RonFrank
Contributor
I try my best to avoid touching Live Coral. Touching Dead Coral, well as long as one knows the difference, I'd rather push off the dead coral (so touch it) than land on the live coral if I have that decision to make. I don't advocate breaking dead coral off for a treasure. If you want dead coral, it can be collected on any good shell beach. My son found so much at Boca, I had to tell him that he could only keep a couple pieces.
As for sand, I've read no studies that indicate that contact by humans, or anything else kills the micro Bacteria and organisms that live in sand. If I need to stand, or kneel on something... it's going to be sand.
For animals that is a much harder line to draw. In some area's there are rules, and one should follow them. Where there are not rules, well, what is better, touching a fish, or spearing it :11:
I grew up on the OR coast, poking Sea Anenome in tidel pools, picking up live star fish, harvesting and eating mussles, fish, Dungenous Crab, clams, and oysters. We never did anything to actively destroy the tidel pools, or starfish, but can't say the same about the food we caught
This was in the 60's.
I have a difficult time making decisions on how others should treat wildlife, so I will just follow my own good sense, and the law. I don't feed bears, racoons, but we do feed hummingbirds, and birds in winter. I don't touch coral, but I have touched UW creatures. Fish have a slime coat that protects them, so I don't seek contact with them, but I did brush a finger nail down the side of a Spade Fish that was rather friendly recently.
One fish (Damselfish) attacked my on three seperate dives on Two different Reefs!!! Those little rascles bit my fingers three different times while in the Keys. I was ready to do more than pet that little guy! Boy do they have guts, guess someone should tell them the rules about touching US!! :11: Some may not have my restraint. The first time it happened I just about jumped out of my WebSuit... Now that could have been a reef damanging thing!
As for sand, I've read no studies that indicate that contact by humans, or anything else kills the micro Bacteria and organisms that live in sand. If I need to stand, or kneel on something... it's going to be sand.
For animals that is a much harder line to draw. In some area's there are rules, and one should follow them. Where there are not rules, well, what is better, touching a fish, or spearing it :11:
I grew up on the OR coast, poking Sea Anenome in tidel pools, picking up live star fish, harvesting and eating mussles, fish, Dungenous Crab, clams, and oysters. We never did anything to actively destroy the tidel pools, or starfish, but can't say the same about the food we caught
This was in the 60's.I have a difficult time making decisions on how others should treat wildlife, so I will just follow my own good sense, and the law. I don't feed bears, racoons, but we do feed hummingbirds, and birds in winter. I don't touch coral, but I have touched UW creatures. Fish have a slime coat that protects them, so I don't seek contact with them, but I did brush a finger nail down the side of a Spade Fish that was rather friendly recently.
One fish (Damselfish) attacked my on three seperate dives on Two different Reefs!!! Those little rascles bit my fingers three different times while in the Keys. I was ready to do more than pet that little guy! Boy do they have guts, guess someone should tell them the rules about touching US!! :11: Some may not have my restraint. The first time it happened I just about jumped out of my WebSuit... Now that could have been a reef damanging thing!
