHRIWKHRFHDQVZKLFKFRYHUVHYHQtenths of its surface have suddenly become apparent.

Margaret Deacon, Scientists and the Sea, 16501900, 1971

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MOALBOAL, CEBU, PHILIPPINESBy Victor Tang The resident sardine shoal at Pescador Island has been enthralling scuba divers for years. This wonder of nature has since moved and now lives right on the Moalboal shoreline, making them even more accessible than before.

Hovering in their midst, swaying to their pulse as they evade their omnipresent predators, brings a diver right into the heart of the majesty of our oceans.

Pulse of the Ocean

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BANCO DI SANTA CROCE, SORRENTO, ITALYBy Pietro CremoneI was diving at my favourite site, shooting macro. I found a wonderful wall completely covered by these stunning sea RZHUVZKLFK,KDGDOZD\Vshot in a traditional manner. But I was in the mood to try VRPHWKLQJGLHUHQWVR,decided to open up my aperture WRJHWDVRIWERNHKHHFWSometimes the most common shots can give you great satisfaction, especially if you decide to try something new

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UMKOMAAS, KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICABy Gianluca Afflitti This was one of those lucky days. Diving in the clear, winter waters, the noise of P\DVKDWWUDFWHGWKLVGXVN\grouper, who came over, unafraid, seemingly with WKHLQWHQWLRQRIWDVWLQJP\equipment.

Making Contact

This curious and LQWHUDFWLYHVKZDVVRKDSS\to pose for me, it seemed almost vain! We were in almost constant contact, and getting some distance to try to get all of him in the frame became really problematic.

www.seacam.com

cinema of dreams

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By Umeed Mistry and Tasneem Khan

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SCIENCE IN EDEN

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Exploration or fantasy? Documenting volcanic underwater caves, pillars and walls and the life they harbour at The Grotto, on Barren Island Image Umeed Mistry

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The secret life of sea fans: In Havelock Island a spectacular palette of colour presents a wide range of data for documentation by researchers in the regionImage Umeed Mistry

A crinoid perched on the edge of a steep drop-off on Barren Island. Commonly known as feather stars, these seemingly passive filter feeders position themselves strategically to draw nutrients from the current Image Tasneem Khan

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2. Life is abundant in the deep blue. In the waters of Barren Island, an oceanic manta ray, as curious as the Homo sapienImage Tasneem Khan

1. In a stunning piece of natural art, fringing mangroves stand against another stunning island sunset at Eastern Mayabunder, Middle Andaman IslandImage Tasneem Khan

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NAVIGATOR *HWWLQJWKHre: Port Blair, the capital city of the is connected to mainland India by air and sea. There are multiple daily flights from Chennai and Calcutta with Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways or Indian Airlines.

The ANET base in Wandoor (South Andaman Island) is a 26 km drive from the capital city of Port Blair. Taxis and local buses ply this route regularly. Buses leave Port Blair for Wandoor every half an hour and stop. The ANET base is a 10 to 15 minute walk down the single road that leads to the North Wandoor beach. Contact ANET if you require assistance.

(TXLSPHQWDQGWUDLQLQJMany sites in the Andaman Islands have strong currents through the year.

Most dive operators in the Andamans have supervised dive groups led by certified dive-masters. Solo diving and diving in unguided buddy pairs is not the norm. Many of the sites that see the most action average a max dive depth of 2528 metres. Well maintained, state-of-the-art dive equipment is easily available for rent from most

Diversity, interaction and action. At Twins Island in South Andamans, a breathtaking variety of coral, huge numbers of fusiliers and countless invertebrate life formsImage Umeed Mistry

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dive operators. Due to the 15kg baggage allowance on domestic flights into Port Blair, most divers choose to bring their snorkelling gear and camera equipment and rent diving equipment.

%HVWWLPHWRGLYHSeptember to November is pleasant with rising daytime temperatures, and occasional, short rain showers. This is a good time to dive the Andamans. March to May is the hottest time on the islands with afternoon temperatures soaring to around 36 degrees C. This is also when the sea is most calm and clear and is the best time to dive. Liveaboard trips to further sites like Barren and Narcondam Island are scheduled only from Jan to May.

0RUHLQIRUPDWLRQVisitors holding an Indian passport do not need a permit to visit or stay in the municipal areas of islands in the Andaman stretch, and can do so for an unlimited amount of time.

Foreigners visiting India require an Indian visa to enter the country. Additionally, non-Indians visiting the Andaman Islands require a Restricted Area Permit (RAP). The RAP is provided to visitors upon entry at the airport in Port Blair, or at the port of embarkation of ships leaving the mainland. The process takes about 20 minutes and requires a valid passport and Indian visa. The RAP is issued for a 30-day stay in the municipal areas of the Andaman Islands. Non-municipal areas of the Andaman Islands and almost all of the Nicobar Islands are reserved under the jurisdiction of either the Forest Department or the Tribal Welfare Department. In general, foreigners are not issued permits to visit and stay in these areas. Indian citizens conducting research, education or social-welfare programmes must apply for explicit permissions from the relevant departments in order to spend time in reserved areas.

To learn more about ANET or to arrange a stay or a research project please visit www.anetindia.org.

New beginnings by the edge of the sea. A black-naped tern hatching on a rocky oceanic outcrop off Straight Island, South AndamansImage Tasneem Khan

Tasneem Khan, beyond being the director of ANET, is an avid diver and wildlife photographer who believes that effective conservation is best achieved by the synergy between science, education, governance & community participation. It is this approach that has led to the scope of work ANET does today.

Umeed Mistry is a PADI Staff Instructor and wildlife photographer who has been diving the Indian Ocean for the last 18 years.

His work with ANET is based on the belief that only when people are touched by something will they make the effort to preserve it.

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By Sian Willams

In Lombok, they are catapulting reef restoration into the 21st century, with basic chemistry, solar panels and a little bit of manpower.

REEFS ELECTRIC!

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Vibrant anemones and a wide variety of anemonefish are just some of the spectacular residents of the waters around the Gilis that are benefitting from Biorock technologyImage Vinny Turner

Only an hour and a half by fast boat from Bali, Indonesia, Lomboks northern islands, or Gilis, are still MXVWRWKHEHDWHQWUDFNGHVSLWHWKHLULQFUHDVLQJSRSXODULW\with backpackers, honeymooners and travellers looking to get away from it all.

