Pretty Fish or Cold Wrecks?

[seahunter]

Button #3 - Can't decide is definately needed.

Born and raised in Ontario; diving since '58 in the Kawarthas; countless dives in Toby, Kingston, Erie, Maritimes, BC, +, 3 years in the Keys and many hundreds of dives around the Caribbean, Pacific, Hawaii, etc.
I'm constantly asked which dive was the best or which I prefer - cold or warm.
Simply can't decide and don't want to decide. I wouldn't give up either.
"Cool wrecks in warm water" is pretty neat and certainly applies but there are lots of 'hot wrecks in cold water' too.
The Arabia lies at 100' in 42 degrees but your first few dives are seldom cold. The excitement keeps you warm.

However, after all that, I will say that any diver who says he would rather dive in Toby than in Cozumel (assuming he's experienced both) is permanently narced!

 

[cat]

where's the one for zebra mussels?

I'm only half kidding - I did spend some time in Toby looking at them (and being properly horrified like a good little aquatic ecologist...) Enjoy the shallow wrecks while you can. :-( Do the mussels colonize the deeper wrecks too and if not, where does it stop?
What do most OFWF do to prevent them from spreading via your gear? (Not that it isn't already too late for a lot of lakes in the area.)

 

[canuckdiver]

good point cat!
I never thought that my gear could be helping spread the zebra mussels, I guess I always assumed that a rinsedown after the dive, and cleaning my gear with mild soap and water was enoug (although that is not why I do a thourough cleaning).
any advice on what to be concerned about with this?

 

[cat]

The issue came to mind when reading a few websites that extolled the virtues of Lake Huron diving, one of which was that the suit doesn't have to be rinsed out the way it does after marine dives (I beg to differ, but then I know what else is in that water and what it will smell like after a few days ) Got me wondering about the mussels and transmission via dive gear. It's like the Eurasian water millfoil issue, except that now the invading species can spread via microscopic juvenile forms (veligers). And yes, scuba equipment is considered to be a possible vector for the mussels (though it probably has nothing on bait buckets).
From what I can gather, thorough rinsing with hot water, or, failing that, lots of well-chlorinated tap water, followed by equally thorough drying (not easy in the Ontario humidity) are the best practical preventatives that won't damage the suit (bleaching is obviously right out). The soap or detergent will probably also help.
I've seen reccommendations that boats be allowed to dry in the sun for up to 5 days if going from a contaminated lake to a clean one (and this is after draining the bilges). Probably overkill - 2 days should kill them. Or take the boat through a car wash...
Then again - if you plan to dive in a lake that's still free from zebras, it's probably worth giving your gear that extra dry time or scrub time just to make sure. There are lakes that they can't colonize - extreme soft-water ones, for instance.
I'll let the board know if I find anything else out. cat

 

[GTADiver]

Grab those pesky little mussles and put them in the Rideau River. Help the vis. Not sound enviromentally but great for the diver.

Cat asked "Do the mussels colonize the deeper wrecks too"
--yes they do

 

[cat]

GTADiver once bubbled...
Grab those pesky little mussles and put them in the Rideau River. Help the vis. Not sound enviromentally but great for the diver.

Cat asked "Do the mussels colonize the deeper wrecks too"
--yes they do

Ooh, do I ever hope that's a troll, GTA.
There's some new, rather disturbing info on the mussel/visibility issue. Western Lake Erie is starting to get algal blooms again, despite the mussels - or maybe because of them. It's a complex issue but the presence of large masses of mussels on the bottom - and subsequent large decaying biomass when they die may actually *increase* nutrient flux from the sediment, thus decresing the visibility over the long term. Jury is still out on this. And do you really want your nice cold-water wrecks all crusted with the noxious little molluscs?

How deep have mussels been observed in the Great Lakes anyways?

 

[GTADiver]

yes I was trolling about bottling up the zebra mussels and putting them in different bodies of water. Diving in fresh water, I must admit I dont always rinse my gear but I always look it over. I pride myself on my buoyancy so there should be none on my gear. I have seen lots of them on other divers tank meshes and tank boots though. In the St Lawrence they are still present at 215 feet. I have not been below 130 in Lake Ontario.

 

[seahunter]

Well that's great news cat!
Divers have been tolerating zebras (like we had a choice) and rationalizing their existence because of the incredible increase in visibility. Now you're saying that there may be evidence that over time the vis will actually drop?
Does anyone else have info on this?

 

[seahunter]

GTA, I think the zebras propogate by the spread of microscopic, free-floating bodies (embryos ?) which will be all through your gear (like the BC pockets) whether you touch the bottom or anything else. I don't think you need to touch a zebra to spread a zebra.
Correct me if I'm wrong but that would then mean you need to rinse no matter how careful a diver you may be.
It shouldn't be used as a cop out but I don't think there's any effective way to eliminate the spread of the zebras other than to eliminate all contact between an affected body of water and the one you want save. That means no one can use the clean body. Of course, you still have birds and animals going from one to the other.

 

[taz22]

A few quick facts for the board.

Firstly, the zebra mussels are in the rideau system ( 1st generation ) as a matter of fact. They are about the size of a $2.00 coin as of now. We first started seeing them in large qty's in 1999.

Secondly, you'll find that what you are seeing in Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River are second generation Zebra mussels ( much small ) about the size of a nickel. A the new invader on the seen the "Quagga Mussel" which likes waters 60ft and below. It is much small ( about the size of a penny ) and it really doesn't need a wreck or rocks to stick to, it is just fine to stick to a clay bottom as it attaches itself differently that a Zebra mussel and can do so.

If you are looking for specific info you can PM and I'll try to answer your question or you can have some fun and do a search on google for this new found pest.

You'll find that water vis peaked about 2 years ago on the St. Lawrence and it has now leveled off, this is due to the fact that these little guys have finally almost outrun the food they consume by filtering the water. Be assured that vis will stay constant now atleast that is what some of my bio friends have told me.