Cook Iskands coral

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ken - 20 Jul 2005 04:05 GMT

In another thread I was able to exchange information with a Cook
Islands affectionado, one Chilly. I thought I would start a thread on
the specific topic I am exploring.
We recently visited Rarotonga and Aitutaki in the Cook Islands and this
was because of the excellent report Lonely Planet gave on the
snorkelling and coral in the lagoons on these islands.

Well we were very disappointed (let me hasten to note that the
accommodation and the people were great - things were rather expensive
but the quality of the cuisine was on a par with Moorea and Vanuatu).
All the reefs we saw were either completely dead or, at best, 95% dead.

We have snorkelled in the Great Barrier Reef, in Hawaii, Fiji,
Vanuatu, Moorea and other places - all offering reefs teeming with
diverse corals and other life.
Lonely Planet book was published in 2000. We have found it a reliable
guide to the other destinations I have mentioned. So something must
have happened to the coral in the Cook Islands over the last five
years.

Considering the isolation and dispersion of the Cooks, if their coral
is dying, what is happening to coral elsewhere?

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Dillon Pyron - 20 Jul 2005 04:32 GMT

>In another thread I was able to exchange information with a Cook
>Islands affectionado, one Chilly. I thought I would start a thread on
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>Considering the isolation and dispersion of the Cooks, if their coral
>is dying, what is happening to coral elsewhere?

Watch The Coral Sea in IMAX for one discussion on what's going on
around the world.

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dillon
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And a damn fine one, at that.

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Jer - 20 Jul 2005 12:50 GMT

>>In another thread I was able to exchange information with a Cook
>>Islands affectionado, one Chilly. I thought I would start a thread on
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> Watch The Coral Sea in IMAX for one discussion on what's going on
> around the world.

I second this motion.

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jer
email reply - I am not a 'ten'

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Daniel Kessler - 20 Jul 2005 14:31 GMT

For some time...I thought the word was out about the Cooks not being a worthy
dive destination.

I have a hunch that the corals in the Society Island and the Cooks from the
getgo were never all that great, but have suffered terribly as a result of
local activity...rapacious pillaging of the reefs.

> >>In another thread I was able to exchange information with a Cook
> >>Islands affectionado, one Chilly. I thought I would start a thread on
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
> jer
> email reply - I am not a 'ten'

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Greg Mossman - 20 Jul 2005 06:34 GMT

> We have snorkelled in the Great Barrier Reef, in Hawaii, Fiji,
> Vanuatu, Moorea and other places - all offering reefs teeming with
> diverse corals and other life.

You thought Hawaii and Moorea were teeming with diverse corals?

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ken - 20 Jul 2005 08:16 GMT

Hawaii was about 20 years ago and my memory is dim - we visited four
islands and I seem to recall pretty good coral.
Moorea was more recent - matybe 7 years ago and there was great coral
off the beach near the main settlement and we also found some good
stuff in Cooks Bay. Compable to what we saw on the Barrier Reef on our
last visit - maybe three-four years ago.
Similar for Fiji and Vanuatu.
Now I'm getting worried!

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Greg Mossman - 20 Jul 2005 16:34 GMT

> Hawaii was about 20 years ago and my memory is dim - we visited four
> islands and I seem to recall pretty good coral.
> Moorea was more recent - matybe 7 years ago and there was great coral

Due to their relative isolation in the middle of the Pacific, Hawaii and
Tahiti just don't have the variety of hard corals (40 in Hawaii vs. 300 in
Palau). Most of it is monotonous finger and lobe coral. Also, their reefs
are less productive and more nutrient poor and therefore lack the abundance
of soft corals, sponges, tunicates, and bivalves that make up some of the
more stellar reef systems of the world. Truth be told, I find Hawaii reefs
boring and Moorea's reefs even more boring, but obviously YMMV.

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Richard Adams - 23 Jul 2005 19:05 GMT

I noticed this also. I asked about it, and a local diver told me it was
because of an invasion of crown of thorns that ended 2 or 3 years ago.

Samoa hasn't been affected, and it's not that fr away.

> In another thread I was able to exchange information with a Cook
> Islands affectionado, one Chilly. I thought I would start a thread on
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> Considering the isolation and dispersion of the Cooks, if their coral
> is dying, what is happening to coral elsewhere?

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