No more than seven kilometres wide, Gili Trawangan is a place where Lomboks traditions merge with Western style boutique shops, where bamboo beach bars sit next to trendy cafs, and basic bungalows share their sandy ODQHVZLWKYHVWDUYLOODV1RFDUVPRWRUELNHVRUGRJVDUHallowed on the island, making this small patch of sand a quiet and natural tropical paradise. Yet this island getaway is also the location of one of the worlds most intensive DQGIXWXULVWLFUHHIUHVWRUDWLRQSURJUDPPHVWKH*LOLVDUHnow home to a staggering total of 119 electric reefs one of which is solar powered.

PARADISE ALMOST LOSTIndonesias waters are full of life and colour; the collision RIWKH,QGLDQDQG3DFLF2FHDQVUHVXOWVLQDZHDOWKRIVKDQGFRUDOGLYHUVLW\DQGWKHGLYLQJLQ,QGRQHVLDLVconsidered by many to be the best in the world. Yet in PDQ\SODFHVGHVWUXFWLYHVKLQJSUDFWLFHVFRPELQHGwith El Nio cycles, have caused enormous damage to Indonesias underwater heritage.

Lomboks three famous northern Gilis sit closely, side by side. Huge volumes of water rush between them, creating incredibly strong currents that bring with them an abundance of life. Here, it is possible to see some of almost HYHU\WKLQJWKDWGLYLQJLQ,QGRQHVLDKDVWRRHUIURPvibrant nudibranchs and tiny pygmy seahorses to large reef sharks, thriving populations of turtles, and transient mantas. In the shallows, there are gardens of hard and soft corals, and endangered hawksbill and green turtles being FOHDQHGE\VPDOOEXWWHU\VKDQGFOHDQHUZUDVVH'HHSHUwaters harbour resident whitetip reef sharks, and, during the full moon, the reefs are subjected to the boisterous DWWHQWLRQVRIDVFKRRORIEXPSKHDGSDUURWVKZKLFKOLNHan otherworldly herd of cows, graze on the corals and play amongst the bubbles of divers.

Yet the Gilis also bear their share of scars. For many \HDUVWKH\ZHUHVKHGXVLQJG\QDPLWHDQGLQVRPH

Here it is possible to see some of almost everything that diving in Indonesia has WRRHUIURPWLQ\S\JP\seahorses to large reef sharks.

SCIENCE TO THE RESCUE,Q'HOSKLQH5REEHDQGWKH*LOL(FR7UXVWVHWRXWWRchange this, to rebuild the areas marine biodiversity and biomass, starting at the very foundation of life in the ocean and restoring the islands coral reefs. Teaming up with FRUDOHFRORJLVWIRXQGHURIWKH*OREDO&RUDO5HHI$OOLDQFHDQGFUHDWRURI%LRURFNUHHIUHVWRUDWLRQWHFKQRORJ\'U7KRPDV-*RUHDXWKH\FUHDWHGWKHUVWOLYLQJDUWLFLDOreefs in the Gilis.

Biorock reefs are steel structures that employ the principles of electrolysis a process by which electrical currents cause substances present in a liquid to come out of solution. Electrolysis requires one positively charged electrode, the anode, and one negatively charged electrode, the cathode. When a positively charged anode and a negatively charged cathode are suspended in seawater DQGDQHOHFWULFFXUUHQWRZVEHWZHHQWKHPFDOFLXPLRQVcombine with carbonate ions and form calcium carbonate, which adheres to the cathode. $%LRURFNVVWHHOVWUXFWXUHLVHVVHQWLDOO\DFDWKRGH

DQGRQFHWKHFXUUHQWVWDUWVWRRZLWVRRQEHFRPHVcovered in calcium carbonate, or limestone, a mineral that has literally crystallised out of the water. This mineral is almost identical to the substance that forms coral skeletons, and is an ideal substrate for corals to colonise.

Biorock structures can be covered with coral fragments that have been detached from their mother reefs due to storm action, or that have been grown for the purpose. 2QFHFRORQLHVWDNHKROGRQWKHVWUXFWXUHWKHLUVNHOHWDO

Corals planted on these structures can grow up to six times faster than corals in the surrounding area, and have also been shown to be a lot hardier.

SODFHV\RXFDQVWLOOQGSDWFKHVRIFRUDOUXEEOHRQZKLFKQRWKLQJZLOOJURZ5XEEOHVKLIWVZLWKWKHFXUUHQWVDQGwaves, making recolonisation by coral recruits very GLFXOW:LWKRXWKHOSWKHVHUHHIVFRXOGWDNHPDQ\GHFDGHVRUPRUHWRUHFRYHU2QODQGWKHHHFWVRIWKLVannihilation can be seen with beaches eroding away, KDYLQJORVWWKHLUHVVHQWLDORVKRUHSURWHFWLRQIURPZDYHaction the coral reefs.

Installing Biorocks takes training, a team of volunteers, and a certain degree of physical abilityImage Steve Woods

The Biorock project engages and mobilises a large cross-section of the diverse community of the Gilis. This structure was installed in 2006Image Wolf Hilzberg/ Gili Eco Trust

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growth is also supported. This means that more energy can be devoted to reproduction, and to resisting stressors.$VWLPHJRHVRQWKHVWUXFWXUHPDWXUHVDQGGHYHORSV

coral colonies lend increasing structural complexity and WKHUHHIGHYHORSVLQWRDSDUDGLVHIRUVKWRLQKDELWIRUfeeding, shelter and reproduction. Corals planted on these structures can grow up to six times faster than corals in the surrounding area and have also been shown to be a lot hardier. Every year, seasonally warm waters raise the VHDWHPSHUDWXUHDURXQG*LOLVWRRYHU&IRUH[WHQGHGperiods of time. The corals on the Biorocks have proven to be a lot less susceptible to stress and bleaching than other reefs around the Gilis. %XWWKHSRVLWLYHHHFWVRIWKLVWHFKQRORJ\GRQRWVHHP

to be localised. Not only does the mild electric current stimulate the growth of corals attached to the structures, LWVHHPVWKDWZLWKLQDHOGRIXSWRPHWUHVDURXQGHDFK%LRURFNRWKHUFRUDOVEHQHW,QWKH*LOLVSUHYLRXVO\uninhabited slopes surrounding the structures have QRZEHFRPHODYLVKFRUDOJDUGHQV$QGMXVWOLNHQDWXUDOcoral reefs, Biorock reefs are also extremely successful in

