Ulong Reef (including world-famous Ulong Channel). Three days were spent diving the reefs of the Ulong region (2015-1-13 to 1-15). Although beautiful for sure, many of Palau’s reefs are being completely engulfed by cyanobacteria, making me concerned for their future.
Exact GPS coordinates can be found in the data files posted on “Palau overview.” High-resolution habitat maps will be available on the Living Oceans Foundation’s world reef map website in late 2019.
PaUl10-Ulong reef (southern region)-Pocillopora acuta was present, albeit rare, though I focused on sampling seriatoporids at this leeward barrier forereef (scroll below for images).
PaUl10 Seriatopora spp. samples (n=11; PaSe13-23)
PaUl11 (Ulong back reef)-first night dive site of the trip; P. acuta colonies were tagged and then sampled in both day and night. Did not dive at PaUl12 on account of setting up night dive station.
PaUl11 night dive P. acuta samples (n=8 colonies sampled during both day and night; PaPd18-25). I lost the pictures of PaPd24. Normally, I also took pictures of the colonies at night, though it appears that I did not do so at this site.
PaUl11 Seriatopora colonies (three sampled in the day and one sampled at night, though none sampled at both times; PaSe24-27)
PaUl13-Ulong western barrier reef
PaUl13 sampled P. acuta colony: PaPd26
PaUl13 sampled Seriatopora spp. colonies (n=5; PaSe28-32)
PaUl14 (windward barrier forereef)
PaUl14 sampled P. acuta colonies (n=2; PaPd27-28)
PaUl14 sampled Seriatopora spp. colonies (n=5; PaSe33-37)
PaUl15-Ulong’s leeward barrier forereef, one of the most beautiful dives in the country (no P. acuta or seriatoporids present, though)
PaUl16-Ulong Channel: both P. acuta and Seriatopora spp. were sampled.
PaUl16 sampled P. acuta colonies (n=3; PaPd29-31)
PaUl16 sampled seriatoporids (n=5; PaSe38-42)
PaUl17-south of Ulong Channel (a particularly gorgeous site)
PaUl17 sampled P. acuta colonies (n=2; PaPd32-33)
PaUl17 sampled seriatoporid colonies (n=4; PaSe43-46)
