NEWSLETTER February10,
2002
Members may submit articles
for future editions. This is issue no. 12
Peggy’s News
DA Dive Log
DA Dive Plan
DA Ski Day
Aquarium Information
Ocean Wreck Diver’s Flea
Market Update
Big Marine Life Story
US and
January DA Meeting Minutes,
Unapproved
DA Calendar
The festivities began with recognition for the many
members who assisted in developing and assisting in the many fun dive and
social events of the year 2001, special anchor awards to those who made an
extra effort to keep DA running in a positive direction. The dinner was
excellent even for the scrutinizing eaters and some enjoyed 3 helpings of the
tasty food. Grab bags and special gifts provided by DA and individual members
were distributed and enjoyed by all present. A sum of $66 was collected for
Divers Alert Network as well.
***Special thanks go to Al Nesterok and the rest of the
Peggy’s News
The seminar schedule for Beneath The Sea 2002 is now on line at
Beneath The Sea's web site
http://beneaththesea.org/attendinfo/seminarsched.html
BENEATH THE SEA's 26th Undersea Exposition and Dive Travel Show will be at the New Jersey's Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey - March 22nd, 23rd and 24th, 2002.
The largest consumer diving event in North America, this year BENEATH THE SEA will have 300 exhibitors from all corners of the world, over 60 seminars by specialists and industry experts, diving demonstrations, exotic destinations, social events, and workshops, to entertain, inform and excite the experienced diver, new diver, and entice non-divers into becoming divers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fisherman Calls On County
To Stop Sewage Discharge Into Ocean
Posted by admin on Friday, January 04 @ 08:58:28 EST
By Laurie Marhoefer
The Press of
Bill Hammarstrom, a
fisherman and head boat captain who knows the water off Long Beach Island, is
calling on the county to stop dumping human waste into the ocean.
Hammarstrom says that if the county
doesn't build a better sewage treatment system, the local ocean fishery will
disappear. But he admits that it will take time and a lot of money to change
the system. "I am trying to get people to write to the freeholders, asking
them to adopt water recharging and to look forward to eventually stopping
discharging into the ocean, years and years from now," he said.
"Taxes will have to be raised to save this fishery."
The sewage treatment system currently in use relies
on ground water to carry waste from a home to a treatment plant. At the plant,
most of the solids are removed from the waste and sent to a landfill or
incinerator. Then the remaining liquid is pumped through an outfall pipe into
the ocean. There are more than a dozen outfall pipes that extend thousands of
feet into the ocean scattered along the
Hammarstrom says that the current
sewage treatment system allows nutrient-rich waste to be pumped into the ocean
through outflow pipes, creating water that fish can't survive in. And he says
the plants sometimes skirt the standards - he says he has seen improperly
treated sewage coming out of the pipes. Also, according to Hammarstrom,
the current system wastes ground water that could be recharged, that is,
recycled.
He addressed about 40 members of the Fish Hawks
Fishing Club here Thursday night. Hammarstrom wants
the county to build plants that can recycle ground water and deposit treated
waste on land, not in the ocean.
But county officials apparently don't share Hammarstrom's concerns and don't want to build the type of
plant he recommends.
In a December letter to Hammarstrom,
Freeholder John C. Bartlett said he didn't think water recycling was necessary.
"To spend a quarter of a billion dollars for
tertiary treatment would not be a sensible use of taxpayer funds,"
Clean Ocean Action, an environmental group that watches
the ocean off
Officials from Atlantic and Cape May counties
disputed the group's claims, saying that a study commissioned by two
Federal Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman
Mary Mears said that the Clean Water Act of 1972 requires plants that pump
treated sewage into the ocean to prove that it is not violating water quality
standards.
-----------------------
Peggy Bowen, Director, NJ Council of Diving Clubs
DA
Dive Log
Boat Dive Log
There
is no boat dive report this month.