After only a few days a layer of calcium carbonate develops, coating the steel structure and providing an ideal substrate for coral recruits Image Foued Kaddachi

ENCOUNTERS

LPSRUWDQWO\WKLVZDVWREHWKHYHU\UVWVRODUSRZHUHGSHUFHQWVXVWDLQDEOH%LRURFNUHHI

Floating on a pontoon four metres above the structures are two large solar panels, enough to power the whole reef, as well as a few other structures that were installed some \HDUVDJR7KHUHVXOWVDUHDVWRQLVKLQJ$IWHUMXVWRQHZHHNof being hooked up to the solar panels, limestone accretion was visible as a thick, healthy white layer covering the rebar the perfect substrate for our transplanted corals to cement to. 7KHUHHILVWKULYLQJZLWKLQDIHZVKRUWPRQWKV$

VFKRRORIUHVLGHQWMXYHQLOHEDWVKQRZIROORZV\RXDURXQGFXULRXVO\ZKLOHUD]RUVKGDUWLQDQGRXWEHWZHHQWKHUHEDUDQGOD]\WXUWOHVEURZVHWKHDOJDHVHOHFWLRQ$WQLJKWKXJHSXHUVUHVWRQWRSRIWKHVWUXFWXUHVDQGPRUD\VKXQWLQbetween the bars. Crabs can be seen crawling all over the VLWHDQGOLWWOHRXQGHUVGRWKHLUEHVWQRWWREHVHHQDWDOO1RWRQO\LV0DQWD5HHIQRZDSHUIHFWKRPHIRUVRPH

RQFHVWUHVVHGEURNHQFRUDOVEXWLWLVDOVRDQHGXFDWLRQDOsnorkelling site. Big slates with messages of how to take care of and protect the ocean were donated by various

dissipating wave and current energy, and are helping to stem coastal erosion beaches are returning.

The reefs around the Gilis now demonstrate areas of DEVROXWHO\SULVWLQHFRUDOVDQGDKHDOWK\DEXQGDQFHRIVKspecies. There is still an ongoing campaign to turn the *LOLVLQWRD0DULQH3URWHFWHG$UHDDQGZLWKJRRGUHDVRQ large areas of the reefs here are covered with a rare type of blue coral, found in few other places in the world in such healthy abundance.

GREEN REEFSEven though the reefs around Gilis are healthy, colourful and diverse, growing development on the islands has led to an increase in anchoring and associated damage, DQGDQHYHUJUHDWHUQHHGIRUUHVWRUDWLRQSURMHFWVVXFKDV%LRURFN,QUHFHQW\HDUVWKHZDUPFOHDUVKOOHGZDWHUVhave led to an incredible boom in the dive industry here. Slowly, more and more people are beginning to catch on WKDWWKHUHLVIDQWDVWLF\HWKDVVOHIUHHGLYLQJULJKWRWKHbeach. Protecting the natural resource that underpins this industry is vital.

I had intended to visit Gili Trawangan for about six ZHHNVDIWHUQGLQJRXWDERXWWKH%LRURFN5HHI5HVWRUDWLRQ3URJUDPPHFDUULHGRXWWKURXJK7UDZDQJDQ'LYHDQGthe Gili Eco Trust. But after completing my two weeks of training, learning how the Biorock technology works and how successful the project has been around the Gilis, I swiftly made it my aim to stay and volunteer for as long as possible.

To enrol on this reef restoration course, students QHHGOLWWOHRUQRNQRZOHGJHRI%LRURFNRUDQ\VFLHQWLFEDFNJURXQGIRUWKDWPDWWHU$OOWKH\QHHGLVDKHDOWK\GHVLUHWRJLYHVRPHWKLQJEDFNWRWKHRFHDQ,QWKHUVWZHHNZHWUDLQHGLQFRUDOLGHQWLFDWLRQDQGOHDUQHGKRZto recognise a whole variety of sponges, algae, fans and feather stars. In the second week we began the gruelling task of designing, measuring, cutting and welding locally sourced steel in the heat of a tropical rainy season. We installed 32 Biorocks, which, when put in place, created the form of a huge manta ray. Creative, yes, but, more

2. Colourful macro critters take up residence in and around the Biorocks, such as this tiny glass anemone shrimp, Periclimenes brevicarpalisImage Vinny Turner

1. Hawksbill and green turtles (such as this one) are unusually abundant on almost all the dive sites around the Gilis. Divers regularly report sightings of more than 10 per dive on some sites Image Vinny Turner

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organisations and secured to the structures. Being very shallow, they are perfectly accessible to snorkellers, and serve as a fully interactive lesson on how to protect our oceans and how successful reef restoration can be.7KH*LOLVUVW%LRURFNVDUHQRZZHOOHVWDEOLVKHGGLYH

sites for drift and night dives, and for photography and PDFURHQWKXVLDVWV$VORQJDVWKHVXQVKLQHVRQWKH*LOLV0DQWD5HHIZLOODOVRFRQWLQXHWRJURZDQGLWVWUDQVSODQWHGcorals will reproduce and spread out, colonising the VXUURXQGLQJUHHIVZHOFRPLQJPRUHVKDQGLQYHUWHEUDWHVto inhabit its safe, shady crevices.

There are plans in place to develop technologies that will allow the further harvesting of green energy, with designs in the pipeline that will harness the power of ocean currents and tidal power to create more sustainable Biorock reefs in the future.

With many years of hard work and determination, the Gili Eco Trust, countless volunteers, organisations and businesses have now helped to sink a total of 119 successful Biorock structures in the waters around Lomboks northern Gilis, making this the largest area of thriving %LRURFNUHHIVLQWKHZRUOG:LWKDQDYHUDJHRIIRXUWRYH

new Biorock structures being constructed every year, the hope is that one day the stunning reefs surrounding these LVODQGVZLOOVHWWKHVWDQGDUGIRUVXFFHVVIXOORQJWHUPUHHIregeneration. SDAA

Curious and interactive batfish, Platax sp., are accustomed to divers in the Gilis waters and make for engaging encountersImage Steve Woods

Home to charismatic schooling fish such as jacks and these barracuda, the diving in the Gilis has something for everyoneImage Steve Woods

Sian Williams is a PADI Instructor and Speciality Instructor for the PADI Introduction to Biorock Process, a course that is taught through Trawangan Dive on Gili as a two-week restoration programme or a one-day specialty. Sian is originally from England and has been passionately involved in diving and marine conservation for the past nine years.

