Reefs of the Past: Cuba, 1970s @PawlikLab

Pawlik Lab The recent coral fauna of Cuba (1975). This documentary was produced following an agreement between the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the Academia de Ciencias de Cuba. Field work was done 1970-1973 and additional laboratory work in Sofia, Bulgaria through 1975. The film was finished in 1975 in 5 languages: Bulgarian, English, Spanish, French and Russian. It was projected during scientific meetings several times in Bulgaria, Cuba, USA, Russia, France, Mexico, as well in Japan, England, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Georgia, and Mozambique.
The Credits: Cameraman – Bogdan Jablensky, Photographer – Albert Korda, Scientific Director and Script – Vassil Zlatarski, Consultant for Scleractinia associated organisms – Nereida Martinez Estallela, Diving Officer – Juan Alvarez.

Time-stamp data:
1:02 -- Geological formations with fossil coral reefs, Lower Cretaceous, Urgonian, N. Bulgaria
1:21 -- Geological formations with fossil coral reefs, Neogene, N. Bulgaria
1:28 -- Geological formations with fossil coral reefs, Lower Cretaceous, Urgonian, N. Bulgaria
1:34 -- Geological formations with fossil coral reefs, Neogene, N. Bulgaria
1:35 – World map with the coral reefs
1:40 – Cuban Archipelago with the coral reefs
1:43 – Vassil Zlatarski (V. Z.), Scientific Director and Script
2:09 – Title: The recent coral fauna of Cuba
2:13 – The film presents some results of the joint investigation 1970 – 1975
2:16 – of Academia de Ciencias de Cuba
2:20 – and Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
2:22 – Underwater work for the project
3:01 -- Cuban Archipelago
3:09 – V.Z. among the collection
3:47 – Working underwater
4:10 -- Map of Cuban Archipelago to show the location of Golfo de Guacanayabo
4:16 – Working underwater
4:29 – Scheme of Gran Banco de Buena Esperanza (GBBE; for more information: Zlatarski, V. N., S. Gonzáles Ferrer. 2017. Gran Banco de Buena Esperanza: unique Caribbean coral reef system. Reef Encounter, 45:60-62.)
4:39 -- Working underwater
6:04 – Rio Escondido, E of Havana
7:01 – Seascapes of fringing reefs
7:16 – Cayo Damas, W of Santiago, S Cuba
8:45 – Entrance of cave, Rio Escondido, E of Havana
8:51 – Cayo Damas, W of Santiago
9:08 – Tubastraea coccinea
9:21 – Mycetophyllia lamarckiana
9:23 -- Meandrina meandrites
9:40 – Mycetophyllia lamarckiana
9:43 – Colpophyllia natans
9:52 – Astrangia solitaria
10:04 – Mussa angulosa
10:17 – Montastraea cavernosa
10:21 – Cave entrance, Puerto Escondido, E of Havana
10:28 – Agaricia agaricites forma unifaciata
10:32 – Gardineria minor
10:43 – V. Z.
13:45 –Alberto Korda, Photographer
14:14 – Cayo Diego Perez, S Cuba
14:17 – Bogdan Jablensky, Cameraman
14:40 -- Mussa angulosa
14:43 – Agaricia agaricites forma unifaciata
15:14 – Coenocyathus caribbeana (not Caryophyllia)
15:17 – Seascape
15:49 –Juan Alvarez, Diving Officer
16:06 – Scolymia lacera
16:09 -- Scolymia lacera
16:11 -- Scolymia lacera
16:13 – Eusmilia fastigiata
16:15 -- Scheme of barrier reef
16:22 – Montastraea cavernosa
16:30 – Mussa angulosa
16:38 -- Eusmilia fastigiata
17:01 – Dendrogyra cylindrus
17:03 – Dendrogyra cylindrus
17:39 – V. Z.
17:50 – Siderastraea siderea and sponges
18:08 -- Madracis decactis, pathoaberation (nanoforma) due to sponge
18:40 – Agaricia agaricites perforated by Cliona
18:55 – Left, nanoaberation of Tubastraea coccinea due to sponge; right, T. coccinea normal growth
19:08 – Colpophyllia natans
19:18 – Eusmilia fastigiata, pathological intra-colony variation in the periphery
19:24 – Siderastraea siderea
19:36 – Montastraea annularis complex
19:37 – Agaricia agaricites forma bifaciata
19:40 – Colpophyllia natans
19:46 – Acropora cervicornis
19:49 – Montastraea cavernosa
19:51 – Mycetophyllia lamarckiana
19:56 -- Scheme of barrier reef
20:03 – Millepora and Montastraea cavernosa
20:06 – Millepora
20:14 – Scheme of barrier reef
20:21 – Millepora
21:44 -- Scheme of barrier reef
22:05 – Acropora palmata
22:28 – Porites porites
22:41 -- Isophyllia sinuosa
22:43 – Isophyllia rigida
22:45 -- Millepora
23:10 – Dendrogyra cylindrus
23:43 -- Scheme of barrier reef
23:50 – Acropora cervicornis, Guanabo, E of Havana,
24:18 -- Scheme of barrier reef
24:49 – Alberto Korda
25:13 – V. Z.
25:23 – Montastraea cavernosa
25:25 – Meandrina meandrites
25:30 -- Bogdan Jablensky
26:34 – Dimorphocoeniopsis beauvaisorum, Lower Cretaceous, N Bulgaria
26:43 – Montastraea cavernosa
26:44 – Agaricia agaricites forma bifaciata
26:47 – Dichocoenia stockesi
26:50 -- Dichocoenia stockesi
26:53 – Montastraea cavernosa
26:59 – Siderastraea siderea
27:13 – Montastraea annularis complex
27:29 – Diploria clivosa
28:33 -- Seboruco Formation in front of Hotel Nacional, Havana
28:49 – V. Z.
33:09 – Nereida Martinez Estalella, Consultant for Scleractinia associated organisms
33:57 – Acropora cervicornis
34:24 – Different phenotypes of Dichocoenia stockesi
34:30 – V. Z.
35:03 – The coral collection, Dendrogyra cylindrus
35:53 – Alberto Korda
35:56 – View to Sierra Maestra from Cayo Damas, W of Santiago

