Precision work at unknown dive spot
There are several ways to contribute to TaMOs. The easiest way is a normal dive with a documentation of animal species on the underwater form. First enhancement is the so called profiling dive. In the first part of this dive, the focus lies on plant diversity and distribution, afterwards animal species are registered. The latest development is the measuring dive. Here is a report on one's experiences.
M. Musinszki during the measuring dive (Picture: D. Kuballa)
Initially we wanted to conduct our TaMOs dive from the Friedrichsorter lighthouse in north western direction. A lot of weir- and gillnet flags thwarted this plan. We changed our decision and investigated a to us unknown area southerly of the lighthouse in direction of the yellow bouy at the Lindenau wharf. Using two of the 100 m measuring tapes we wanted to cover a profile with high accuracy. Dirk stayed at the water line and I walked straight towards the bouy till the water reached my hip. We logged the species in these first meters. Dirk followed me now and fixed the measuring tape with a tent peg at the sea floor. From now on we swam in the fixed direction and connected the two measuring tapes. When the second tape was unwound we started with the "backwards" TaMOs dive. The blue water descent with the tape in our hands brought us down to 13 meters and muddy ground. Now the measuring tape was laying in front of us according to the chosen direction of 200°. We started to wind up the tape and recorded all observations on our ascent towards the beach. The combination of depth (dive computer) and distance (measuring tape) gives us a very accurate topography of this particular dive spot. This method is more accurate than the approximation by dive time, which is easier and more convenient, but has an accuracy of approximatly plus minus 3 meters.
Flat fish and comb jellys
The muddy ground changed quickly to a mixture with more sand and we logged all plants and animals we saw. As usual in Falckenstein we saw flat fish, sea beech, pipe fish, fields of blue mussels and a small eal gras meadow. We also met the comb jelly fish Mnemiopsis leidyi. This one is hard to distinguish at daylight from the domestic comb jelly (Bollinopsis leidyi), but the beginning twilight made it easy. Mnemiopsis reacts on careful touching with luminescence along the combs. This is similar to the marine luminescence we can see in late summer and autumn. The domestic species is not capable of luminescence. (more on this determiantion)
Try yourself!
Since TaMOs has applied for funding from the Environmental Funding Organisation BINGO in Schleswig-Holstein, it is planned to purchase more of these 100 meter long measuring tapes. Who ever wants to try this can get in contact with the TaMOs team and can join one of the dives or borrow the tapes for a small deposit from Dirk. This method has the advantage of following the tape instead of coordinating camera, lamp, writing and compass direction. Just follow the tape in the given direction and you can focus on the species.
Authored by Marianne Musinszki
