NEWSLETTER
Members
are encouraged to submit articles, dive plans and dive reports.
Visit club web site at http://www.angelfire.com/nj4/=
divers/
DA Dive Log=
DA Dive Plan
Gear for sale
Next
Meeting Notice
Next club meeting is
We
will have our regular business meeting at 730PM
Meeting Program:
Interesting Speaker Planning in Pr=
ogress
2006 DA
Holiday Party
The 2006 Divers Anonymous Holiday Party will be =
held
at the Branchbrook Manor on
__________________________________________________________________
Energy Comments
These
comments were returned after circulating an email from Peggy about offshore=
NJ
oil drilling. They are diver’s thoughts on the matter. Here are those
responses:
=
From Scott,
I am strongly opposed to O=
FF Shore
oil drilling. We should stop the use of oil as an energy
source. It supports terrorism in the middle east. Windmill
Power is a good alternative fuel, but the windmills should be placed in
desolate areas such as
From Al N,
My early memories of tar b=
alls on
the beach are similar to yours. But, my later years taught me th=
at
these were not from drilling off the eastern coast. Rather they were =
from
tankers cleaning their tanks at sea in a process called going gas free.&nbs=
p;
Many of these tankers were foreign flag ships. If you and I go way ba=
ck,
some of it could be from WWII oil still seeping from sunken ships.
Oil drilling technology ha=
s changed
for the better. Concern for the environment has also changed the cult=
ure
of the drillers and production well owners.
If the rigs are not visibl=
e from
shore, my take is that we would never even know that they were there.
Also, drilling and production are private ventures not likely to suffer
from lack of funds, bankruptcy, and government bailout.
Windmill towers and island=
s would
need to be high security areas to protect them from vandalism, terrorism, a=
nd
sabotage. They may not produce enough revenue for their own maintenan=
ce
let alone round-the-clock security. Hence, the government bail out.
No manipulation in my view=
, just
good old pork barrel politics. You kill the drilling in my back yard =
and
I'll vote for something you want.
I still contend that land =
based
windmills are a better alternative.
Regards,
Al
______________________________________________________________________=
__
=
From
Peggy,
=
Tom,
=
I am
with you on your comments.
More of a threat is the continued building of bigger houses with no solar. =
No
solar on any new gov buildings. Solar won't hold up in a storm (so far) but=
it
looks like roofs didn't either. Some houses that had intact solar wouldn't =
be
totally without electric in a storm so that would be better for storm respo=
nse.
Would like to see more wind turbines on land - private land - before I see =
them
plunked in the ocean. And I would bet, no matter what they say, there will =
be
no access due to security in the ocean. Peg<=
o:p>
=
=
From
Don W
Oil on the Jersey beaches.=
..being
an "old guy" I remember WW II when I was a kid in
The transport of petroleum=
and
military materiel across the
I also remember when some =
German
saboteurs were captured in south
Don
From Tom G
What I see is a knee jerk =
reaction
of many people to try to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. I group oil
drilling and windmill production in the same category. This is a commendable
effort and if successful would go a long way to solving some serious current
problems, however, there are drawbacks. The problem with windmills in my
opinion is that they will be a boondoggle for the public. The windmills will
not so much be an eyesore, but their technology and efficiency has not been
established. They will likely wind up costing more than they are worth, cau=
se a
sacrifice to those who would use the same ocean space and ultimately cost a=
ll
taxpayers. I am against ocean windmills, but for land windmills on land own=
ed
by private companies.
As far as offshore drillin=
g for
oil is concerned, this NY NJ ocean bite is much too close to the densest and
most used area of our country. It doesn’t fit.
Tom
Divers
Anonymous Annual Artifact and Picture Contest – 2005
The
results of our annual contest were that lots of interesting artifacts, stor=
ies,
and photos were displayed and presented to our members during the November
meeting. Artifacts were presented by: Mike Granado, Gary Prystauk, Rich Mul=
len,
and Gary Mullen while photos were presented by Ian Fryer and Tom Gormley. S=
ome
people won prizes for their displays and stories, but all present were winn=
ers
to be able to hear and see the results of a year long effort by our dedicat=
ed
DA divers.
