SCMAS/RC memeber helps conserv Hawaiian reef

laverda · 05/17/2006, 11:34 AM

I got this cool email yesterday and had to share it! Just goes to prove the hobby can do some good. Here is the original news item my wife had sent me, from which I contacted Steve Coles.-> http://starbulletin.com/2005/12/10/news/story03.html
Steve

Hi Steve,

Just thought you would like to know that your suggestion has led to what I think may be an effective method of controlling the sponge, at least in areas of new arrival and/or low abundance. After consideration, I thought it might be productive to devise a way of injecting air into the sponge, which I've done by putting a robber tiped release valve on the end of a diving low pressure hose, and this fits perfectly on to a 30 ml syringe with a bone necropsy needle about 10 cm long. This is ideal for penetrating the sponge down within the interstices of the finger coral that it's overgrowing. I tried blasing the sponge using this device on a couple of quadrats in early March and was quite astounded a month and a half later to find virtually all sponge gone on one quadrat and very little remaining on another. I'm sure that minimal retreatment will eliminate the sponge entirely, with little collateral damage to the coral. I did these air exposures after some preliminary mechanical removal of sponge surface layers, and now we will try air blasting alone to see if it's as effective.

So thanks very nuch for the suggestion. I wonder if you could give me your name, affiliation and how you learned of our project? I reported on this at the International Sponge Symposium in Buzos, Brazil last week, where many sponge experts were impressed with the originality of the idea of using air to remove sponge in a controlled manner. We have a quarterly HCRI report meeting tomorrow, at which I'd like to give you proper credit for it.

Best regards,

Steve Coles

S. L. Coles, Ph. D.
Research Zoologist
Bishop Museum, Department of Natural Science
1525 Bernice St.
Honolulu, HI 96817 US
Ph. (808)847-8256 Fax (808) 847-8252

-----Original Message-----
From: LAVERDA@aol.com [mailto:LAVERDA@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 3:15 PM
To: Steve Coles
Subject: Re: Sponge threatens coral in bay

Steve
Maybe a fine stream of small bobbles for a couple of min. I hope it helps! I will not bother you any further.
Steve
Hadn't thought of it that way, but I'm still sceptical that a brief jet of air on the surface while the sponge is under water would have a long lasting effect. Still, worth a try, especially perhaps following mechanical removal.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: LAVERDA@aol.com [mailto:LAVERDA@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 9:03 AM
To: Steve Coles
Subject: Re: Sponge threatens coral in bay

In a message dated 12/12/2005 10:19:50 AM Pacific Standard Time, slcoles@bishopmuseum.org writes:
No, I don't think so. Th sponge is so firmly attached that the only way we've found to remove it so far is to carefully scrape and pick, a very time consuming process. If a jet of air were strong enough to remove it, it would tear away any coral that was near the sponge.
Steve
I thought exposure to air killed most sponges. So it would not take much pressure at all.
Steve

NicoleC · 05/17/2006, 11:37 AM

Congrats, Steve! Good thinking -- if sponges die after collection because they are exposed to air, why not use air to kill them?

sharkdude · 05/17/2006, 12:01 PM

Very cool Laverda!
Its neat that a well known effect in our hobby, could be adapted and applied in the field. Its especially cool that their method has no collateral damage to nearby and affected corals.

was that a news story I posted?

ScotchMaster · 05/17/2006, 12:02 PM

Wow! That is so cool.....That idea should work perfect

laverda · 05/17/2006, 12:21 PM

Chris, It was a story my wife sent to me.
Thanks everyone. It made me feel good.

bennyinca · 05/17/2006, 12:23 PM

Konadog · 05/17/2006, 12:40 PM

A perfect example of how a simple idea can work wonders!

Nice work Steve

fish_fanatik · 05/17/2006, 03:48 PM

damn,

that is awesome!!!! Way to go Steve.

Konadog · 05/17/2006, 04:13 PM

Steve, have you considered posting this in the General Reef Keeping forum to let others know how reefers can sometimes help the scientific community?

It's ideas like this that may one day save our reefs!

DJ88© · 05/17/2006, 06:05 PM

awesome..

