Indian Dascyllus

Ok – I’m going to start bouncing around with my photos now, so they’re no longer in sequential order as I took them…

After some challenges with the diving (rough conditions, less than perfect visibility, and wanting to make sure I focused on the science aspects of the diving first before indulging my hobby) and my camera (issues with the housing, bad settings, and a bit of rust on my photography skills), I think I am finally getting into a better routine with getting some underwater photos. Some photos I am taking mainly to contribute to the science team for future expeditions, but sometimes I get to take some just for myself…

This one probably will work for both… the fish is an Indian Dascyllus – a small fish that lives in tabular corals. This photo actually works great to show both sides of the science that we volunteers are helping with. Half the team will be working on fish species identifications and surveying, while the rest of the team (myself included) are working on benthic identification and surveying.

The Benthic Zone is the bottom layer of a body of water, so in this case it means the reef itself. Corals are a big part of it, but we will also be paying attention to other things like hydroids, sponges, zooanthids, and also some things that do move about like crown of thorn seastars, triton snails, urchins, and sea cucumbers (I’ll get some photos of them soon).

But for now, enjoy a nice photo of one of my favorite fish and a tiny bit of its habitat…