Reef Technology
SCUBA
SCUBA DIVING (Project Reef, Taranaki)
The Project runs through the South Taranaki Underwater Club. Their voluntary resources of boats and divers – enables ‘Project Reef Life’ to investigate the sub-tidal reefs of South Taranaki. The first reef to be studied is at 23m depth, which requires scuba gear. The physics of diving is an important lesson for students, so they appreciate the limitations imposed on divers to do scientific investigations and documentary footage at the Project reef.
The Project works to bring certified divers and their gear into classrooms, so students have the opportunity to learn about diving and to get a hands-on experience of dive gear. In 2019 the Project was able to fund a number of high school students to experience first-hand an introductory diving experience with Oceans Alive in New Plymouth.
MICROSCOPE
PLANKTON (Project Reef Life)
Amazing footage is captured by our microscope after our plankton trawls - such as a super energetic comb, which is one of eight comb plates to be found attached on a ctenophore (sometimes known as comb-jellies). The comb plates are what helps the animal move. We thank those who help us in identifying our footage, such as Julian Uribe-Palomino (Plankton Researcher with CSIRO Australia), and specialists at NIWA.
We often capture amazing creatures like Salps, which feed on the plants floating in the ocean (phytoplankton). The area off our coast can have huge densities of them.
HYDROPHONE
HYDROPHONE (Project Reef Life)
Four survey approaches are used plus some additional general observation work at the Project Reef - one of which is the use of a hydrophone!
Early-stage analysis of the hydrophone deployed at the Project Reef identified a humpback whale call and the ‘thunder’ of an aftershock from the large earthquake that struck Kaikoura in November 2016. The objective of the acoustic survey is to assess the acoustic diversity at the Project Reef and to share the array of sounds as part of our educational outreach.
Check out some of our recordings!