ENCOUNTERS

NAVIGATOR Getting there: You can get to the Gilis via Bali or by flying directly into Lombok from Jakarta. A number of fast boats leave from Balis Padangbai, Nusa Lembongan and Sanur; some of them go via Senggigi. The fast boats take around an hour and half. If youre arriving in to Mataram, you will need to take a bus to Pemenang and from there take a cidomo (horse drawn cart) to Bangsal harbor. Public boats from Bangsal harbour to the Gilis run between 8am and 5pm every day, and only leave when they are full.

Equipment and training: Diving in the Gilis is suitable for every level, with a number of IDC centres offering courses up to Instructor. To take part in the Biorock workshops divers should be Advanced Open Water certified or higher.

Best time to dive: Water stays a warm 28C and above year round and between the months of March of May the visibility can reach up to 40 metres. Currents are stronger from July to September in the dry season, bringing sharks and schools of pelagic trevally and barracuda. August winds bring waves perfect for surfers.

More information:To find out more on the Biorock workshops, or the one day PADI Biorock Speciality course, contact info@trawangandive.com

PREPARED FOR THE HEAT?Since 1998, increased wind speeds over the worlds oceans have been pumping the heat caused by global warming into the deep sea, so we have not yet felt its effect. The moment that mixing slows down, there will be a dramatic increase in surface temperatures.

We have also not had an El Nio event since 1998, and, since they normally occur roughly every 46 years, we are 10 to 12 years overdue for one. The next El Nio event will cause a significant jump in temperature in many places, and severe coral bleaching mortality. Ever since 1998 we have been stuck in a prolonged sort of La Nia mode, the opposite phase to El Nio. The two are often confused. The 20102011 La Nia was so strong that global ocean levels actually fell slightly, undoing global sea level rise for a year.

The whole cycle has been in a very strange mixed mode, with very warm water in the Northeast Equatorial Pacific and cold water in the Southeast Equatorial Pacific, but in the last month the latter has dramatically warmed up, and I think all the physical oceanographers now agree that a strong El Nio is developing. We will probably start to see its full effect later this year and early next year.

Places that have failed to prepare in advance, by building high-temperature resistant Biorock Coral Arks, will likely lose most of their remaining corals to inevitable global warming much sooner than they expect. Gili Trawangan, and other places that have invested in Biorock Coral Arks, will see the benefits as the water starts to get hot again their corals are growing faster, are more resistant to high temperatures, and will have much higher chances of survival.

Dr. Tom Goreau, creator of Biorock restoration technology

Corals on the Biorocks grow around six times faster than they do without the technology. Mature Biorock structures in the Gilis are now well-established reefsImage Alexandra JernbergSDAA

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&URZGVRIPHWUHORQJVKDUNVOLHPRWLRQOHVVRQWKHVHDRRUwithin gutters etched into the rocky reef. Some are piled up under overhangs, others are lying isolated and out in the open. Beneath a waving frond of kelp, one of them raises LWVKHDGDQGSLYRWVXSZDUGRQDSDLURISHFWRUDOQV:LWKa few beats of its club-like tail it propels forward revealing DSHQFLOVL]HGF\OLQGULFDOGHYLFHDWWDFKHGWRLWVDQN

A diver motions forward to grab the shark. He catches it by placing one hand on the back of its head, and the other around the tail. It struggles and bucks back and IRXUWKEHIRUHQDOO\DGPLWWLQJGHIHDWDQGDOORZLQJWKHdiver to swim it up to the small canoe waiting above.

Yes, this is the recapture we are after! the diver exclaims, as he hits the surface. This is Nathan Bass, a

By Justin Gilligan

Taking sneaky peeks into shark societies with cutting edge technology is revealing that when it comes to UHODWLRQVKLSVIRUVRPHRIWKHVHVKHVits complicated.

SOCIAL NETWORKING

PhD candidate with Macquarie University, who is studying the social networks of Port Jackson sharks in New South :DOHV$XVWUDOLD

He passes the shark up to the team in the canoe. They work methodically to gather as much data as they can in as a short a time as possible, to limit any undue stress on the animal.

The shark is measured from the tip of the snout to the XSSHUOREHRILWVGRUVDOQEHIRUHEHLQJSODFHGJHQWO\LQDbag and hoisted into the air to be weighed the average size of a male Port Jackson is 95 centimetres and six kilos, while the females are slightly larger at 120 centimetres and 14 kilos.

The team collect a tissue sample for DNA analysis, and UHFRUGDOOWKHGDWDDQGWKHXQLTXHLGHQWLFDWLRQQXPEHUon the orange tag attached to its tail. Finally, the receiving device that drew Nathan to this particular Port Jackson is removed, and the shark is released back into the sea at the survey site.

Each interaction with these gentle sharks occurs with the utmost care. The team works within the constraints of strict animal care and ethics guidelines to ensure minimal impact on the shark during the encounter. Each step RIWKHVFLHQWLFSURFHVVLVFDOFXODWHGDQGSHUIRUPHGE\researchers with a passion for shark conservation.

AUSTRALIA

There were so many sharks there it was unbelievable, hundreds of them were all sitting there RQWKHVHDRRU

HANDS ON IN AN UNDERWATER HEAVENIts Nathans second winter studying the sharks, which are endemic to southern Australia. Like all sharks of the primitive order Heterodomtiformes, or horn sharks, the Port Jackson has a blunt-shaped head and spines on the OHDGLQJHGJHRIWKHWZRGRUVDOQV

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Eager to assist with the research is an enthusiastic troop of volunteers hoping to get hands-on with a wild shark. Many of them have their own marine post-graduate research projects, while others are just keen to get involved. Once properly trained, the volunteers have the RSSRUWXQLW\WRSDUWLFLSDWHLQDOODVSHFWVRIWKHHOGZRUN

Its the perfect project for budding marine scientists WRKRQHWKHLUGLYLQJDQGHOGVNLOOVZKLFKFDQWKHQapplied to their own projects. The volunteers spend a lot of time in the water, making up to four dives a day DWWKHVWXG\VLWHVDQGVRPHWLPHVIXUWKHUDHOGGXULQJexploratory excursions. ,WVDQDPD]LQJH[SHULHQFHVD\V-R:LV]QLHZVNLWKH

Research and Conservation coordinator for the Taronga Conservation Society Australia and co-supervisor of this SURMHFW$OOWKHVKDUNVKDYHGLHUHQWSHUVRQDOLWLHVVRPHcome quietly to the surface, while others can be feisty and whip around, she says.