Set
your sights on lots of diving, artifact hunting, and photography for the co=
ming
year, which starts as soon as the current contest ends, now.
Good
luck for next year! =
_______________________________________________________________________=
Peggy’s News
(Thanks to Peggy for =
keeping
us informed. I am requesting comments about the MPA’s for our next DA
newsletter. Please send them to me after looking at this NOAA newsletter. T=
his
is a long letter, but important to our future.
Thanks,
Tom, DA gormleydmd@aol.com )
MPA CONNECTIONS
Newsletter of the National=
Marine
Protected
November / December 2005
The mission of the
about
********
-Table of Contents-
Message from Joseph Uravit=
ch,
National Marine Protected
Latest News on
Profile: Lelei Peau, MPA F=
ederal
Advisory Committee
Updates to Our Website; U.=
S.
Website on MPAs to be Evaluated-- You Can Contribute Ideas and Comments
Recent Additions to the MPA
Library
Events and Conferences
********
*Message from Joseph Uravi=
tch,
National Marine Protected
Looking back on 2005, I=
217;m
happy to report that the
We engaged in dialogue wit=
h the
public, organizations, associations, and government agencies around the nat=
ion
to help us develop a draft framework for planning a national system of mari=
ne
protected areas (MPAs). We also began work on the key supporting science and
analysis that will help us understand how to design an effective national
system.
You can read more about th=
e
I’m also proud of our
progress on fundamental aspects of our program. We increased public access =
to
information about federal and state MPA processes through our web-based MPA
Regional Information Centers, made improvements to the MPA.gov website-- wh=
ich
now receives more than 400,000 hits per month, and released an educational
screen saver based on cartoons created by
community and the public, =
bring
recreational fishermen and scientists together in our recent workshop on
benthic-pelagic linkages, and continue the dialogue between fisheries
scientists and ecologists.
Finally, we are nearly fin=
ished
with the inventory of marine managed areas, with final federal information
posted on our website and state and territorial sites scheduled to be poste=
d in
January 2006. To date, we estimate that there are nearly 2,000 marine manag=
ed
area sites around the nation.
We recognize that 2006 wil=
l be a
challenging one, and we plan on using our available resources to focus on
developing the national system of MPAs. We intend to publish the draft
framework for developing the national system in April 2006. We expect that
we’ll be ready to publish the final national system framework in 2007,
and soon thereafter
establish the national sys=
tem of
MPAs based on the nation’s existing sites.
Throughout this process, w=
e are
committed to engaging the public and agencies around the nation, although a=
t a
reduced level from 2005. While the scope of our work on these projects is
resource dependent, we will continue building the foundation for the nation=
al
system, which includes science-based characterizations and assessments of
natural and cultural resources, the study of human uses and impacts on
resources, and the
analysis of the adequacy o=
f the
existing collection of MPAs to meet regional and national conservation goal=
s.
In order to more accurately
understand the needs of a national MPA system, the
Throughout 2006, we will be
actively seeking your thoughts on the draft national system framework. We h=
ope
you’ll continue to share your ideas and comments with us.
********
*
Thanks to the generosity o=
f artist
Jim Toomey, creator of
This special screen saver =
depicts
Sherman and his friends humorously interacting in various marine locations.
Each colorful screen includes a brief description of the site. The sites
represent examples of research reserves, sanctuaries, critical habitats,
wildlife refuges, national seashores, fishery management zones, and ecologi=
cal
reserves.
The free screen saver is a=
vailable
for download on www.MPA.gov
<http://=
www.mpa.gov/>.
It is also available by request on a CD-ROM that features a demonstration of
the
If you would like the CD, =
please
send an email to mpainfo@noaa.gov.
********
*Latest News on
In January 2005, the
and site staff representing
national parks, refuges, reserves, and sanctuaries). In partnership with the
Coastal States Organization, the
In addition, the MPA Feder=
al
Advisory Committee met in various regions around the nation over a two-year
period, where they heard from a diverse range of panelists and members of t=
he
public about MPA-related issues. The committee delivered their national sys=
tem
recommendations to the Departments of Commerce and the Interior in June 200=
5.