updated 8 years ago

Reefs of the Past: Cuba, 1970s

Pawlik Lab 2017-10-06 | The recent coral fauna of Cuba (1975). This documentary was produced following an agreement between the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the Academia de Ciencias de Cuba. Field work was done 1970-1973 and additional laboratory work in Sofia, Bulgaria through 1975. The film was finished in 1975 in 5 languages: Bulgarian, English, Spanish, French and Russian. It was projected during scientific meetings several times in Bulgaria, Cuba, USA, Russia, France, Mexico, as well in Japan, England, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Georgia, and Mozambique.
The Credits: Cameraman – Bogdan Jablensky, Photographer – Albert Korda, Scientific Director and Script – Vassil Zlatarski, Consultant for Scleractinia associated organisms – Nereida Martinez Estallela, Diving Officer – Juan Alvarez.

Time-stamp data:
1:02 -- Geological formations with fossil coral reefs, Lower Cretaceous, Urgonian, N. Bulgaria
1:21 -- Geological formations with fossil coral reefs, Neogene, N. Bulgaria
1:28 -- Geological formations with fossil coral reefs, Lower Cretaceous, Urgonian, N. Bulgaria
1:34 -- Geological formations with fossil coral reefs, Neogene, N. Bulgaria
1:35 – World map with the coral reefs
1:40 – Cuban Archipelago with the coral reefs
1:43 – Vassil Zlatarski (V. Z.), Scientific Director and Script
2:09 – Title: The recent coral fauna of Cuba
2:13 – The film presents some results of the joint investigation 1970 – 1975
2:16 – of Academia de Ciencias de Cuba
2:20 – and Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
2:22 – Underwater work for the project
3:01 -- Cuban Archipelago
3:09 – V.Z. among the collection
3:47 – Working underwater
4:10 -- Map of Cuban Archipelago to show the location of Golfo de Guacanayabo
4:16 – Working underwater
4:29 – Scheme of Gran Banco de Buena Esperanza (GBBE; for more information: Zlatarski, V. N., S. Gonzáles Ferrer. 2017. Gran Banco de Buena Esperanza: unique Caribbean coral reef system. Reef Encounter, 45:60-62.)
4:39 -- Working underwater
6:04 – Rio Escondido, E of Havana
7:01 – Seascapes of fringing reefs
7:16 – Cayo Damas, W of Santiago, S Cuba
8:45 – Entrance of cave, Rio Escondido, E of Havana
8:51 – Cayo Damas, W of Santiago
9:08 – Tubastraea coccinea
9:21 – Mycetophyllia lamarckiana
9:23 -- Meandrina meandrites
9:40 – Mycetophyllia lamarckiana
9:43 – Colpophyllia natans
9:52 – Astrangia solitaria
10:04 – Mussa angulosa
10:17 – Montastraea cavernosa
10:21 – Cave entrance, Puerto Escondido, E of Havana
