Bottoms Up Episode 1
Bottoms Up is a series of informational videos produced by student researchers in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary highlighting research and conservation issues.
Episode 1 is an interview with Kylie Smith, a graduate student in Biological Sciences at Clemson University. Kylie is studying the impact of parrotfishes on coral health in the lab of Dr. Michael Childress.
Video length 10:30 - Copyright 2013 - Bottoms Up Productions
Glass Bottom Boat - Surprisingly Fun! Key Largo, FL Keys
We were surprised how much we ended up enjoying this Glass Bottom Boat. We're the type of people that prefer to be in the water, but we opted for a more relaxing family-fun type of adventure this morning and really had a great time! It was a beautiful boat ride out and the staff was awesome! We really caught the Keys, laid-back vibe on this trip.
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Track: Spektrem - Shine
Florida Travel: Family Snorkeling in Key Largo
Explore the underwater world of the Florida Keys with a family snorkeling adventure. A perfect place to snorkel in the Keys is off the coast of Key Largo at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first underwater park in the United States. Located at the park is Christ of the Deep, a nine-foot-tall, 4,000 pound statue that's submerged in 25 feet of water.
Glass bottom boat at John Pennekamp State Park Key Largo Fl. 2019
We took this boat ride 6 miles out to the coral reef.pretty cool site to see 2/21/2019
Key Largo Snorkeling - Best Snokeling in Florida
This snorkel tour is filmed at Carysfort Reef Lighthouse in Key Largo Florida. This reef can be visited by boat from John Pennekamp State Park. The lighthouse was built in 1860 and has become home to all sorts of incredible marine life.
In this video we see a shark, tarpon, angel fish, parrot fish, blue striped grunt, and a trumpet fish
This video was shot with the Sony a6500, Gopro hero 7, and DJI Mavic air.
#snorkeling #a6500 #florida
One of my snorkeling/eco tours and another Manatee incounter
I saw& captured this HD video snorkeling = Spotted Trunkfish, it is rare to Upper Florida Keys 2013!
I saw & captured in HD video a Spotted Trunkfish!
It is rare to find this strangely body shaped, strangely mouth and lip shaped, and weird fin propulsion for swimming in the Upper Florida Keys 2013!
I saw & captured this HD video on a GoPro Hero3 snorkeling a Spotted Trunkfish, it is rare to find in the Upper Florida Keys and in shallow water 2013! (other online videos are deeper with scuba gear and underwater lights and mostly in non-Florida Caribbean Islands.
Spotted trunkfish
Lactophrys bicaudalis
(Linnaeus, 1758)
I saw& captured this HD video snorkeling = Spotted Trunkfish, it is rare to Upper Florida Keys 2013!
Description:
Body with a triangular, bony box of armor. Whitish in color, with numerous black dots on the body, tail base and tail fin. White around the mouth. Two sharp spines in front of the anal fin, no spines above the eye. Large adults with three light spots in a diagonal row anteriorly on the body at the level of the eye.
Size up to 48 cm.
Habitat:
Found in clear water around coral reefs, down to 50 m. Sometimes under ledges and near small holes. Feeds on a variety of small bottom invertebrates. They are able to secrete a poison to kill the prey. Their way of locomotion is very characteristic: when at ease they swim by using only the dorsal, pectoral and anal fins. The tail fin is only used when high speed is required.
Distribution:
Occasional to uncommon Florida, Bahamas and Caribbean. Verbatim species-identification dot org 2013.
The Spotted Trunkfish is a member of the family Ostraciidae. It can be found in reefs throughout the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean as well as the south eastern Atlantic Ocean. The species gets its name from the black spots it has covered over its yellow/golden body.
The spotted trunkfish, like all trunkfish of the Genus Lactophrys, secretes a colorless ciguatera toxin from glands on its skin when touched. The toxin is only dangerous when ingested, so there's no immediate harm to divers. Predators however, as large as nurse sharks, can die as a result of eating a trunkfish. Verbatim Wikipedia website 2013.