These workshops and sessio=
ns have
resulted in an array of feedback on the uses and values of MPAs, both
regionally and nationally. The
Feedback and recommendatio=
ns are
being incorporated into a framework that will define how to develop and
implement the national system.
In April 2006, the
* vision, guiding principl=
es,
goals and objectives, and comprehensive themes;
* the definition of “=
;marine
protected area” and associated key terms;
* criteria for being inclu=
ded in
the national system;
* the process for identify=
ing,
nominating, and formally including established MPAs into the national syste=
m;
* a process to coordinate =
national
system planning and management; and
* guidance for comprehensi=
ve
monitoring and evaluation of national system MPAs.
A complete list of nationa=
l system
workshops, participants, and responses is available on www.MPA.gov/national_system . To
submit written comments regarding the development of the national system of
MPAs, write to mpa.comments@noaa.gov.
********
*Profile: Lelei Peau, Form=
er
Subcommittee Chair, MPA Federal Advisory Committee*
Even if we do not consciou=
sly
realize it, taboos guide us through our daily lives. In fact, taboos guide
social interactions around the world, although accepted boundaries vary from
one country to another. For those that coined the term, however, taboos ext=
end
beyond simple social custom and into accepted law.
Translated from the Tongan=
word
‘tabu,’ taboos have been used as a formal system of regulating =
and
enforcing behavior within Polynesian cultures for centuries. It was British
explorer Captain James Cook who introduced the workings of this tenure syst=
em
to the English-speaking world over 200 years ago. By imposing bans on common
activities,
chieftains regulated commu=
nity
activity to protect threatened resources (both on land and under the sea) as
needed. For the marine environment specifically, taboos acted like one type=
of
today’s marine protected areas, with a chief setting aside temporary
closures and designating fishing restrictions.
Over time, national govern=
ments
replaced a chief’s authority and the system of tabu. But many people,
like Lelei Peau of
“Samoans protected r=
esources
through marine protected areas centuries ago,” Lelei says. “With
the evolution of the cash economy intensifying fishing efforts, modern
management must recognize traditional knowledge and methods to better balan=
ce
environmental management with economic development. The mixture of the two
systems will also enhance our ability to practice traditional customs.̶=
1;
As the deputy director for=
Growing up on an island, L=
elei saw
how quickly the health of the surrounding seas declined with the steady
clearing of land intended for urban development. While he saw how the island
benefited from this development, he also understood how the long-term impac=
ts
on the environment would eventually hinder further growth of the economy.
“You can’t com=
promise
on either economic development or environmental health,” he says.
“On an island, one cannot survive without the other. We must carefully
address the needs of both.”
In order to find the balan=
ce
between economic development and environmental health, Lelei has worked wit=
h a
number of agencies and advisory groups to achieve shared goals, articulate =
the
needs of the islands, and promote tools to assist the needs of decision-mak=
ers.
These efforts led to Lelei’s nomination to the Marine Protected Area
(MPA)
Federal Advisory Committee=
, where
he was subsequently elected as the chair for the MPA stewardship and
effectiveness subcommittee (the subcommittee completed its tasks earlier th=
is
year).
When originally joining the
Committee, Lelei hoped to clarify the jurisdiction and authority between st=
ate
and federal governments, find ways to improve MPA management, and foster a
cooperative spirit to enhance regional work through shared knowledge and
resources. During his first term, which ended in June 2005, Lelei discussed=
his
objectives in specific reference to the development of a national system of=
MPAs.
Now, having delivered the Federal Advisory Committee’s recommendations
for establishing a national system of MPAs, Lelei believes that the Committ=
ee
has produced an effective model that recognizes existing sites and regional
authority.
Ultimately, Lelei hopes th=
at the
Committee’s recommendations will encourage greater support for develo=
ping
the national system of MPAs and promote efforts by federal partners to assi=
st
stakeholders throughout the process. Lelei will continue to serve on the Fe=
deral
Advisory Committee and would like to see the Committee’s next term
emphasize
strategic ways to bring to=
gether
partners that support MPA management.