Jos own PhD examined the social networks of dolphins. These two projects are quite similar in that they are both asking questions about the social relationships ZLWKLQDSRSXODWLRQDQGWKHIDFWRUVWKDWLQXHQFHWKRVHrelationships, she says.:HNQHZWKDWVRFLDOUHODWLRQVKLSVH[LVWHGDPRQJVW

the dolphins, so we were looking more at the long-term changes and the stability of those relationships, says Jo. Because dolphins are well studied, we then wanted to move on to sharks, as there has been limited research in WKLVHOG

RECORDING PROXIMITY:HDUHWU\LQJWRGHPRQVWUDWHKRZWKHVKDUNVLQWHUDFWNathan says. The social structure of a population is closely connected to their behaviour, ecology, and evolution.

To do so, the team are using proximity receivers, a new, acoustic technology that records and stores information

Its the perfect project for budding marine scientists to hone their diving and HOGVNLOOVPDNLQJXSto four dives a day at the study sites

Macquarie University researcher Nathan Bass releases a tagged Port Jackson back into the wild.Each shark is handled very carefully, with volunteers adhering to strict guidelines to minimise stress and negative impact on the animals

Diverse, colourful species inhabit the temperate waters of Jervis Bay, including these firebrick sea stars, Asterodiscides truncatus

Hawksbill turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata, are another of the many draws for divers visiting this little patch of New South Wales coast

AUSTRALIA

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MATTERS OF SIZE, SEX AND SURVIVALPreliminary results in the Port Jackson study already hint that the sharks do exhibit complex social behaviour and that individuals form stable social bonds.

During the breeding season they have a limited home range and tend to organise themselves by size, but not sex. Female sharks also tend to interact with one another and avoid the males, while the males tend to direct their interaction towards the females. According to Nathan, these results suggest that the males are looking to reproduce, while the female are trying to avoid the harassment.

A key potential of using this technology is in determining the connections between social structure, segregation and habitat usage information which can ultimately contribute to their management, says Nathan. By understanding the formation of shark aggregations and shark society, we will learn how to better manage shark populations and maintain healthy marine ecosystems.

Although Port Jackson sharks are not targeted by FRPPHUFLDODQGUHFUHDWLRQDOVKHULHVWKH\DUHFRPPRQO\FDXJKWDVE\FDWFKLQVHYHUDOVKHULHV,WLVLPSRUWDQWto adequately manage these aggregations as their life history characteristics make them along with other shark species highly susceptible to overexploitation.

about encounters with other acoustically tagged sharks. %\UHFRUGLQJWKHGDWHWLPHDQGDQLGHQWLFDWLRQQXPEHUresearch on interactions can take place without human interference, and over a continuous, extended period of time. For this relatively small and slow-moving species the recording distance is set at four body lengths (four metres), but it is possible to adjust the distance at which proximal receivers are detected and information is exchanged, to suit larger and more mobile species.

The Port Jackson is the perfect species to study applications of these proximity receivers. There are plenty of them, they are easy to handle, and really hardy, Nathan says.:LWKHDFKSUR[LPLW\UHFHLYHUZHQGZHFDQDGG

another piece to the puzzle. Its just a matter of locating the sharks again so we can download the data.

By combining the proximity receiver data with other tried and tested acoustic technologies (including continuous acoustic tags and receiving stations strategically placed around the survey sites) Nathan aims to demonstrate that the sharks form social relationships, and then determine what functions these relationships have.

A range of morphometric measurements, such as total length are recorded from each shark before release

Volunteers learn and develop skills that they will use in their own research projects later in their careers. Marie-Claire Demers, a research volunteer from the University of Wollongong, prepares to release a Port Jackson from shore

2. Omni-directional ultrasonic receivers are used to record the identification number, along with arrival and departure times when tagged sharks swim within range of the receiver

1. Along with the proximity receivers and acoustic tags, passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags are used to distinguish individual sharks when they are re-captured

21

Justin Gilligan is a marine scientist and regular contributor to Scuba Diver. More of his work can be seen at www.justingilligan.com.

NAVIGATOR Getting there: Huskisson is the main gateway to Jervis Bay and is a two-and-a-half hour drive south from Sydney international Airport.

Equipment and training: An open water dive certification is the minimum requirement to assist with this research.

Best time to dive: Port Jackson sharks inhabit shallow coastal waters during the winter months (JuneAugust). At this time of year the average visibility is 20 metres with 18C water temperature.

Diving conditions vary from day to day. Visibility changes with the tide, wind and prevailing weather conditions, and varies from 40 metres, to within arms reach. Water temperatures fluctuate between 16 and 22C.

More information:Contact Nathan Bass nathan.bass@students.mq.edu.au

Once proven, this technology can also be applied to more threatened shark populations.6KDUNVKDYHDVLJQLFDQWLQXHQFHRQWKHPDULQH

ecosystem and stimulate the global economy through PDULQHHFRWRXULVPDQGVKHULHV7KHLQIRUPDWLRQobtained from projects such as this will have important implications for the management and conservation of sharks into the future. SDAA

AUSTRALIA

An invitation from Pierre-Yves Cousteau

CHILDREN OF THE SEA

When I was nine years old, my father strapped a scuba WDQNWRP\EDFNDQGWRRNPHGLYLQJIRUWKHUVWWLPH/LNHPRVWSHRSOHGR,SDQLFNHGZKHQ,KDGWRWDNHRP\PDVNIRUWKHUVWWLPH6LQFHWKHQ,KDYHGLYHGDWKRXVDQGWLPHVLQDOPRVWHYHU\VHDRIWKHSODQHW(YHU\WLPHP\YLVFHUDOconnection to the ocean is strengthened, my intuitive XQGHUVWDQGLQJRIWKHVHFRPSOH[HFRV\VWHPVLVVKDUSHQHGAnd every time, about 35 minutes into the dive, I am submerged in a feeling of bliss and belonging that seems WRZKLVSHU6WD\KHUHDVLIDORQJHYDSRUDWHGGURSRIWKHVHDKDGUHWXUQHGWRYLVLWRQO\IRUDZKLOH$VLPLODUfeeling to meeting a loved one who has passed away, in a GUHDP$VLIWKHWUXWKLQWKLVOLIHZDVQRWLQVHSDUDWLRQEXWLQXQLW\