Shore Dive Log
January 27, 2002, The Lizzie H Brayton
was a 4 masted schooner that was carrying a cargo of
coal from
Al Nesterok, Tom Gormley,
and Rich Mullen took advantage of a beautiful day in winter to do a shore dive
of the Lizzie H Brayton. The air temperatures climbed
into the 60-degree area, but the water temperature was a cool 40 degrees. The
ocean conditions were very good for a surf entry. Tom and Rich were dressed in
dry suits, but Al, ”what a man,” was in a wet suit.
The divers navigated directly onto the wreck and spent 37 minutes inspecting
the old wooden ship. Sea life was limited to one crab, some bottom shrimp, and
some invertebrates. The visibility was a good 6 feet, but no fish were observed
on the dive. No one got super cold and all three divers enjoyed the dive.
Norva Gormley
provided shore support armed with Al’s cell phone and her knitting needles. The
hungry group went to Spikes after the diving to discuss the dive and enjoy some
of the tasty clam chowder.
Except for the cold water in the
Aquarium
Information
Here is the
information for our trip to the NY Aquarium planned for Sunday, March 3. Put it
on your calendar.
EXPERIENCE
DOLPHINS UNDERWATER!
Winter, 2001 -- The Atlantic
bottlenose dolphins at the
A Wildlife
Conservation Society park, the Aquarium's ticket booth opens every day of the
year at 10 a.m. and remains open until 4:30 p.m. (6 p.m. on summer holidays and
weekends). General admission is $9.75, and $6.00 for children 2-12 years of age
and senior citizens, 65 and older; children under 2 years of age are admitted
free. The parking fee includes one adult
admission. The Aquarium is located at
For
directions, information on public events and programs, and other Aquarium
Information,
please call 718-265-FISH or visit our web site at
http://www.wcs.org/home/zoos/nyaquarium
________________________________________________________________________
Better
Diving Tip
Now is the time
to have all your regulators, tanks, and BCD’s serviced. Hoses 5 years and older
should be replaced. Check out mask and fin straps. If they are 3 years old, now
is a good time to replace them. Remove and replace any tie wraps. Dry suit
seals and valves should be checked and serviced or replaced if they leak or
appear worn.
Try to have
your gear ready before Beneath the Sea or the Flea Market so you can look for
replacement parts if you need them. The dive season will be here before you
know it, and having your gear prepared is important.
Large
Marine Animal Diving
Greetings from
Discover the
wild world of 15-19 foot Great White Sharks at www.sharkdiver.com Absolute
Adventures offers two expeditions off the West Coast to dive with these
incredible predators...plus the worlds only White
Shark night dive, if you think these are awesome animals by day wait until you
see what they do at night!
All the White
Shark images you'll see at www.sharkdiver.com were taken from our pristine
White Shark site in
Cheers,
Patric Douglas,
Absolute
Adventures, Inc
Absolute
Adventures-Shark Diver
415.235.9410
.
Ocean Wreck Divers Flea Market
We have reserved a table at the Ocean Wreck Divers
Flea Market on: Sunday, February 17, 2002. Any member who wishes to bring some
items for sale at the table may do so. Tom and Rich will be at the table from
8AM to 3PM. All members are welcome and encouraged to sell scuba gear at the
table. Please put a price tag or sticker on every item to be sold. Rich and
Tom will not be responsible for lost or pilfered items. You are welcome to join
us to sell and watch your stuff. The price should reflect leeway for
bargaining down 20% unless you provide us with a separate list of your bottom
prices. Rich has also prepared some club flyers to be distributed to any divers
interested in joining our dive club.
*
* * * * * * * * * * *
Ocean
Wreck Divers 15 th Annual
Scuba Flea Market
Sunday,
Feb 17, 2002 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Interested
in Selling? Reserve Your Table Now!
call for Prices and Information
Frank
(732) 367-8631 or
Howie (732)
255-2865
Food!
Raffles!! Door Prizes!!!
Proceeds
go to DAN,
Artificial
Reef Program (We've sunk 5 1/2 so far!),
American
Littoral Society,
Marine
Mammal Stranding Center and Many More!