In October, Lelei was re-a=
ppointed
to another two-year term on the MPA Federal Advisory Committee. The committ=
ee
will meet in April 2006 in
To nominate a candidate to=
profile
in this newsletter, send an email to Daphne.Pee@noaa.gov <mailto:Daphne.Pee@=
noaa.gov>.
********
*Updates to the
Since September, several u=
pdates
have been made to the www.MPA.gov website.
We hope you’ll visit these and other pages.
--Improved the marine mana=
ged
areas inventory status page so that users can find what they’re looki=
ng
for faster. The content is presented in an easy to follow table, with links=
to
program information, maps, the latest news on the inventory, and a list of
sites by agency and program.
Go to http://www3.mpa.gov/e=
xploreinv/status.html.
--Added more than 80 recor=
ds to
the
--Updated the national sys=
tem
pages to include workshop reports from all federal, state, and public meeti=
ngs
held to date. Go to http://mpa.gov/national=
_system/#workshop.
*Other Website News: www.MPA.gov t=
o be
Evaluated; You Can Contribute Ideas and Comments*
The
newspaper-style layout to =
the home
page.
If you would like to parti=
cipate
in a focus group to assist the
********
*Recent Additions to the M=
PA
Library*
The MPA virtual library, a
clearinghouse for pertinent information on MPAs, includes more than 1,500
items. A sampling of some of the most recently added materials follows.
A series of fisheries educ=
ational
workshops held by Sea Grant Fisheries Extension programs in
summary of a facilitated g=
roup
discussion held at the Maine Fishermen's Forum. "Proceedings of the New
England Workshops on Marine Protected Areas" is available at:
http://seagrant=
.gso.uri.ed/u/reg_fish/edworkshops
(scroll to "Marine Pr=
otected
Areas Workshops").
A paper by researchers fro=
m the
anglers surveyed supported=
MPAs,
but support varied depending on MPA objectives, restrictions, and location.
"New England Recreational Fishers' Attitudes toward Marine Protected
Areas: A Preliminary Investigation" is available at:
A new IUCN report provides=
a
synthesis of current scientific knowledge on coral reef resilience and
resistance to bleaching, and describes resilience and resistance factors and
some knowledge gaps. The report discusses tools and strategies to enhance
resilience, including the use of well-designed networks of marine protected=
areas
and integrated
coastal management. "=
Coral
Reef Resilience and Resistance to Bleaching" is available at:
http://www.iucn.org/themes/marine/pdf/coral_reef_resilience_gg-rs.pdf=
.
A special issue of the Nat=
ional
Marine Educators Association journal, "Current," features article=
s by
scholars on deep-sea coral discoveries, research, and conservation efforts =
in
the
indicators of past ocean
environment; and as aquatic pharmaceuticals.
"Deep-Sea Corals"
(Current, Vol. 21, No. 4, 2005) is available at:
http:/=
/www.mcbi.org/Current_Magazine/Current_Magazine.htm.
A report by the Internatio=
nal
Institute for Sustainable Development on the Ocean Policy Summit held in
Practices". The meeti=
ng was
organized by the International Ocean Governance Network (supported by Nippon
Foundation, Japan), the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands, the
Portuguese Intersectoral Ocean Commission, Portugal's Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, the Port Authority of Lisbon, the International Coastal and Ocean
Organization, the Gerald J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy at the Univers=
ity
of Delaware, and the Marine and Environmental Law Institute at Dalhousie
University. "The Ocean Policy Summit 2005 Bulletin" is available
at:
http://www.ii=
sd.ca/sd/tops2005/ymbvol117num1e.html.
A special theme section in=
a
recent issue of "Marine Ecology Progress Series" focuses on the
politics and socioeconomics of ecosystem-based management of fisheries and
other marine resources. Perspective papers by marine resources experts and
managers describe the administrative, socioeconomic and scientific complexi=
ties
involved with the
implementation of a holist=
ic
ecosystem approach to management. A paper by Tundi Agardy on global marine
conservation policy versus site-level implementation includes extensive
discussion of the need for properly sized and strategically networked MPAs =
for
effective broad-scale conservation. "Politics and Socio-Economics of
Ecosystem-based
Management of Marine
Resources" (in Marine Ecology Progress Series v. 300, 2005) is availab=
le
at:
http://www.=
int-res.com/articles/meps_oa/m300p241.pdf.
