Join STRAMM Fish Watch

Thanks everyone for the positive comments I've received in recent months about this blog. Just sorry not to be diving in TARP any more! Do some for me...

Anyway, I've begun a small but growing Group on Facebook for those interested in Fishwatching in STRAMM sites (Shallow Tropical Reef and Muck, Marine). Feel free to go to the Group's portal or search Facebook for STRAMM Fish Watch, and request to join.

Here's a photo I took of a fish watching me watching it: Acreichthys tomentosus of the family MONACANTHIDAE, off Manukan island back on 23rd June 2007.

Mind-googling technology

My friend Marc is an Orangutan specialist here in Sabah; he loved this crab when we came across a similar one whilst diving together (Achaeus japonicus commonly known as an Orangutan crab) from the Family MAJIDAE. I took this photo on Bubble coral between Sulug and Manukan islands on 23rd June 2007.

I'm beginning the task of modifying my fish identification on-line, to include an example of every photographed sighting I have logged in the park. It allows me to locate each photo too (if you have Google Earth then a simple button allows you to see the photos dotted around the park to show actual distributions). It also makes it easier for others to double-check and question my identifications (go right ahead) and hopefully will provide a more meaningful legacy for future researchers into the fishes in TARP. Not wanting to pay Google anything, I am limited to 250 'albums' per log-in ID (I have over 370 species with 400+ colour morphs) so I am starting with an ID for 'Sinkers' - fish which tend to sink if not swimming, as opposed to 'Swimmers' (I didn't have the heart to call them 'Floaters') who find it hard to sink except when asleep at night. I've already uploaded material for 9 species, for example Gymnothorax javanicus; go ahead and hit the 'View in Google Earth' button in the bottom right of the screen to see the distribution of my sightings, with the details on any one if clicked. It will also provide a gallery to locate other peoples sightings if they send them to me with or for identification and permission for me to add them.

I'm making changes to the checklist off-line to provide the relevant links too, but this is incremental and I'll only upload it when I next upload substantive changes to it.

Marine Research at Sabah Parks

Here's a Hawksbill marine turtle who's photo I took on 2nd July 2008 off Sapi island; very relaxed and so without disturbing him I was able to fire off a number of nice shots.

This is exactly the sort of fellow that Irwan Isnain and his colleagues at Sabah Parks are determined to protect; I met with him yesterday at his office on Manukan island and had a really good time - it's fantastic to meet some of the people passionate about TARP and working for the government. It was a great opportunity to compare notes on fish species lists for the park too - including the complete list put together in 1992 during a visit by Gerry Allen. In addition, it turns out that a Japanese researcher has put together a supplementary list based on his own photos taken in the park between 2005 and 2007. As yet, the list is unpublished but it appears to have over 80 additions to Gerry's original - taking his list towards the total he predicted. It's a pity not to have sight now of the supplementary list as it remains confidential for the time being, but in due course I'm sure it will come out; hopefully it will also mention the fishes from Gerry's list which have been seen since as well: when the three lists can come together, I think we will be very close to a comprehensive perspective on all of TARP's fish species ever recorded (though there are indications that the number is less than it used to be).