I am writing these lines from the sunny shores of Raja $PSDWWRWKHIDUHDVWRIWKH,QGRQHVLDQDUFKLSHODJR+HUHNature is lush and exuberant, both on land and beneath WKHPLUURULQJVXUIDFHRIWKHVHD2QP\UHFHQWGLYHV,KDYHUHFRJQLVHGZKDW,FDOOWKHOD\HUHGVNLQVRIWKHUHHI$URXQGWKHFRORXUIXOO\FKDRWLFFRUDOUHHIVFORXGVRIWLQ\VKexpand and contract as larger predators zip by, like a heart, EHDWLQJWRDP\VWHULRXVDQGXQSUHGLFWDEOHUK\WKP)XUWKHURXWOLHVDFRQFHQWULFOD\HURIODUJHUVKDQLQWHUIDFHEHWZHHQWKLVHFRV\VWHPDQGWKHGHHSEOXHVHD,QGLYLGXDOVwho form this outer shell regularly migrate down to the UHHIDQGWKHQEDFNWRWKHLUVFKRRO,FDQQRWKHOSEXWVHHthis entire system as a living cell, with its living membrane DQGFRPPXWLQJSURWHLQV

TURNING PASSION INTO ACTION)URPWKHPLFURVFRSLFGLDWRPVRIWKHVHDWRVSDFHVWDWLRQVDQGGLVWDQWJDOD[LHVWKHUHLVRQO\RQHVWHSXV7KHOLIHsupport systems that keep astronauts alive mimic the VHUYLFHVUHQGHUHGE\WKHHFRV\VWHPVRQ(DUWKIRURYHUELOOLRQ\HDUV7KHR[\JHQLQWKHDLU\RXDUHEUHDWKLQJZKLOHreading this text, the ozone layer that protects us from solar radiation, the luxuriance of Nature that nourishes RXUZHOOEHLQJDOOFUHDWHGDQGPDLQWDLQHGE\/LIHVLQFHLWVRULJLQVWLOOP\VWHULRXV

Under the pressure of overpopulation, the services Nature provides us are at risk, which could have disastrous HFRQRPLFDQGVRFLDOFRQVHTXHQFHV,WLVDQLQYLWDWLRQWRinnovate and create, and perhaps to explore the deeper PHDQLQJRIKDSSLQHVV3HRSOHSURWHFWZKDWWKH\ORYH7KDWLVZK\,FUHDWHG

Cousteau Divers: an international network of divers who ZDQWWRWXUQWKHLUSDVVLRQLQWRDFWLRQ7KHSURJUDPPHKDVseveral purposes: to raise the awareness of recreational users of the sea of its fragility and to empower them to help study and protect it, making each diver an agent of the VWXG\DQGFRQVHUYDWLRQRIWKHDTXDWLFUHDOP

Cousteau Divers is my way of bringing my fathers ZRUNLQWRWKHSUHVHQWDQGIXWXUH0\IDWKHUVDPD]LQJwork raised awareness of millions of people worldwide WRHQYLURQPHQWDOLVVXHV:LWK&RXVWHDX'LYHUV,ZDQWWRactivate those people into becoming actively involved in PDULQHFRQVHUYDWLRQ

EUROPEAN HANDMADE, QUALITY, RELIABILITY...

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CITIZEN SCIENCECousteau Divers has a wide range of activities, structured DURXQG WKUHH PDMRU D[HV 6FLHQFH &RPPXQLW\ DQG0XOWLPHGLD DQG RQH ZRUG ,QWHUDFWLYLW\ 7KH PDLQ IRFXVat this stage is to harness the power of the hundreds of thousands of recreational divers around the world to engage with us through a revolutionary citizen science LQLWLDWLYH*HWWLQJ LQYROYHG LV HDV\ %DVHG RQ PHWKRGV WKDW DUH

as simple as observing aquatic life you encounter and then logging your dives, you, and any recreational diver, can contribute to a global monitoring programme of WKH RFHDQV %\ FROOHFWLQJ DQG FROODWLQJ \RXU XQGHUZDWHUobservations, we will be able to establish a near real-time GLDJQRVLV RI WKH KHDOWK RI FRDVWDO HFRV\VWHPV -RLQLQJCousteau Divers is the beginning of a lifetime of adventure DQG LQYHVWLJDWLRQ OHQGLQJ \RXU GLYHV D YLWDO SXUSRVH -RLQ XV

The Search Pierre-Yves Cousteau exploring the reefs of the Maldives on the uw3some Expedition, 2014. You can join him in collecting data that will contribute to saving the seas we loveImage Aaron Wong

Read about Cousteau Divers in the next issue, Scuba Diver OCEAN PLANET. Out on September 15, 2014. SDAA

For more information, and to get involved go to www.cousteaudivers.org.

You break the surface in a cocoon of bubbles.

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By Darja Tjioe

Our bodies can do what our minds cannot fathom.

FINDING YOUR INNER WHALE While the incredible and often bizarre characteristics of the oceans creatures are a never-ending source of fascination for us, as a species human beings are also capable of exhibiting some extraordinary physiological attributes. Some of these talents, presumably buried deep within the genome, typically go unnoticed in our day-to-day lives and are only manifest when we are faced with unusual circumstances.

To illustrate this, imagine putting your face into water. The water temperature should be about 21 degrees Celsius or less. What happens? First, your face will feel cold. Second, of course, you wont be able to breathe. (Clearly, \RXZRQWEHDEOHWRVXVWDLQWKLVH[SHULPHQWLQGHQLWHO\In reasonably short order, however, if all is well and you are a fairly typical example of our species, your heart rate should drop to about three-quarters of its normal rate. That, in itself, is actually a rather extraordinary thing.

The phenomenon is part of something known as the PDPPDOLDQGLYLQJUHH[,WH[LVWVLQDOOPDPPDOVaquatic mammals such as seals and dolphins in particular, and even some diving birds, but also in land-dwelling mammals, including humans. Its our bodies involuntary response to immersion in cool water. Are we, if only for a brief moment, accessing the bodys evolutionary memory RIZDWHU"$IWHUDOOEHIRUHZHZHUHERUQZHZHUHRDWLQJDURXQGIRUQLQHPRQWKVLQDPQLRWLFXLG$UHRXUERGLHVdesigned for being in water? A BODY BUILT FOR DIVINGWhen we submerge the face, the following things happen. Firstly, the muscles surrounding our blood vessels contract, causing a reduction in the amount of blood RZLQJWRRXUSHULSKHUDORUJDQV,QWKLVZD\PRUHR[\JHQis concentrated around the organs that have a much greater need for it, like the heart, lungs and brain. We dont need perfectly oxygenated arms and legs when we are underwater, but we do need to conserve the oxygen we have as long as possible. 7KHVHFRQGSK\VLRORJLFDOUHDFWLRQWKDWRFFXUVDHFWV

the number of heartbeats per minute. For the average person, heart rate reduces by between 10 and 30 percent. In trained freedivers, the reduction is by as much as half. Reducing heart rate helps reduce oxygen metabolism,

making a single breath of air last longer. Myths abound about peoples ability to control their heartbeat (Buddhist monks are supposedly able to stop their hearts completely VLPSO\WKURXJKPHGLWDWLRQEXWWKLVSKHQRPHQRQLVno such myth. This is your bodys real, purely physical, response to an outside stimulus.