Fish. Spotted trunkfish are shy but curious fish that swim slowly above reefs, often hovering under ledges or over small holes. They prefer warm temperatures between 22 and 26 degrees C (72 and 79 F) and depths between 4.5 and 18 meters (15 and 60 ft). Trunkfish are protected by a bony outer surface that acts as body armor and includes two sharp spines guarding their rear fins. The rigid outer structure helps protect spotted trunkfish from predators, but they are poor swimmers because of their rigidity and bulky shape. At maturity they average 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 in) in length. Verbatim switchzoo dot com website spottedtrunkfish webpage 2013.
Beef dives in!
Grecian Rocks is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the east of Key Largo, within the Key Largo Existing Management Area, which is immediately to the east of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. This reef is within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA).
1. Grecian Rocks are south of Dry Rocks, a smaller reef. verbatim Wikipedia = wikipedia dot org Grecian_Rocks_(reef) webpage 2013
Grecian Rocks is an exceptionally popular reef for snorkelers. The grass and sand on the back side provide good anchorage, and the shallow reef buffers the waves so the waters are very calm even on windy days. It is very easy for snorkelers to swim from the boat up to the reefline where the corals and brightly colored fish abound.
GRECIAN ROCKS
Depth Range: Shallow to 25 feet
Experience Level: Novice verbatim Keys Diver & Snorkel Center = keysdiver dot com Wreck_Reef webpage 2013
Approximate coordinates:
°W 25°06′39″N 80°18′16″
°W 25.11083°N 80.30444
Coordinates: °W 25°06′39″°N 80°18′16
°W 25.11083°N 80.30444°W
Snorkeling Bahia Honda Beach, FL (May 2011, Kodak Playsport 720P)
Due to the weather, snorkeling boat trip was cancelled... So, headed to Bahia Honda State Park, and jumped in the water on the southwest corner of the park. Didn't expect much, and at first, it was all seagrass. After going out about 200 feet, suddenly a few alleys of coral (although very premature) opened up. A barracuda surprised me and saw a giant crab hiding in the sandy bottom. The color of the water was really green probably due to the time of the day (almost sunset), but the visibility was not bad at all. Not many, but the fish we saw were interesting. Really shallow water, so a great spot for kids to enjoy snorkel. The beach line is really beautiful, too.
Freediving Florida Part 2: Peacock Springs, Orange Grove, Blue Springs
All footage was shot using a GoPro Hero4 Silver
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Key West Snorkeling At The Coral Reef With Fury Water Adventures
Snorkel into Key West's most popular attractions: the reef and crystal blue waters surrounding our island paradise. For almost three decades visitors and locals alike have been choosing Fury Catamaran for snorkeling Key West's nearby reef.
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South Florida Meetup Snorkeling Group Key Largo Private Boat Trip
Just part of the boat ride from the South Florida Meetup Group snorkeling trip to John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo Florida.
Snorkeling a shipwreck in key largo
Key Largo Coral Reefs: Hurricane Irma Aftermath 2017
Key Largo Coral Reefs: Hurricane Irma Aftermath 2017
Key largo did not receive a direct hit, but with hurricane force winds and the resulting wave action pounding the reefs, I was very interested in getting back out to see what it all looked like. This video includes footage from Molasses reef and Sand Island Reef on December 23rd 2017 (about 3 months after the Hurricane).
The descriptions and possible causes presented in this video are based on talks with our dive masters and observation. There is little published research yet, so I will definitely be back with more solid info at a later date.
Either way, it is obvious the reefs have undergone significant change in some locations, and in other areas, the corals survived surprisingly well. Our dive masters expressed their belief that a lot of the sand was removed from Molasses Reef, leaving bare/rock/rubble bottom. I definitely see how they could say that, but it also looks like corals were hammered to pieces in some areas as well.
The fish assemblages have changed a lot as well...there are many more than I remember before, but that could be just circumstantial.
The Florida Keys reef track has been undergoing a stressful few years with widespread bleaching and disease impacting the coral. Add on a hurricane and I do worry about the reef track as a whole.
Hurricanes can actually be good for a coral reef. Broken fragments of coral will get redistributed and start growing in new areas, causing a rejuvenation of sorts. But when the water quality and conditions are not conducive to coral growth, it makes me more difficult.
I was encouraged by seeing large stands of Elkhorn still intact, and broken fragments beginning to grow where they landed…. This is nature’s way and hopefully will lead to a rebuilding of coral.
Either way, these were great dives filled with a high diversity of fish and marine life.
Until next time!