$4.00
Donation AT THE DOOR
Children
Under 12 Free with Paid Adult
Directions:
From Parkway: Exit 82 (Hwy 37 East), at 7th light, make jughandle (
US and
Here are two articles about
exotic fish invasions in opposite parts of the world with different results,
but having the same cause.
Indigenous Fish Vanishing in
By CHISAKI
WATANABE
.c The Associated Press
But an invasion is under way
- and the natives are losing.
Prey to stronger,
flesh-eating species from the
``It's not an issue of
where,'' said Takashi Okamura, an official at the Shiga Prefectural
Office's fishery department. ``Foreign fish are all over in
Shiga, which is in central
Japan, is where the country's largest lake, Biwa, is
located. It, too, has been overrun by the foreign invaders.
The spread of foreign
species at the expense of their indigenous competitors is increasingly common
throughout the world, in large part due to the ease with which species can be
transported from one place to another.
Foreign fish are not the
only unwanted immigrants in
Much to the displeasure of
But the fish problem has
become a focus of national attention because the invaders are so pervasive, and
because their presence is strongly supported by millions of sport fishermen.
The problem, officials say,
is with blue gill and black bass, both of North American origin.
Largemouth black bass can
grow to be 31.5 inches in length and weigh 22 pounds. They are believed to have
been introduced to
Bluegills are smaller, measuring up to 9 inches and weighing less than 8 ounces. Their first known appearance in Japan was in 1960, when some were presented to Emperor Akihito, then crown prince, by the mayor of Chicago.
Among their victims are the
southern top-mouthed minnow, deep crucian carp and
the northern and flat bittering. Deep crucian carp can grow to be bigger than the blue gill, but
are often eaten before reaching maturity.
In 1998, Shiga set a goal of
catching 300 tons of blue gill and black bass a year in
Environmentalists say the
black bass population began to spread rapidly in the 1970s. At the same time,
lure fishing was something of a fad, and it was considered fashionable to
release one's catch back into the water alive, instead of taking it home to be
eaten.
The spread since has been
almost complete. In a survey conducted in 2001, the National Federation of
Inland Water Fisheries Cooperatives found black bass in all but two of the
country's 47 prefectures. Only four were free of blue gill.
Attempts to eliminate the
fish have been strongly opposed by fishermen.
Etsuro
Inoue, senior director of the Sportfishing
Association, estimates the number of bass fishermen at about 5 million.
The association and another fishing
organization last year collected about 1.1 million signatures from bass anglers
nationwide urging the government to establish areas where bass were allowed,
and eliminate them from others.
``I think it is true that
black bass are harmful fish, but they are not the only culprit,'' Inoue said.
``The worsening water quality and underwater construction projects have also
made it difficult for indigenous fish to survive.''
But scientists doubt if the
kind of ``zoning'' the association proposes could be effective, given that the
fish have demonstrated such a strong prosensity to
spread.
``There is so little
understanding toward biodiversity in
Teiji
Osuka, an official with the Environment Ministry who
is involved in a study of the black bass and other fish in the imperial moat,
said such isolationism may have some merit in theory, but is impossible to
achieve.
``Even if we try to
eliminate them, with just one or two surviving fish, they could easily spread
again before you know it,'' he said.
AP-NY-01-13-02 1203EST
LIONFISH OBSERVED OFF
Divers and fishers alert:
Non-native Lionfish are beautiful but have venomous spines Research efforts
have begun by the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) to determine the number and
range of a venomous Pacific Ocean fish that was recently discovered in the
waters off the southern Atlantic coast.
Research divers from NOAA's Laboratory in
One lionfish was collected
by a recreational scuba diver, and scientists at the Beaufort Laboratory sent
the specimen to a lionfish expert for positive identification. The species is Pterois volitans, a popular salt
water aquarium fish. The number of observations and distance between sightings
suggest that more lionfish may be found off the coast and that lionfish may
have been able to survive the winter water temperatures.
