Outdoors

Divers needed to count fish on gulf reefs

By RODNEY PAGE
Published June 26, 2005

It seems like a daunting task: Try to organize a volunteer program that uses divers from around the United States to count as many tropical fish species as possible, then coordinate that data to gain a better understanding of the fish and the coral reefs they inhabit.

That's what the Reef Environmental Education Foundation, or REEF, is trying to do with its fourth Great Annual Fish Count. The project takes place throughout July in coastal communities across the country.

The information gathered will be stored in a database at the University of Miami, where scientists and research managers will try to gain knowledge about reef ecosystems and conditions. They also will be able to tell if populations of certain species have changed in the past year.

Locally, a fish count is being arranged by Aquatic Obsessions on July 9 in St. Petersburg. Certified divers, with or without boats, are invited to take part in the event. There will be a free fish-identification class in the morning, and the boats will take off from the Fort De Soto docks shortly thereafter.

"We need as many divers as we can get," said James Ortiz, co-organizer of the event. "Even if they don't have a boat, we'll find a place for them."

Divers will venture into 40- to 70-foot depths and along ledges to search for fish. The fish of choice will be tropical, which include parrot fish and butterfly fish. The group will not count game fish such as grouper and snapper.

"The government already has programs that count game fish," Ortiz said. "We're mostly concerned with the tropical fish, which generally don't get counted."

Each diver will take an underwater pencil and tablet with a list of the fish they hope to find. After they are sighted, divers check off a fish from the list. All of the information gathered is sent to REEF.

Ortiz said about 35 to 40 divers are signed up. This year the Tampa Bay Spearfishing Club is also getting involved, providing divers as well as four to six boats.

"More than anything, this is a conservation effort," said Ortiz, who is also a member of the Tampa Bay Spearfishing Club. "A lot of people think spearfishermen just want to kill fish, but that's not true at all. It doesn't make sense to just kill all the fish. Then there would be no fish to dive for. We're about conservation as well."

After the divers conclude their fish count, the group plans a cookout on Shell Island. For information, call (727) 344-3483.

[Last modified June 26, 2005, 00:35:07]