Learning how to Transplant Coral at Mote Marine Laboratory - Summerland Key

Cole Kolasa

Scubanaut - Senior First Class

AAUS D-100
DAN Diving First Aid Pro Provider

July 16, 2014            

Many people take up jobs that require them to work with their hands, multi-task, and complete certain tasks while working to achieve some goal. Working with MOTE Marine laboratories in their coral nursery fits this description and much more, as you have to contribute your diving skills to complete your assigned task.   As SCUBAnauts, we receive top-notch dive training that gives us the ability to complete our assignments and most importantly to do them safely.   A job “well done” with MOTE is very gratifying due to the fact that you actually know you are contributing to real research and that you are making a difference.

            I have participated in doing coral work with MOTE for three years now, and the experience has been extraordinary.   As a diver you benefit by increasing your skill set as you learn to problem-solve and multitask underwater. You also develop skills with your team that are not only useful below the surface, but above the water too. On our last expedition, I was a team leader with three other SCUBAnauts and we were able to move and secure approximately 100 corals in 20 minutes to their “trees” where they will grow and mature over the next year. We did this several times. Together, all our teams were able to transplant and secure over 600 corals to hard bottom structure during our last expedition. On top of that we fragmented and hung around 2000 corals so they can continue growing and go on to produce more and more coral colonies.  These corals will begin to grow and provide the essential structure to reefs that is so essential for life of many different reef-fish and crustaceans. This was SCUBAnauts first year that we transplanted coral to hard-bottom reefs, and after our success it will be very exciting and interesting to see what MOTE has planned for us this summer. 

July 2014 Coral Nursery and Transplant Dive Missions

7.16.14 Dive Journal Entry

 

Sofia Alaniz, Scubanaut-Senior First Class
Master Diver
AAUS D-100
DAN Diving First Aid Pro Provider

 

Today was filled with a ton of fun and a huge load of diving!!! I was expecting a normal day of normal dives… That is not even close to what they were. In the morning all of the Nauts woke up and got ready to help MOTE with more transplanting corals! I remember when we hung these corals last year, but this time we were able to help cut them. This was a great experience for me and the other SCUBAnauts. We were able to see how to cut these and to see that these are actually tough corals. This was such an eye opening experience for all of us. Later in the day we had a talk from Mr. Mark Knowles about the geology of the Florida Keys. Many don’t really think geology is the best subject…. but having a talk from him, was so much fun. We learned that over the years that the Florida Keys were formed from the shifting sand from the original shoals. These sand particles are called oolites and without these, we wouldn’t have the lower portion of the Keys. Just thinking this day was amazing and I did not think that this could get any better, when in fact the day and night got even better. The SCUBAnauts had the opportunity to go on a night dive. We had two thirty minute dives and they were filled with so much fun and beautiful creatures. On the second dive, I saw two massive eagle rays that came right under me. I know that this dive will stick with me for the rest of my diving career. I hope that I will have more dives similar to this one!! This is an amazing trip and I will keep many memories from it!!!