Over 37,000 fish were counted on #MontserratExpedition2015 by the Waitt Institute as part of the Blue Halo Montserrat project.
On Friday evening a cross section of stakeholders were invited out to the Waitt Research vessel for a farewell party and to celebrate the successes of the dive which involved 12 volunteer marine biologists from across the Caribbean.
Several local divers were also able to participate in the activity which took a total of 242 hours underwater.
Director of the Waitt Institute Dr Ayanna Johnson thanked the people of Montserrat for their willingness to collaborate on the project which is focused on helping the island to use the ocean without using it up.
Hon. Minister of Agriculture Claude Hogan shared his appreciation for the work that had already been accomplished and said the Government and people of Montserrat were looking forward to the coming 3 years of the project as the Blue Halo is created.
Here are some interesting statistics shared by the Waitt’s Science Manager Andy Estep about the expedition.
Dive Statistics
11 Days, 475 Total Dives – 242 Hours underwater
2 square miles surveyed
3.2 miles of transect
Fish Surveys
37,490 total fish counted
Biggest Fish observed – 1.6 meter nurse shark
16 species estimated at over 50cm
82 fish per square meter
20.5 fish per 10 metres
82 maximum fish species at single site
Coral Surveys
43 coral species identified
Average of 10 coral species per site
21 maximum coral species per site