There are two further changes that are part of the PDPPDOLDQGLYLQJUHH[DQGDUHDXWRPDWLFUHVSRQVHVto deep, breath-hold diving and subjecting the body to extremely increased pressures. One is the so-called blood shift: The blood that has moved away from the extremities WUDYHOVWRWKHFKHVWFDYLW\OOLQJWKHVSDFHFUHDWHGE\WKHFRPSUHVVLRQRIWKHOXQJV,WDOVROOVWKHDOYHROLWKHWLQ\air sacs in the lungs where the actual gas exchange occurs. 7KHVHDUHQRZVXUURXQGHGE\XLGVWKDWDUHQRWVXEMHFWWRchange by pressure. )LQDOO\WKHUHLVWKHVSOHHQHHFW%HFDXVHKXJH

volumes of red blood cells circulate through the spleen, it acts as a blood reservoir. When extra volume is needed, the spleen constricts and releases oxygen-enriched haemoglobin into the system. Its like carrying around a little spare air in our bodies.

DISCOVERING THE MASTER SWITCH OF LIFE Medical science commonly refers to the mammalian diving UHH[DVDVXUYLYDOPHFKDQLVP6HYHUDOLQFLGHQWVRIQHDUdrowning turned out to be only near drownings because of WKLVYHU\UHH[,QDQXPEHURIFDVHVSHRSOHVXEPHUJHGin cold water, aspirating water and causing their breathing and circulation to stop, have actually been resuscitated successfully. Essentially, their bodys reaction to the cold liquid on their face slowed down their metabolism to a point where, ordinarily, the damage to the brain due to lack of oxygen would have been irreversible. In some of these cases, very little or no damage followed the incidents. 7KHHHFWVRIWKHUHH[DUHHYHQPRUHSURQRXQFHG

in young children, whose smaller body cools down much faster than an adults. Indeed, there are cases of children surviving despite being underwater for incredible lengths of time and having no circulation for even longer. ,QWKHVXQGHUWDNLQJH[SHULPHQWVWKDWZRXOG

EHFRQVLGHUHGKLJKO\FRQWURYHUVLDOWRGD\)UHQFKSK\VLRORJLVW3DXO%HUWEHFDPHWKHUVWWRREVHUYHWKH

FEATURE

Phot

o

Lia

Bar

rett

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44

VORZHGKHDUWUDWHVRIGXFNVVXEPHUJHGLQZDWHUDOVRnoting that bleeding the duck reduced its diving capability. Some years later, one of Berts students, Charles Richet, deduced the reduction in metabolic rate during diving based on the fact that oxygen stores alone could not account for the length of the dives achieved by the animals.

Despite the inhumane nature of these experiments, WKH\ZHUHDOVRKLJKO\HHFWLYHDWVKRZLQJWKHH[LVWHQFHRIWKHPDPPDOLDQGLYLQJUHH[+RZHYHUGHQLWLYHSURRIwasnt recorded until the 1950s, when Norwegian Per 6FKRODQGHUQDOO\FRQUPHGWKHSUHVHQFHRIWKHUHH[in other animals, including humans. In a 1963 paper in 6FLHQWLF$PHULFDQ, he called it the master switch of life.

In the 1960s, the very idea of freediving any deeper than 50 metres was dismissed as impossible and dangerous. Scientists insisted that it couldnt be done, largely because of the pressures to which the body would be exposed. Imagine that for every 10 metres you dive down, your body has to withstand another one bar of pressure. At 100 metres, your lungs would be reduced to less than 10 percent of their size at the surface. Thus, it was claimed that beyond 50 metres, the pressure would cause a divers lungs, or even the entire ribcage, to collapse.

Unsurprisingly perhaps, all this talk of limitations only seemed to motivate certain extraordinary individuals to prove the theories wrong. Italian Enzo Maiorca was the UVWWRGLYHWRPHWUHVFORVHO\IROORZHGE\)UHQFKPDQ

USE THE KNOWLEDGEThe mammalian diving reflex is the reason that many people find breathing from a regulator, underwater, with no mask on, so very difficult. The reflex suppresses the bodys urge to breathe and is so strong that it makes it possible for babies to be temporarily submerged in water without drowning.

Training the mind to overcome this reflex may take some people a little longer than others, and, if you find this particular skill difficult, spending five minutes or so breathing from a regulator or snorkel at the surface, with your face immersed, will go a long way to helping to accustom your body to override this impulse.

This is also why, when attempting to resuscitate a drowning victim, it is always a good idea to dry their face, so that efforts to restart respiration are not fighting this most innate, physical instinct.

Jacques Mayol. Both were well-known freedivers of their time, each breaking one diving record after another. It was studies on Mayol in the 1970s that revealed the workings RIWKHVSOHHQHHFW7RGD\IUHHGLYHUVKDYHVKDWWHUHGWKHVHlimits with both male and female world record depths now exceeding 100 metres.

Photo Lia Barrett

ZEN AND THE ART OF BEING A MAMMAL For most animals, marine mammals in particular, the UHH[LVSDUWRIWKHLUGDLO\JKWIRUVXUYLYDO)RUXVLWVDOLWWOHGLHUHQW

SDAA

46

Have you ever wondered why you need to pee as soon as you hit 15 metres? Or why diving gives you a mouth thats dry DVWKH6DKDUD"'RHVHHFWLYHHTXDOLVLQJHOXGH\RX"2UDUH\RX\HWWRJHW\RXUhead around the freaky phenomenon WKDWLVQDUFRVLV"

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Text by Darja Tjioe and Alice GraingerIllustrations by John Grainger

BODY MATTERS

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE NARC

FEATURE

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The Martini Effect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

)RUPDQ\LWVVLPSO\DJHQWOHEX]]WKHKLJKZLWKRXWWKHORZ%XWgoing deep to get the hit LVDULVN\EXVLQHVV

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1. Dehydration

Do drink and drink and then drink some more. Water that is! One of the major causes of post (and pre-) dive headaches is dehydration. Especially in tropical diving destinations, where we tend to forget to adjust our daily intake to the change in climate.