10:28 – Agaricia agaricites forma unifaciata
10:32 – Gardineria minor
10:43 – V. Z.
13:45 –Alberto Korda, Photographer
14:14 – Cayo Diego Perez, S Cuba
14:17 – Bogdan Jablensky, Cameraman
14:40 -- Mussa angulosa
14:43 – Agaricia agaricites forma unifaciata
15:14 – Coenocyathus caribbeana (not Caryophyllia)
15:17 – Seascape
15:49 –Juan Alvarez, Diving Officer
16:06 – Scolymia lacera
16:09 -- Scolymia lacera
16:11 -- Scolymia lacera
16:13 – Eusmilia fastigiata
16:15 -- Scheme of barrier reef
16:22 – Montastraea cavernosa
16:30 – Mussa angulosa
16:38 -- Eusmilia fastigiata
17:01 – Dendrogyra cylindrus
17:03 – Dendrogyra cylindrus
17:39 – V. Z.
17:50 – Siderastraea siderea and sponges
18:08 -- Madracis decactis, pathoaberation (nanoforma) due to sponge
18:40 – Agaricia agaricites perforated by Cliona
18:55 – Left, nanoaberation of Tubastraea coccinea due to sponge; right, T. coccinea normal growth
19:08 – Colpophyllia natans
19:18 – Eusmilia fastigiata, pathological intra-colony variation in the periphery
19:24 – Siderastraea siderea
19:36 – Montastraea annularis complex
19:37 – Agaricia agaricites forma bifaciata
19:40 – Colpophyllia natans
19:46 – Acropora cervicornis
19:49 – Montastraea cavernosa
19:51 – Mycetophyllia lamarckiana
19:56 -- Scheme of barrier reef
20:03 – Millepora and Montastraea cavernosa
20:06 – Millepora
20:14 – Scheme of barrier reef
20:21 – Millepora
21:44 -- Scheme of barrier reef
22:05 – Acropora palmata
22:28 – Porites porites
22:41 -- Isophyllia sinuosa
22:43 – Isophyllia rigida
22:45 -- Millepora
23:10 – Dendrogyra cylindrus
23:43 -- Scheme of barrier reef
23:50 – Acropora cervicornis, Guanabo, E of Havana,
24:18 -- Scheme of barrier reef
24:49 – Alberto Korda
25:13 – V. Z.
25:23 – Montastraea cavernosa
25:25 – Meandrina meandrites
25:30 -- Bogdan Jablensky
26:34 – Dimorphocoeniopsis beauvaisorum, Lower Cretaceous, N Bulgaria
26:43 – Montastraea cavernosa
26:44 – Agaricia agaricites forma bifaciata
26:47 – Dichocoenia stockesi
26:50 -- Dichocoenia stockesi
26:53 – Montastraea cavernosa
26:59 – Siderastraea siderea
27:13 – Montastraea annularis complex
27:29 – Diploria clivosa
28:33 -- Seboruco Formation in front of Hotel Nacional, Havana
28:49 – V. Z.
33:09 – Nereida Martinez Estalella, Consultant for Scleractinia associated organisms
33:57 – Acropora cervicornis
34:24 – Different phenotypes of Dichocoenia stockesi
34:30 – V. Z.
35:03 – The coral collection, Dendrogyra cylindrus
35:53 – Alberto Korda
35:56 – View to Sierra Maestra from Cayo Damas, W of Santiago