The first biennial progres=
s report
to Congress on the National Coral Reef Action Strategy summarizes U.S. Coral
Reef Task Force members' activities under the 13 goals of the strategy and
highlights their accomplishments. The report includes a chapter on improving
management of coral reef resources through an expanded network of coral reef
marine
protected areas.
"Implementation of the National Coral Reef Action Strategy: Report to =
Congress:
Report on U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Agency Activities from 2002 to 2003&qu=
ot;
is available at:
http://www.coris.noaa.gov/activities/reportcongress2005/rep=
ortcongress2005.html.
Note: the
********
Events and Conferences
December 2005
12:
13: MPA Center’s Reg=
ional
Public Dialogue on Developing the National System of MPAs, Seattle, Washing=
ton;
http://www.mpa.gov/national_s=
ystem.
January 2006
23-28: Third Global Confer=
ence on
Oceans, Coasts, and
http://www.globalo=
ceans.org/paris3/index.html.
February 2006
16 – 20: AAAS (Ameri=
can
Association for the Advancement of Science) Annual Meeting,
http://www.aaas.org/=
meetings/Annual_Meeting/.
March 2006
6-10: World Maritime Techn=
ology
Conference,
7-9:
http://coastalmanagement.n=
oaa.gov/pmm/.
April 2006
6–9: National Science
Teachers Association 54th National Conference on
Science Education,
=
http://www.nsta.org/conventiondetail&Meeting_Code=3D2006ANA.
19–21: First Interna=
tional
Symposium on Mangroves as Fish Habitat,
http=
://www.rsmas.miami.edu/conference/mangrove-fish-habitat/.
25-27: MPA Federal Advisory
Committee Meeting,
http://mpa.gov/fac/fac_meet=
ings.html.
May 2006
4–5: 15th U.S. Coral=
Reef
Task Force Meeting, dates tentative;
http://www.coralreef.gov/ind=
ex.html.
14-17: The Coastal Society=
and MPA
meeting,
http://www.thecoastalsociety.o=
rg/.
17-20: Trilateral Committe=
e for
Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation and
Management,
June 2006
3-10: National Fishing and=
Boating
Week;
http://www.ta=
kemefishing.org/default.aspx?id=3D241.
24 – 28: Society for
Conservation Biology: 20th Annual Meeting:
“Conservation Without
Borders,”
=
http://www.conbio.org/2006/.
September 2006
17-20:
October 2006
18-20: Annual Sportfishing=
Summit;
November 2006
7-9: MPA Federal Advisory
Committee meeting, location to be determined;
http://mpa.gov/fac/fac_meet=
ings.html.
December 2006
9-13: Restore
and Estuarine Habitat Rest=
oration,
“Forging the National Imperative,”
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^=
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
You can subscribe to this
newsletter by sending an email message to
requests@willamette.nos.n=
oaa.gov
with: subscribe mpacenterconnection in
the subject line. Do not i=
nclude
any other information in the body of the
message. To unsubscribe, f=
ollow
the instructions above but type:
unsubscribe mpacenterconne=
ction in
the subject line.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^=
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The
strengthen the protection =
of
Executive Order, signed in=
May
2000, directs federal agencies to conserve
the nation's valuable mari=
ne
resources through a variety of tasks,
including working with pub=
lic and
private partners to significantly
enhance the management,
protection, and conservation of existing and new
MPAs. The
Atmospheric Administration=
, which
is part of the Department of Commerce.
The
viability of the nation's =
oceans,
coasts, and
robust ecosystems and ensu=
ring
their continued use and value to society.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - =
- - - - - - - - -- =
Peggy Bowen, Director=
.......
