Today we didn't have use of the dive boat as one of the other dive teams needed it. In the morning we did a lot of prep work on the settlement plates we are putting out. In the afternoon we got to go to Holei Island to do some transects measuring plants. This is work Doug's wife, Hillary, is doing. Below is a photo of Doug along the transect which was entirely coconut trees. There were no native trees to be found at this site.
When we left the dock it was overcast and the lagoon was littered with floating coconuts as shown below. No wonder they are so successful propagating across tropic islands. You need to click on this photo to get the larger view. All those dark dots on the water are coconuts.
The one story from today's adventure that will be remembered is the fact that I picked up the wrong set of dive booties. I didn't discover this until we were at our site. They look just like mine except they were size 6 and I wear size 9. I managed to squeeze in them, but it was painful to walk. I hiked to the first site and recorded data, but Doug let me off the hook for the hike to the second site. He and Francesco were able to do it without me. I sat on the beach and took photos, which I really enjoyed. Below is one of the endangered bristle-thighed curlew.
Bristle-thighed curlew
Numenius tahitiensis
I love the photo of the coconuts! That is really amazing.
ReplyDeleteJoe, What is a transect?
ReplyDeleteHave you eaten any fresh coconut since arriving there?
Mary
We have had coconut in some of the food they cook for us, but I am not sure it is local.
DeleteA transect is a line used by scientists to quantify organisms. Wikipedia gives a pretty good definition.
DeleteWhat would be native plants there if the coconuts were not so invasive?
ReplyDeletePalmyra has one the largest remaining stands of Pisonia grandis trees in the Pacific. The fear is the coconut trees will out compete the natives.
ReplyDelete