"Now that scientists
have positively identified the species, we need to determine the distribution
of lionfish along the southeastern
Margaret Davidson, director
of NOAA's
The dorsal, anal and pelvic spines of the
lionfish are venomous. NOAA Fisheries and NOAA Ocean Service are developing and implementing a plan
for the research that is needed in order to define the distribution of lionfish
along the southeastern coast of the United States and to determine if they are
reproducing.
Beaufort
Laboratory scientists will conduct the research utilizing several types of
studies to determine the extent, range, and population of fish species.
Research will focus on age and growth of the species along with their food
habits. Field studies are conducted to document changes in species composition
and abundance.
Divers will also be utilized as necessary to assess current fish communities as part of their regular surveys. Once this information is gathered, officials will be able to ascertain what steps, if any, may be necessary to halt the spread of this species.
Scuba divers can help with the NOAA
research effort by reporting lionfish sightings to
Dr. Donald Hoss, Director, NOAA Beaufort Laboratory; 101 Pivers
Island Rd. Beaufort, NC 28516-9722; phone:(252)
728-8746; fax:(252) 728-8784;
email:
don.hoss@noaa.gov.
Please be prepared to provide coordinates of where the
lionfish was found and at what depth. If possible, a photograph should
accompany the above information.
A fact sheet containing a photo of a lionfish is
available on the Internet at: http://shrimp.bea.nmfs.gov/research/lionfish_factsheet.pdf.
Story:
Rare Fossilized Jellyfish Found
By ANDREW BRIDGES
.c The Associated Press
Fossilized impressions of
those jellyfish, some up to 3 feet in diameter, have now been discovered in a
Wisconsin quarry, in what scientists say is one of the largest finds of its
kind in the world.
``Preservation of a
soft-bodied organism is incredibly rare, but a whole deposit of them is like
finding your own vein of gold,'' said James Hagadorn,
a scientist at the California Institute of Technology and co-author of an
article reporting the find in February's issue of the journal Geology.
The jellyfish, which have no
durable body parts, were fossilized during the ancient Cambrian period, when
the world's oceans exploded with a diversity of life. The creatures were
apparently buried within hours after being stranded in a shallow lagoon some
510 million years ago.
Fossil dealer Dan Damrow, an article co-author, discovered the jellyfish
about four years ago in a quarry in
``These could have ended up
as someone's bathroom floor or in their side garden,'' Hagadorn
said.
Hagadorn
said they found fossilized jellyfish in seven layers in the quarry, encased in
about 12 vertical feet of rock representing a span of time of up to 1 million
years.
The layers of rock also
record the delicate ripples that striped the ocean bottom in what were
presumably shallow coastal waters.
``It gives you a kind of
aura of standing in this instant in time,'' Damrow
said. ``You're standing right on that beach just as it formed.''
Circular impressions mark
where each jellyfish was washed ashore, probably during a storm-enhanced high
tide, Hagadorn said. Each fossil typically includes a
concave, circular shape that records the tiny moat excavated by the pumping
action of the bell-shaped jellyfish as it attempted to swim to deeper water.
Surrounding that ring, a rim
of higher rock represents the sand that washed against the dead or dying
jellyfish in subsequent tides. Tiny piles in the center is
likely sand ingested by the creature as it struggled, Hagadorn
said.
The fossilized jellyfish
appear similar in size and characteristics to their modern brethren, but the
specific species cannot be pinpointed.
Beached jellyfish now fall
prey to everything from birds to curious children. In the Cambrian period,
however, there were few scavengers to disturb the creatures once they were
grounded and buried, Hagadorn said. That, and the
speed with which they were buried, accounted for their survival in the fossil
record, he said.
On the Net:
Geological Society of
AP-NY-01-25-02 1730EST ___________________________________________________________________
January Meeting Minutes, (unapproved)
Next Meeting Note: Our next
meeting will be held on Monday, February 25 at 7:30PM at Mario’s Restaurant in
the back room. The scheduled presentation
will begin around 8PM.