New: pegdiver@earthlink.net
DAN
News
The latest DAN Oxygen
Window newsletter was distributed to professional members recently. Aside f=
or
promoting its insurance and training programs, the most interesting feature=
was
that DAN members can rent satellite phones for use on remote diving trips. =
To
learn more go to:
or call:
800-211-2575
________________________________________________=
______________________
DA
Dive Log
Hi troops,\ just returned from expensive supper dive experienc=
e in
The highlights for me were the huge numbers of hammer heads,
silkys, white tips and black tip sharks....Coco Island is truly the shark
capital of the world......the currents are also big out there......wish I h=
ad
more weight lifting before the trip...holding cameras, line and masks on you
face was daily multitasking efforts...Every form of sea life was there....T=
MTC
*To Many To Count" schools of yellow fin tuna, damsals, etc, etc,
etc.....when you go you will see the best and the last of the undersea life=
as
it probably existed off our coasts. When you get 10 miles off shore, there =
are
fleets of long liners and net carriers surrounding Coco.....better book this
trip soon my friends, for it is about to fade from out life time.....
The 36 hr trip out and back was not too rough....only four div=
ers
of 20 who did not fall ill from the mal de mar......the Aggressor is a real=
pig
in open water Pacific rollers.
Well, staying in Tranquilo Backpackers in
PS Got some great video stuff for the DA Club meeting in the
future.......
Mike G, Rich M, Tom G, Tom M, and Gary P went to
At the Ranger Station we met several of the Metuchen Urban Div=
ers
who were also at
The DA group decided to go to the bridge area for some digging=
and
photography. Tom brought his camera while everyone else dug. Mike G took the
prize for the best bottle though newcomer Tom M had a nice one as well. We =
all
had a good time and stayed in the water for 40 to 60 minutes each. Rich and
Gary had wetsuits and everyone else dove dry. Tom G was especially happy wi=
th
his newly applied wrist seal which did its job. Gary P found an oyster crac=
ker
in an old bottle and we returned him to the river. He was one of the few fi=
sh
we saw. Mostly small crabs and shrimp are the marine life of this time of y=
ear.
The shrimp must realize that the fish are gone, since they are much more ou=
t in
the open now.
We will likely give
Tom, DA
December 15 through 19, 2005: Ben and Mike L are spending a few
days in
November 2005: Sarah, Matt, Sharon, and Paul went to
Way to go DA divers!
DA Dive Plan=
30 cuft pony O2 clean=
and
filled with a 50% mix. Needs hydro. Best reasonable offer. Tom
gormleydmd@aol.com
Meeting Minutes - Unknown
2005-6
Divers Anonymous Calendar
Updated
(future, past)
|
Jan 20=
06 ·
01/14:
DA Holiday Party &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp;
700 p.m. Branchbrook Manor, ·
01/30: DA=
Club
Meeting |
Feb 20=
06 ·
02/05: Bo=
ttle
Show, ·
·
02/27: DA=
Club
Meeting |
Mar 20=
06
|
|
Apr 2005 · &nb=
sp;
04/03:
Manasquan RR Bridge Dive, · &nb=
sp;
04/06: Po=
ol
Dive for gear check and warm-up · &nb=
sp;
04/17 Sun=
day
shore dive in Belmar SRI · &nb=
sp;
04/26: DA=
Club
Meeting Gary Gen=
tile
presents =
“U-boats =
of
eastern US” |
May 2005
|
June 2005
|
|
Jul 2005 · &nb=
sp;
· &nb=
sp;
7/16 &=
; 17 DA Weekend at Dutch Springs · &nb=
sp;
07/25: DA=
Club
Meeting · &nb=
sp;
07/31 Sea=
Lion
boat dive |
Aug 2005
|
Sep 2005 · &nbs=
p;
09/04:
Labor Day ·
09/26: DA=
Club
Meeting |
|
Oct 2005
|
Nov 2005 · &nb=
sp;
=
· &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp;
11/28: DA Club Meeting |
Dec 2005 · &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp;
12/12: DA Club Meeting · &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp;
12/18: Lizzie H Brayton 101 year anniversary dive, · &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp;
“Happy Holidays” · &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp;
Saturday,
12/31: Last Dive of Year 730AM-Shark River Inlet=
|
Pink highlighted events are
subsidized by DA dues