Asian Diver Issue 4

Luciferin Researchers estimate that between 80 and 90 percent of deep-dwelling animals are bioluminous, creating light by mixing the pigment luciferin with luciferase, the enzyme that makes it glow. Chlorin e6 (Ce6) A natural, light-sensitive substance derived from sea creatures that can give humans night vision across a distance of over 50 metres in total darkness for several hours . Yeti Crab Kiwa hirsuta was found on the floor of the 2,300-metre-deep Pacific Ocean some 1,500 kilometres south of Easter Island. Its hairy pincer arms host colonies of bacteria that it may use as “sensors” that help the blind animal find a mate, among other things. Velvet belly lantern sharks ( Etmopterus spinax ) Researchers identified melatonin, prolactin and alpha-MSH, three hormones known to control sharkskin colouration, as…

Beginner on a budget, I initially bought minimum equipment, i.e., an underwater Canon WP-DC53 housing, an INON D2000 strobe and a Subsee +10 macro lens. From the first on-land and underwater tests, results were more than promising. The grip of the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II is simple and efficient. I immediately felt at ease in M mode – where I could make any adjustment to the shutter speed and aperture, among other things, to suit many situations – eventhough I had never used this mode before. It only took me a short while to grasp the skill of taking beautiful pictures! Thanks to good advice and appropriate setup, I was quickly able to achieve great pictures underwater. This very cool mode is designed to filter out blue, so…

Dear Editor, I have been reading Asian Diver more frequently these days, as I think the information is getting so useful; it is something I now use as a reference and advice. Thank you for this magazine. I think it is an important magazine for the diving world in Asia. Tong Kum Seng, Singapore Dear Editor, I love the way you showcase Asia in all its glory. It really is a beautiful region and we are so lucky to live here and call it home. I dive as often as I can and I make sure to take Asian Diver with me when I go on a dive trip. It is like my good luck underwear; I am good to go when it’s in my dive bag. Andrew Bon EK,…

The night has always been a time of haunting pleasures for many who dwell close to the warm, breezy shores of balmy Asia. This issue, when the call of the ocean has come around again, luring us to the pleasing waters of some of the greatest dive sites in the world, Asian Diver yields to its bliss, this time, when the sun goes down. Here, the magic of the night takes over and Asian Diver invites you to surrender body and soul to some of the best night dives you’ll ever experience. Keep it real, keep it fun, keep it compelling...…

OCT October 18–25 BLUEWATER PHOTO'S 2015 MALDIVES UNDERWATER PHOTO WORKSHOP www.bluewaterphotostore.com/ maldivesworkshop-2015 October 19–22 CAWCR ANNUAL WORKSHOP 2015 – COUPLED MODELLING AND PREDICTION: FROM WEATHER TO CLIMATE Melbourne, Australia www.cawcr.gov.au/events/AWS9 October 23–25 TIOMAN ISLAND CLEAN UP DAY Berjaya Hotels & Resorts www.berjayahotel.com October 25–November 4 KADU PINHEIRO IN COCOS ISLAND Okeanos Aggressor www.uwphotographyguide.com/cocostrips-october2015 NOV November 4–7 DEMA SHOW 2015 ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER Orlando, Florida www.dema.org November 7–December 12 MASBAT BAY CONSERVATION 2015 www.redsea-ec.org November 18–28 ANDERS SALESJO IN FIJI S/Y Fiji Siren www.sirenfleet.com/scandinavian November 2015 VOLUNTEER BORNEO MARINE AND SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION www.globalteer.org/volunteer-projects.  aspx?project=borneo-marine-andseaturtle-conservation DEC December 26–January 9 X-MAS REEF CHECK (Includes a 3-days Reef Check EcoDiver Course trained by marine biologists) Blue Hole, Canyon and Gabr el Bint www.redsea-ec.org December…

IRREVERSIBLE CHANGES According to scientists, climate change will have irreversible and unprecedented impacts on crucial ocean microorganisms that could trigger dramatic effects further up the food chain. Trichodesmium, a genus of bacteria known for surviving in nutrient-poor parts of the ocean, converts nitrogen into a material that can be used by other forms of life – from plankton to whales – which all require it to grow. This process of “nitrogen fixation” makes the bacteria “the fertilising agent of the open ocean”, says Eric Webb, co-author of the study published in Nature Communications. Although they are microorganisms, they form in colonies that can be seen by the naked eye, earning them the name “sea sawdust”. When the scientists placed the bacteria in conditions simulating carbon dioxide levels in 85 years’…