Tragic Decline of Red Sea Coral Reefs

Pawlik Lab 2024-02-22 | Change to 4K in settings for best resolution if your system won't skip!
In this video, we see the dramatic decline in coral cover on shallow reefs in the Red Sea on the Egyptian coast south of Marsa Alam between 2019 and 2023 caused by 5 summer seasons of unprecedented warm seawater temperatures and storm events. These reefs are compared to those further south on the Saudi Arabian side of the Red Sea below Al Lith, which experienced deadly heat events about a decade ago. All of these reefs are far from human settlements and tourists and are only lightly impacted by fishing -- they are dying of heat from climate change.

Fun with Fishes: Red Sea Edition

Pawlik Lab 2024-01-20 | Change settings to 4K for best resolution (if your system won't stall).
Video clips from the Egyptian coast of the Red Sea below Marsa Alam from May 2019 and (mostly) December 2023. Taken while onboard an Aggressor Live-aboard diving cruise. Highlights include very large napoleon wrasse, oceanic white-tip sharks, feeding striped mackerel.
Enjoy!!

Loss of a Caribbean icon: Pillar coral

Pawlik Lab 2023-06-15 | Change settings gear to 4K resolution if your system won't skip!
In memoriam of a beautiful, distinctly Caribbean, shallow-water coral species.
Video clips of the Caribbean pillar coral, Dendrogyra cylindrus, which has recently undergone a devastating decline because of the spread of a disease to which it is highly susceptible.
Sadly, this coral is already functionally extinct on most reefs in the Caribbean.

See this video from San Pedro, Belize, taken by divers in 2022 of a large area of reef covered by pillar coral colonies, all of which are dead.
youtu.be/iXdtGBWpc1Q

Diving Looe Key, Florida Keys

Pawlik Lab 2023-03-14 | Change to 4K resolution if your system won't skip!
Video made 7 March 2023 while diving with Captain Hook's Scuba Center of Big Pine Key.
Looe Key Reef is very shallow (30 ft max depth, mostly 25 ft) with no drop off, formerly having very large live coral heads. Hard coral cover is now a small fraction of what it was in the past, but what's left looks good. Some observations:
(1) Huge parrotfishes! Shows that marine park protection works! Also, schools of large blue tangs. Lots of herbivory by fishes. As a consequence, seaweed abundance is low, and pink coralline algal crusts are easily seen. Listen to the sound of large parrotfishes grazing (4:07).
(2) Sea fans are thriving, no evidence of sea fan disease (aspergillosis) that was a much-discussed emerging threat in the 1990s.
(3) Lots of black grouper. Small snappers and grunts hide in sea fans showing fear of reef sharks, which are present (9:30, 10:10).
(4) Tragic loss of many large coral heads (4:20). But, higher coral survivorship than expected with recent SCTLD outbreaks. Out-planted staghorn corals seem to be doing well.
(5) Surprisingly large giant barrel sponges for a very shallow site.
(6) Despite hiding behavior of fishes, parrots and other fishes were remarkably unafraid of divers.

Diving Colombia - Islas del Rosario

Pawlik Lab 2023-03-04 | Use the best resolution - 4K! Change your settings if the video won't skip!
Videos from 4 dive sites (indicated in video) on the south side of Islas del Rosario, Colombian Caribbean, recorded 18-19 February 2023. Despite proximity to Cartagena and sediment loads from nearby river mouths and canals, these reefs have high living coral cover! Coral disease is present (6:20), and there is plenty of evidence of past coral loss, but coral health looks relatively good compared to other Caribbean reefs. Notice the high high abundance of sponges on these reefs, with many very large giant barrel sponges (10:50). Also, these sites are remarkably free of emergent (branching or fan shaped) gorgonian corals, which are highly abundant on most Caribbean reefs. Thanks to Drs. Sven Zea and Monica Puyana for hosting these dives using Diving Planet - Centro de Buceo.

