527 catalogued fish species in TARP

This Squirrelfish Myripristis hexagona (Family HOLOCENTRIDAE) at Agill reef off Gaya island on 11th September 2008 probably thought it was nicely hidden; nicely framed more like! Anyway, I am pleased to announce the launch today of a collaborative wiki-based checklist of all 527 known fish species in TARP (not merely my own which already reach 384).

Speedboats and sunsets

Will he be pleased? Photographed off Sapi island on 21st July 2006, Ardeadoris egretta (a Nudibranch from the Family CHROMODORIDIDAE) of course will not be asked. The idea though appears to be that the sea village on Gaya will be 'rearranged' and supplemented by 1,000 houses, government offices, and a fire station... all on Gaya itself. (It reminds me of defunct plans to build a bridge to Gaya ++. Maybe that plan is in danger of being re-floated too?) Here's hoping that my friend and his vast but fragile underwater society won't be so overcome by the benefits of 'development' (like construction silt and waste water), that there's little left to TARP but speedboats and sunsets.

New Website Launched

At last, I've made a start in creating an unofficial website for TARP - also called TARP Watch. Using Google Sites, it is possible to have collaborators with permission to modify and add to it, so if anyone is keen to do so, do contact me and we can discuss it. One benefit is that I can start to unload clutter from the periphery of this blog and I have already made a start.

I am making good progress with the guidebook to fishes in TARP - but it remains slow going and I hope to complete it soon (maybe even before the New Year). As I've mentioned before, publishing options are not obvious but with a good dummy printed off, I hope to be able to take it further, one way or another.

I've noticed that the exquisite Genus Dendronephthya (soft coral Family NEPHTHEIDAE) is missing from my blog illustrations thus far; the example shown (species uncertain) was taken off Sulug island on the morning of 19th May 2007.