P.S.: I did delete the first posting of this video as I needed to make a few corrections.
Music from Epidemic Sound
References About the Florida Keys Reef track.
Florida’s Coral Reef is Disintegrating
Florida’s Dying Reefs Could Devastate Keys’ Economy
South Florida Corals Dying in “unprecedented” bleaching and disease
Saving Florida’s Precious Coral Reef After Hurricanes Irma and Maria
Range of Conditions’s for Florida Keys Reefs After the Hurricane
Divers Looking at Coral Reefs After Irma didn’t Expect what they saw down below
Sanctuary: Reef bruised but not destroyed
Underwater Hotel in Florida
Jules' Undersea Lodge is the first and only underwater hotel in Florida, but it's also the first underwater research lab to have ever been made accessible to the average person.
Jules is located at the bottom of a protected lagoon in Key Largo. The authenticity of the underwater habitat is what really sets it apart.
Glass-bottom boat tour of Coral Reef. Florida key.
Coral reef in the John Pennecamp State Park (Key Largo, FL) - from a glass-bottom boat tour. March 2009.
Live Free In Florida Keys Launch the Cindy Mae Jr we go Shoping
How to live for FREE in the Fabulous Florida Keys .
This Is How I Live Free In Florida Keys .
Dont Sleep in your car or Van and Dont Stealth Camp- lol-
Just get a boat And Find a peaceful Anchorage and Enjoy the good life-For Free. See more of my Videos and chose A nice spot there are many cool anchorages just in my Voyage to the bottom of the keys play list.
Here is also a tip to make a free wind scoop to cool the main cabin. It works great! Just use a blanket and some string and a small weight to make a quick and easy Wind scoop-for free
Watch for me to be STREAMING LIVE FLORIDA FISHING
WELCOME TO THE BACK PORCH FISHIN SHOW
WHO SAYS U CAN'T CATCH EM AT HOME ? I DO IT ALL THE TIME.
PLEASE JOIN ME AND ENJOY THE SHOWS
Catch me STREAMING LIVE FISHING From Tavernier Key Florida with Capt Danny aboard his floating home the 26 foot seagoing sailing vessel Cindy Mae.
MY SAILBOAT IS A 26 FOOT HUNTER WITH 9.9 HP OUTBOARD. I HAVE BEEN OUTFITTING IT TO TRAVEL SOUTH TO THE KEYS. TO ME IT'S THE WORLD'S COOLEST MOBILE MINI MAN CAVE.
I OUTFITTED HER WITH GPS, FISH FINDER,COURSE PLOTTER ,54 POUND ELECTRIC SALTWATER TROLLING MOTOR ,REFRIGERATOR,CONVECTION OVEN, 100 WATT SOLAR PANEL,AIR COND,FLAT SCREEN TV ,AND MORE.
see my boat tour click this link
See my Boat Sailing click this link
See my Boat Sailing in high wind click this link
CHECK OUT MY FUNNY FISHING VIDEO ( CONTACT )
JOIN ME LIVE AND ENJOY THE SHOWS
Stingray Swimming (Short) - John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park - Snorkeling Tour - Key Largo, FL
Parrotfish In The Florida Keys
Want to see these amazing creatures? Check out my latest blog post on tamarascharf.com
Glass Bottom Boats in Key Largo
Key Largo the longest Key, sits only six feet above sea level. To get a look at what lies below we signed up for a trip on a glass-bottom boat. We were surprised to find the African Queen. The boat was originally owned by an African railroad which rented it to director John Huston for use in his famous 1951 film, starring Humphrey Bogart and Kathryn Hepburn. The captain of our glass bottom boat had discovered it years ago. After boarding for our adventure it took just a half-hour before we were hovering over the Molasses Reef.
Cruisin' Tikis Key Largo: The Tiki Bar Boat of the Florida Keys!
Cruisin' Tikis Key Largo is a cruise you absolutely must do when visiting the Florida Keys! We have 3 cruises to choose from: Swimstop Cruise, Buttonwood Bay Cruise, and everyone's favorite, the Sunset Cruise... OR you can create your own excursion! Booking a Cruisin' Tiki Key Largo boat is a great idea for Anniversaries, Birthdays, Booze Cruise, Sunset Cruise, Engagements, Bachlorette Parties, Site Seeing - you name it!