The Coral Reef Research Hub

Pawlik Lab 2023-02-06 | This video has been cross-posted from "The Coral Reef Research Hub" YouTube Channel, which you can find here:
youtube.com/@UCyF57OYQvSXOQS9qTNzr4Ew
The Coral Reef Research Hub is a career development website for a growing community of coral reef professionals, researchers and early career scientists. At the core of our Hub is a free social media style interface that allows members to network with each other, create niche research groups and facilitate collaboration. By increasing collaborative efforts among researchers from around the world it is hoped to reduce duplication of work and speed up the collection of information that will help save coral reefs. The Hub also provides career opportunity listings, publication hosting, a mentorship program, knowledge sharing master classes, a small research grants program, and more. This makes us a unique online resource whose ultimate goal is to help those working to protect coral reefs around the world achieve their career and/or research aspirations.

Find us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/coral...

Our website: thecoralreefresearchhub.com

Footage: Envato Market Place; Music 'Underwater Expanses' by SonicScope. Licensing information can be provided on request.

Diving the Maldives

Pawlik Lab 2023-01-28 | Be sure to use the best resolution - 4K! Change your settings if the video won't skip!
Videos from the reefs of central Maldives (North and South Male Atoll, Ari Atoll), 3-16 January 2023 while diving on board the Maldives Aggressor live-aboard yacht.
Only one site (Rangili Mandivaru, S. Ari Atoll) had high coral cover (with large table corals). All other sites had low coral cover with broken reef and rubble. Fish life was fantastic, with lots of big fish, sharks, mantas, etc. Clear evidence of grazing (mostly by lots of surgeon fishes) keeping the reef free of macroalgae, but with lots of pink encrusting coralline algae. Many new coral recruits, which is a hopeful sign. Lots of cleaner wrasses and cleaning stations. Visibility was fair to poor at most sites.

Antique Aquarium Update

Pawlik Lab 2023-01-01 | This is the fourth video about a rare, JW Fiske cast-iron aquarium, made in the 1880s. I've had this aquarium since 2005, and have learned a lot about maintaining it. This video shares additional things I've learned and goes through the process of cleaning the tank (every ~8 months) and thinning the live plants so that you can see the fish. Notice the 6 bettas living in this tank!
For an article on this aquarium, see this link:
http://people.uncw.edu/pawlikj/2007TFHPawlik.pdf

Anemones of Komodo

Pawlik Lab 2022-08-22 | Change setting to 4K unless the video starts to skip!
Images of the sea anemones and their anemonefish on reefs of Komodo National Park, Indonesia, from 31 July to 5 August 2022 while diving on-board the Indo Aggressor out of Labuan Bajo.
Note that there was bleaching of anemones on some of the North and NW reefs in the Park (but not to the south). Not sure if this is the beginning of a broader bleaching event, or just a minor occurrence, but the dive guides had not seen this level of bleaching before.

Diving Komodo

Pawlik Lab 2022-08-21 | Are you using 4K resolution? Change your settings if the video won't skip!
Images of the reefs of Komodo National Park, Indonesia, from 31 July to 5 August 2022 while diving on board the Indo Aggressor out of Labuan Bajo.
Note that there was mild bleaching of corals and anemones on some of the North and NW reefs in the Park (but not to the south). Not sure if this is the beginning of a broader bleaching event, or just a minor occurrence, but the dive guides had not seen this level of bleaching before.
Particularly impressive footage taken at Batu Bolong, a heavily-dived site with intense currents and amazingly dense benthic cover and fish life.

Diving Tubbataha

Pawlik Lab 2022-05-29 | Be sure to change resolution to 4K if it won't skip!!
Highlights of diving on the Tubbataha reefs in the Sulu Sea, Philippines.
Diving from the Philippines Aggressor liveaboard in April 2022.
See the previous video of the whale shark and manta encounters on the same trip.