05/17/2006, 11:34 AM	#1
laverda Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Anaheim, CA Posts: 6,902	SCMAS/RC memeber helps conserv Hawaiian reef I got this cool email yesterday and had to share it! Just goes to prove the hobby can do some good. Here is the original news item my wife had sent me, from which I contacted Steve Coles.-> http://starbulletin.com/2005/12/10/news/story03.html Steve Hi Steve, Just thought you would like to know that your suggestion has led to what I think may be an effective method of controlling the sponge, at least in areas of new arrival and/or low abundance. After consideration, I thought it might be productive to devise a way of injecting air into the sponge, which I've done by putting a robber tiped release valve on the end of a diving low pressure hose, and this fits perfectly on to a 30 ml syringe with a bone necropsy needle about 10 cm long. This is ideal for penetrating the sponge down within the interstices of the finger coral that it's overgrowing. I tried blasing the sponge using this device on a couple of quadrats in early March and was quite astounded a month and a half later to find virtually all sponge gone on one quadrat and very little remaining on another. I'm sure that minimal retreatment will eliminate the sponge entirely, with little collateral damage to the coral. I did these air exposures after some preliminary mechanical removal of sponge surface layers, and now we will try air blasting alone to see if it's as effective. So thanks very nuch for the suggestion. I wonder if you could give me your name, affiliation and how you learned of our project? I reported on this at the International Sponge Symposium in Buzos, Brazil last week, where many sponge experts were impressed with the originality of the idea of using air to remove sponge in a controlled manner. We have a quarterly HCRI report meeting tomorrow, at which I'd like to give you proper credit for it. Best regards, Steve Coles S. L. Coles, Ph. D. Research Zoologist Bishop Museum, Department of Natural Science 1525 Bernice St. Honolulu, HI 96817 US Ph. (808)847-8256 Fax (808) 847-8252 -----Original Message----- From: LAVERDA@aol.com [mailto:LAVERDA@aol.com] Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 3:15 PM To: Steve Coles Subject: Re: Sponge threatens coral in bay Steve Maybe a fine stream of small bobbles for a couple of min. I hope it helps! I will not bother you any further. Steve Hadn't thought of it that way, but I'm still sceptical that a brief jet of air on the surface while the sponge is under water would have a long lasting effect. Still, worth a try, especially perhaps following mechanical removal. Thanks for the suggestion. Steve -----Original Message----- From: LAVERDA@aol.com [mailto:LAVERDA@aol.com] Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 9:03 AM To: Steve Coles Subject: Re: Sponge threatens coral in bay In a message dated 12/12/2005 10:19:50 AM Pacific Standard Time, slcoles@bishopmuseum.org writes: No, I don't think so. Th sponge is so firmly attached that the only way we've found to remove it so far is to carefully scrape and pick, a very time consuming process. If a jet of air were strong enough to remove it, it would tear away any coral that was near the sponge. Steve I thought exposure to air killed most sponges. So it would not take much pressure at all. Steve __________________ 240G mixed reef, 29G SPS/LPS clam tank, 50G mixed reef Current Tank Info: 300g mixed reef, 50g cube

05/17/2006, 11:37 AM	#2
NicoleC Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Madison, AL Posts: 8,875	Congrats, Steve! Good thinking -- if sponges die after collection because they are exposed to air, why not use air to kill them? __________________ Don't count your gobies before they've metamorphasized. Current Tank Info: 40g Indo-Pacific lagoon with tank bred livestock

05/17/2006, 12:01 PM	#3
sharkdude Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Garden Grove, CA Posts: 4,149	Very cool Laverda! Its neat that a well known effect in our hobby, could be adapted and applied in the field. Its especially cool that their method has no collateral damage to nearby and affected corals. was that a news story I posted? __________________ Sharkdude Current Tank Info: reef tankless since August 2009; PDF vivs since October 2009

05/17/2006, 12:21 PM	#5
laverda Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Anaheim, CA Posts: 6,902	Chris, It was a story my wife sent to me. Thanks everyone. It made me feel good. __________________ 240G mixed reef, 29G SPS/LPS clam tank, 50G mixed reef Current Tank Info: 300g mixed reef, 50g cube

05/17/2006, 12:40 PM	#7
Konadog Master of the 16 hour day Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: East Long Beach, So Cal Posts: 13,151 Blog Entries: 4	A perfect example of how a simple idea can work wonders! Nice work Steve __________________ Save the Reefs................................................................Save the world! -Ken Current Tank Info: Currently tankless, and loving it!

05/17/2006, 12:02 PM	#4
ScotchMaster Moved On Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Anaheim, CA Posts: 651	Wow! That is so cool.....That idea should work perfect

05/17/2006, 12:23 PM	#6
bennyinca Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Southern OC, CA Posts: 2,140

05/17/2006, 03:48 PM	#8
fish_fanatik Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Anaheim Posts: 1,726	damn, that is awesome!!!! Way to go Steve.

05/17/2006, 04:13 PM	#9
Konadog Master of the 16 hour day Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: East Long Beach, So Cal Posts: 13,151 Blog Entries: 4	Steve, have you considered posting this in the General Reef Keeping forum to let others know how reefers can sometimes help the scientific community? It's ideas like this that may one day save our reefs! __________________ Save the Reefs................................................................Save the world! -Ken Current Tank Info: Currently tankless, and loving it!

05/17/2006, 06:05 PM	#10
DJ88© Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: BC. Canada. Posts: 14,351	awesome.. __________________ Darren Beauty fades.... Stupid is forever...... Current Tank Info: 34 Gal Solana with some lights.. and pumps that make water move. And fish...