Reefs

Red sea diving
Region: Egypt
Created: Sep 06, 2010, modified: Jan 13, 2012, overall rating: 0.000

 

 



 

Some think that it should abound in tropical seas life, but really warm and clear waters of the tropics are rich enough food and do not attract a large number of fish and other living organisms. On the other hand, coral reefs are a kind of vital center, where are concentrated many fish and plants, staying in constant struggle for living space, giving the impression of a rich and complex world.

Reefs - an oasis in a big desert. The secret of this lush life lies in the specific biology of hard corals, also known as coral-builders, - beings who throughout his life form a colony. These organisms are able to learn from the sea water calcium carbonate, from which they build their skeleton.

New and new organisms, layering on an already dead, several million years creating a huge coral formations. Individual colonies reached huge proportions, weighing tens of tons and occupy the entire volume of the living room. Affects a large diversity of corals - they may be circular, in the form of columns, flat or branched.

Moreover, the outer structure of the same species may be softer or harder, depending on whether the calm or turbulent waters, they grow. Corals also demonstrate the variety of colors with shades of yellow and pink, green and purple, brown and blue.

Color retain only living coral reef, after the death of corals lose their soft tissue and the covering is white calcium skeleton covered with numerous holes, home to the remaining polyps that make up the living part of the huge colonies.

Each individual polyp is similar to a small shrinking sac with a circular crown of tentacles around the mouth opening. The tentacles are equipped with special cells with shooting like arrows hairs contain a toxin that can immobilize small crustaceans that feed on and polyps. Most polyps are hunted at night, and on the day of being drawn into their burrows.

An important feature of the builders of large reefs is the presence of tissue-specific single-celled algae. Despite the fact that the role of such a relationship is not fully understood, it is known that single-celled algae contribute to the accumulation of calcium carbonate in the skeletons of corals, convert waste products produced by polyps, a useful substance for the colony, and release oxygen in amounts far exceeding the consumption .

The fact that corals do not contain these algae usually do not form large colonies, is proof of the enormous importance of these single-celled organisms living corals.

In the formation of reefs are involved, due to their ability to cementing, and other organisms, such as "fire corals" and "coral algae. Large coral reefs are usually formed in shallow water, rarely reaching the 100-meter mark, since the algae living within them, need sunlight to maintain the process of photosynthesis. In addition, the corals are demanding to water temperature (between 20 and 35 ° C) and can not stand the muddy and not enough salt water.
divers, however, not attacking them.

Triggerfish, especially the kind Balistoides viridescens, can strike when guarding large rounded nests with future offspring. If approached too close, the fish will not hesitate to attack and forced to retreat quickly to avoid more drastic action. However, most real danger of tropical waters are of poisonous creatures. The most dangerous in this respect are members of the family Scorpaenidae, whose back, abdominal and anal fins are provided with needles that are connected to venom glands.

Some members of this family, such as the lionfish (Pterois, easily recognizable thanks to their rich and bright colors, which, apparently, intended to warn about stredstvah effective protection for these fish. Others, such as borodavchatki (Synanceia verrucosa) or big scary skorpenopsy (Scorpaenopsis barbatus and Scorpaenopsis diabolus), lie motionless on the sea floor, fully merging with him and waited, when production gets into a zone of their shooting needles.

If they accidentally stepped on or touched, they can sting, resulting in a burned area swells up, it appears throbbing pain that is accompanied by sweating, breathing becomes difficult, heart palpitations, high fever, and in some cases a partial paralysis. The pain does not stop within a few days, sometimes the consequences of the bite caused death.

Poison used Scorpaenidae, refers to the neuro-toxins and breaks down when heated, so burned body part must be immersed in very hot water, which only can sustain, and dissolve in water, any oxidizing substance such as potassium permanganate, neutralizing poison. In addition, the victim shall be appointed analeptics heart and adrenaline with cortisone. Another inhabitant of the sea bottom, which hides under the sand - it hvostokol occurring everywhere in the Red Sea, especially the spotted species (Taeniura lymma), endowed with a poisonous needle.

If he bothered or stepped on, it can sting, the resulting wound is very painful, in the case of infection may begin gangrene. In form like him torpedo (Familie Torpedinidea) also lives on the sea bottom, where deeply hidden under a layer of sand. He has no poisonous needles, but it is able to arrange an electric shock to anyone who disturbed him. Injection, which in rare cases may even become the cause of death can be obtained from the beautiful, having a conical shell, clams, cones, such as Conus textile. These molluscs have a complex secretory system. They shoot really small harpoons, a violent poison, paralyzing the victim. They mainly occur at night and are harmless if left alone.

Sea urchins are well known because of the dire consequences of contact with them for the hands or feet. At night they emerge from hiding in reefs and dot all the seabed. In diademovyh sea urchins are long, thin black needles, which easily penetrate the flesh and, thanks to the toxins in the epidermis of needles, causing very painful. Another sea urchin, which should beware, it Asthenosoma varium. The ends of his short red needles are covered with tiny white puzyrkami filled with poison.

When the needle pierce the skin of the victim, the bubbles burst and the poison gets into the wound, immediately causing a sharp pain.

In general, there are many organisms, biting into contact with them, but from which it is easy to defend, wearing shoes and a pair of gloves for diving. First and foremost, is a widespread fire coral (Millepora sp.), It gidrozoynaya form similar to branched or pterygoid coral color and has a brown-yellow ocher with whitish tips. On the surface of the body are very small bodies - nematocysts capable of throwing the thread containing the strong poisons and cause painful burns. If you do touch the coral, the place of burning, should be thoroughly rinsed with sea water and oil cream containing cortisone and aluminum sulfate. Can cause burn injuries and certain types of jellyfish, sea anemones and other representatives of the Cnidaria, but they are well protected usual suit diver.


 

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