Giants of Tubbataha - Manta and Whale Shark

Pawlik Lab 2022-04-26 | Change settings to 4K!!
Encounters with a whale shark and manta on Tubbataha Reef in the Philippine's Sulu Sea, 21 April 2022. Note the cleaner wrasses on the manta at the start of the sequence and as they rise from the coral head at 4:00. Thanks to the guests and staff of the Philippines Aggressor for a wonderful time diving on this UNESCO World Heritage site!

Paradox of Red Sea Reefs

Pawlik Lab 2022-01-15 | Change settings to 4K if your system won't glitch!
Reef survey videos from the Northern Red Sea, from the islands off Hurghada, Egypt, NE to the Tiran Islands. Despite the substantial human impacts on these reefs, including the close proximity of a large city (over 250,000), lots of tourists (pollution, sunscreen use), hundreds of live-aboard yachts with intensive diving, heavy overfishing, and the passage of thousands of large container ships through the middle of this area to reach the Suez Canal, the corals on these reefs remain mostly healthy.
Video taken in August 2021 while aboard the Red Sea Aggressor.

Schools Of Glass

Pawlik Lab 2021-11-29 | Change to 4K if your system won't skip!
Schools of glassfish swimming around a coral pinnacle on a reef in the northern Red Sea off Hurghada, Egypt, August 2021.

Red Sea Wrecks

Pawlik Lab 2021-09-22 | Change to 4K if you can without video skipping!
Video tour of 4 shipwrecks from the northern Red Sea off the Egyptian coast of Hurghada taken in August 2021 on a diving live-aboard trip with Aggressor.
Check out all the great WWII cargo in the Thistlegorm beginning 10:00!

Exploring Caribbean Mesophotic Reefs

Pawlik Lab 2021-06-27 | How does the abundance of animal life change with depth on Caribbean mesophotic reefs??
Surprisingly, this is a controversial scientific topic, and this video allows the viewer to evaluate the "sponge increase hypothesis" for themselves, by looking at video captured at 20 m intervals from 160 to 40 m on mesophotic reefs in Puerto Rico and Roatan.

Status of Roatans reefs - 2021

Pawlik Lab 2021-02-21 | Switch to 4K if video doesn't skip.
A video survey of the reefs on the NW and SW coasts of Roatan Island, Honduras, and a seamount between Roatan and Cayos Cochinos in January 2021.

Best of Diving Roatan 2021

Pawlik Lab 2021-01-31 | Set to 4K if it won't skip!
Highlights of diving 17-22 Jan 2021 off the N and S coasts of Roatan and seamounts N of Cayo Cochinos, Honduras, from the liveaboard yacht Roatan Aggressor.
Thanks to the terrific staff of the Roatan Aggressor, and a big shout-out to the wonderful participants from across the US who came together for this cruise!

Kona Diving

Pawlik Lab 2021-01-11 | Change resolution to 4K if video won't skip!
Highlights of diving along the Kona coast in December 2020.
Thanks to Jack's Diving Locker!

Blackwater Diving

Pawlik Lab 2021-01-09 | Images of plankton at night at 10-20m depth several km off the west coast of the big island of Hawaii. Video taken 15 December 2020. Thanks to Jack's Diving Locker for diving support!

Amazing Mantas

Pawlik Lab 2020-12-27 | Change resolution to 4K if your system won't skip!!
Manta rays (Mobula alfredi) feeding on plankton attracted to bottom lights in Keauhao Bay, Kona, Hawaii, 17 December 2020.
Bait-fish feed on the plankton, and they attracted the undulated moray eel (Gymnothorax undulatus), which successfully caught several.
Thanks to Jack's Diving Locker for a fantastic experience!!

Checking out the Reef Aquaria

Pawlik Lab 2020-08-11 | Change settings to 4K HD resolution! (unless it keeps buffering)
Can't go diving because of COVID, so let's check out our "reef in captivity!"
Video of the reef tanks in the Teaching Wet Lab (room 1209) at the Center for Marine Science, UNCW in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Two 90 gallon tanks connected by 2 refugia and one sump - total volume is about 450 gallons.
I've had LOTS of time to work in these tanks in the past few months!!