Divers Anonymous Minutes
Divers Anonymous Scuba Dive Club
(Mario’s Restaurant / 710 Van Houten
Avenue, Clifton, NJ / (973) 777-1559
January 28, 2002
- Monthly Meeting Minutes
Members Present:
Edith Farmer
Rick Farmer
Ian Fryer
Norva Gormley
Tom Gormley
Ben Gualano
Mick Lacatena
Fred Marcus
Connie Mazur
Leo Marzur
Gary Mullen
Richard Mullen
Al Nesterok
Charlie Padula
Lara Padula
Imre Papdi
Derrick Teel
Guests:
Capt Nick
Caruso, Sea Dwellers
Capt Ted Masotti, Sea Dwellers
Corey
Instructor, Sea Dwellers
Stewart Kaslow, In Too Deep
Gerry,
The meeting began at 7:30 pm / 17 of 36
active members were present.
Executive Committee Reports
President’s Report / Tom Gormley
Tom reviewed past month’s activities and upcoming
events.
Jan 12 - Special thanks were given to Al Nesterok
and The
Jan 14 - Planning meeting was held at 6-Brothers
Diner with many exciting activities planned for upcoming season. Visit club’s web site to get updated Calendar
of Events.
Jan 27 – Al, Rich and Tom did shore dive at
Feb 16 – Contact Rick for
information about our Third Annual DA Ski Day.
Feb 17 - Ocean Wreck Divers Flea Market will be held
at
Feb 23 – NJ Historical Dive Association will hold
its grand opening at
Feb 25 - Club meeting at 7:30pm with guest speaker
at 8:00 pm to talk about old bottles.
Bring in your treasured found old bottles for possible identification.
Mar 3 – Planned club outing to visit NYC aquarium –
contact Tom for details. Further arrangements will be announced at the next
meeting.
Vice President’s Report / Al
Nesterok
Al will be taking hat, shirt and
sweatshirt orders in the near future.
For this year we will continue to use the same DA logo we have been
using for the past 4 years. Anyone who
wishes to suggest new logo should make recommendations for future
consideration. Contact Al for details.
Treasurer Report / Lara Padula
Will send out donation check
in the amount of $100 to DAN. $ 377.78 will be reimbursed to Al for his expenses
covering the
Secretary Report / Richard Mullen
The Dec 17 meeting minutes were make available
to members by email and hard copies were mailed to members without email
address. Minutes were accepted unread by
members present. NJCDC
will be holding its’ next meeting 01/30.
Mario reservations for the following Monday
night club meetings to start at 7:30 p.m.
Jan 28: Room
behind bar
Feb 25: Room
behind bar
Jan 28: Room
behind bar
Mar 25: Room
behind bar
Apr 29: Room
behind bar
May 20: Large
back room (room behind bar already taken)
Jun 24: Room
behind bar
Jul 29: Room behind bar
Aug 26: Room
behind bar
Sep 30: Room
behind bar
Oct 28: Room
behind bar
Nov 25: Room
behind bar
Dec 16: Large
back room (room behind bar already taken)
Pizza and soda will be available for $5+$2. Other items may be ordered from main menu.
Special Committees Reports
Legislative Committee / Richard
Mullen
We will be placing club flyers at Ocean Wreck Divers Flea
Market and BTS Expo.
Anyone wanting to see what NJCDC is up to may
visit THEIR web site http://www.scubanj.org/
Local Dive Committee / Tom, Ben and Rick
Newsletter
Committee / Tom Gormley
Report all news worthy articles and events to
Tom before the tenth of each month for possible inclusion into the Newsletter. Tom
intends to post the newsletter on the website. He will email members of its
posting rather than send copies via email attachments. Anyone needing a hard
copy sent via snail mail should contact Rich Mullen.
Safety & Training Committee / Ian Fryer
Ian has been trying to arrange a
presentation on cave diving for a future meeting.