Dont overdo it in the bar, especially if you have early morning dives planned for the next day. Alcohol dehydrates and the headache you feel is not going to get any better down there. And if you do have one cocktail too many, give the diving a miss.

2. Bad breathing

Do breathe and breathe properly. No need to hyperventilate throughout your dive, but try not to economise your air by skip-breathing. Skip breathing is the act of holding the breath for a second or two after the inhalation, and increases the build-up of carbon dioxide in your body. This stimulates receptors in the blood vessels in the brain, increasing the blood flow to the area which causes splitting headaches.

3. Fashion over function

Do consider what you wear underwater; is it comfortable or do you look like a Teletubby on steroids? If your mask leaves an imprint that lasts a week, there is a good chance it comes with a nice squeeze, causing? Yes, ouch! Make sure your mask, suit and especially your hood fits. Imagine your head in a vice. Enough said?

4. Overheating

Do chill out: Getting ready half an hour before the dive and sweating in your wetsuit in the sun is hardly pleasant as it is. Dehydrating and overheating like that will most likely cause all kinds of unpleasant sensations, with headaches at the top of the list.

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5. Congestion

Dont dive with a head cold. Having your sinuses full of nastiness will make equalising them near impossible and you could end up with the sensation of a knife stuck in your forehead. Using decongestants is not recommended practice, either and the effects can wear off underwater anyway, leaving you with a reverse block that comes with its own set of problems. Leave the diving until you can breathe freely once again. You can recognise a sinus headache easily as it usually manifests in your forehead, behind your eyes or in your cheeks. Do take any post-dive headache seriously. Your body is telling you something, and most probably that you are doing something wrong! If its a regular thing, get yourself checked by a hyperbaric doctor. If its a one-time thing, take it easy, take care of it and try to figure out why it happened. If your headache comes with excessive fatigue, joint pain, nausea, dizziness, or any other potential symptoms of DCI, DO seek medical help immediately.

,VLWFRPIRUWDEOHRUGR\RXORRNOLNHD7HOHWXEE\RQVWHURLGV"

IS DIVING DOING YOUR HEAD IN?

SDAA

50

If you descend without

equalising what happens

is this:

The increasing pressure will slowly push the eardrum inwards, causing a slight feeling of discomfort.

If you continue descending, mucus from your Eustachian tubes will start to fill your middle ears making it harder for you to equalise.

Still not equalising? Your eardrum becomes severely overstretched and small tears will form in the tissues, blood vessels might expand or even break, causing lesions that take weeks to heal and are prone to infection.

Are you stubbornly persisting? Your body will take over and fluids and mucus from the surrounding tissues in the middle ear will try to equalise it for you. Leaving you feeling like you have water in your ear for a week or so.

If you keep on going, if you descend quite fast or if you are just extremely unlucky, your eardrum will rupture.

Depending on the severity of the rupture and post-rupture care, this could result in temporary or permanent hearing loss, vertigo, inflammation, and of course, no diving for a couple of months at least.

THE BIG EQUALISER

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First the basics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Nifty techniques and masterful manoeuvres 1R QHHG WR EH VFDUHG 7KHUH DUH PDQ\ HHFWLYH WHFKQLTXHV

7KHVLPSOHVWWROHDUQEXWQRWQHFHVVDULO\WKHPRVWJHQWOHto your ears is the Valsalva technique3LQFK\RXUQRVHDQGJHQWO\WU\WREORZDLUWKURXJK,WVDYHU\HHFWLYHPHWKRGEXWRQO\LI\RXVWDUWGRLQJLWHDUO\HQRXJK6WDUWHTXDOLVLQJDWWKHVXUIDFHDQGGRLWHYHU\KDOIPHWUHRUVR'RQW IRUFH LW

The Toynbee manoeuvreLVFORVLQJ\RXUQRVWULOVDQGVZDOORZLQJ7KLVDFWLRQZLOODFWXDOO\RSHQ\RXU(XVWDFKLDQWXEHVDQGWKHWRQJXHPRYHPHQWZLOOSXVKDLULQWRWKHP$FRPELQDWLRQRIWKH9DOVDOYDDQGWKH7R\QEHHDOVRZRUNVZHOOHVSHFLDOO\LI\RXKDYHQWIRXQGWKH XOWLPDWH ZD\ IRU \RX WR HTXDOLVH \HW

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)RUHYHQPRUHHHFWLYHQHVVWKHUHLVWKHEdmunds technique:KLOHWHQVLQJ\RXUVRIWSDODWHDQGWKURDWPXVFOHVDQGSXVKLQJ\RXUMDZGRZQDQGRXWZDUGVDWWHPSW D 9DOVDOYD LWV KDUGHU WKDQ LW VRXQGV

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PARCHED?

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FEATURE

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Scuba Diver AUSTRALASIA and ADEX China (IUST) Announce

This year, we are letting YOU choose one of the WINNERS of the AUSTRALASIA Underwater Photo Competition!

The picture with the most votes will be presented with the Peoples Choice Award, and the winner will walk away with a MARES HD computer and one set of Force Fins!

for your favourite shortlisted picture by going to www.uw3some.com/sdaacompetition2014

THE PEOPLES CHOICE AWARD

its: Submissions to the Through The Lens Underwater Photography Competition, 2012 & 2013 Asian Geographic Magazines Pte Ltd does not cover costs associated with posting prizes

VOTE

Underwater Photo CompetitionREAD MORE, DIVE MORE

Formerly the Through The Lens International Underwater Photography Competition

SS

Image cred

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ARES HD MPUTER

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CHINA

THROUGH THE LENS

Showcasing the magnification of the RRM Technique and a little bit of animal behaviour in Anilao, Philippines

By Imran Ahmad

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STUCK IN REVERSE

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2. One of the most distinguishing characteristics of RRM is the bokeh that you can achieve; its not only about magnification but also about lending your blur a little flair

1. Different combinations of lenses mounted together give different effects. RRM is about expanding your creativity with lenses you already have in your camera bag

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