Special Event Committee / Rick
Farmer
Contact Rick for details
about Feb 16 Ski Day. Contact Tom for 03/03 Aquarium Trip.
Travel Committee / Norva Gormley
Nothing new to
report.
Web Site Committee / Rick Farmer
Visit our now permanent web site at https://www.angelfire.com/nj4/divers/
This web site offers Calendar of Events,
Newsletters, Scuba Links and other cool stuff.
If members want to post any timely club
or scuba related activities they are encouraged to use email group mailing.
Members can also send the item to Rich or Tom for group email processing.
Members are reminded to use care in protecting each others private email
address and should not send email to members who request not to receive such
group mailings. Anyone who wishes to use Yahoo club sites can join the two
options included as links from our website. These include Yahoo Virtual Dive
Club “In too deep” or “Dutch Springs dive buddies” If you have any difficulties
joining these Yahoo Clubs please ask Rich for directions or assistance.
Old Business
Nothing new to
report.
New Business
·
Rich passed around DA 2002 Release of
Liability Form to be signed by all club members. This is general liability waiver type form
that NAUI recommends to be signed each year. Before
you can dive with the club, you need to sign a waiver according to our
established by-laws.
Guest Speakers
Tonight
we were honored by visit from Sea Dwellers Dive Shop Capt Ted Masotti, Capt Nick Caruso and Dive Instructor Corey. You can visit their web site at: http://www.seadwellersnj.com/
Minutes are submitted by Divers Anonymous Secretary,
Richard Mullen
______________________
2002
Divers Anonymous Calendar 2002
January 2002
·
1/12 - DA Holiday Party, 8:00 pm, San Carlo
Rest., ·
1/14 – DA Planning Meeting, 7PM, 6 Bros Diner, Rt
46 ·
1/28 - Dive Club Meeting, Featured Speaker: Capt Ted Massotti, How to become rebreather
certified |
February 2002
§
2/16 Third Annual DA Ski Day §
2/17 Tom’s River Flea Market §
2/25 - Dive Club Meeting |
March 2002
·
3/3 NYC Aquarium Trip ·
3/20 Pool Check Out Dive, ·
Beneath the Sea 3/22, 23, 24 ·
Dive Club Meeting 3/25 |
April 2002
·
April 14 ·
4/29 - Dive Club Meeting Annual
Dues & Officer Elections
|
May 2002
·
5/18 - Memorial Day Picnic and Dive ·
5/20 - Dive Club Meeting ·
Boat Diving |
June 2002
·
6/8 Shark River Inlet Dive ·
6/16 Boat Diving Scuba Too ·
6/24 - Dive Club Meeting ·
6/30 Boat diving Scuba Too Mohawk Trip |
July 2002
·
7/7 Dual Wrecks, ·
7/14 Boat Dive Scuba Too ·
7/27 & 28 Dutch Springs Camping and Dive Weekend ·
7/29 - Dive Club Meeting ·
Boat Diving |
August 2002
·
8/4 , 8/18 Scuba Too Boat Dives ·
8/10 Night Dive at Shark River Inlet & Sat Night Out ·
DA Day at Great Adventure ·
8/26 - Dive Club Meeting ·
Boat Diving |
September 2002
·
Labor Day Picnic & Dive, Sun, 9/1, 8AM ·
9/8 Boat Diving Scuba Too Mohawk Trip ·
9/22-23 Long Island Diving ·
9/30 - Dive Club Meeting ·
Boat Diving |
|
October 2002 ·
10/27 Halloween Dive ·
Boat Diving ·
10/28 Dive Club Meeting |
November 2002
·
11/17 Fifth Annual Equipment Maintenance Workshop ·
11/25 Dive Club Meeting |
December 2002
·
12/16 – Dive Club Meeting 2nd
Annual Artifact & Photo Exhibit and Dive Story Contest ·
Happy Holidays |
Pink
Highlighted Events are supported by DA dues: food, prizes, subsidized admission
etc.