Diving highlights: Turks and Caicos

Pawlik Lab 2020-06-03 | Run at 4K if you can do it smoothly!
Some highlights of Jan 2020 dives from the Turks and Caicos Aggressor liveaboard. Enjoy!

Night Diving Turks and Caicos

Pawlik Lab 2020-05-23 | Change to 4K if it will play smoothly.
Night diving off the Turks and Caicos, January 2020.
Very active nurse and reef sharks, and large black jacks hunting over the reef.

Caribbean Coral Oasis

Pawlik Lab 2020-03-31 | Switch to 4K (if your system can play it smoothly, otherwise, switch to a lower resolution).
Video survey of reef crest (less than 5 m) on south side of Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, home to the Smithsonian Institution's Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystem Program.
One of the few remaining places in the Caribbean with high cover of branching corals of the genus Acropora.

Requiem for a Caribbean reef

Pawlik Lab 2020-01-19 | [NOTE: Switch to 4K resolution if you have the speed, otherwise set for 1440 or 1080p]
This video shows catastrophic loss of living coral cover on a Caribbean coral reef on the west side of the Turks and Caicos islands in the Caribbean. Shot in January 2020, it shows the aftermath of two events in 2019: the arrival of a new disease in May, and bleaching from warm seawater temperatures in Aug/Sep.
At 7:15, you can see a particularly large brain coral in the final stages of disease.
You can read the BBC story at:
bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51035398

To see what reefs looked like before disease and climate change had its worst effects, see:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkzIM8bicViavsAQuYZIgHqSYVbLzG9qA

Upgrading an Antique Cast-Iron Aquarium

Pawlik Lab 2020-01-14 | This is the third video about a rare, JW Fiske cast-iron aquarium, made in the 1880s.
I've had this aquarium since 2005, and have learned a lot about maintaining it.
This video provides some additional historical documentation, and shows how to make form-fitted trays to line the interior bowl of the tank to maximize the sediment bed for the best growth of aquatic plants. Grow lights have also been unobtrusively added to the sides of the aquarium to maximize plant growth.
The playlist that includes the two previous videos will pop-up at the end of this one.
For more on this aquarium, see this link:
http://people.uncw.edu/pawlikj/2007TFHPawlik.pdf

Giant Barrel Sponges Around the Caribbean

Pawlik Lab 2020-01-01 | What has become of Caribbean "coral" reefs?
This is a video survey of reefs around the Caribbean at 40-80 ft depth (10-25 m), mostly recorded in 2018 and 2019 at recreational dive sites. The survey shows that (1) fore-reefs are surprisingly similar across the Caribbean, (2) reef-building coral cover is very low, (3) there are lots of seaweeds and octocorals (gorgonians), and (4) giant barrel sponges are common, and provide important structure on these reefs. While sponges may be providing homes for fishes and invertebrates, they also grow over the few remaining reef-building corals, and hold space that baby corals would need to recruit.

Queens of Saba

Pawlik Lab 2019-10-18 | Highlights of diving off the coast of the beautiful Caribbean island of Saba, featuring the most vibrant queen angelfishes I have ever seen. From October, 2019.

More Red Sea Highlights

Pawlik Lab 2019-08-03 | Diving experiences from the Egyptian coast of the Red Sea south of Port Ghalib from a cruise on the Red Sea Aggressor, May 2019.
Huge Napoleon wrasse, blue-spot rays, moray eels, etc.

Diving Maratea

Pawlik Lab 2019-07-10 | Diving with DINOSUB off the coast of Maratea, Italy, as part of the 2019 ISSNP. Thanks to Valeria and Luigi for a wonderful time!

Red Sea Unicorns

Pawlik Lab 2019-06-28 | A school of elegant unicornfish (Naso elegans) grazing the reef crest at Daedelus Reef, Egyptian Red Sea, 20 May 2019.

Red Sea Swim-throughs

Pawlik Lab 2019-06-26 | Amazing diving swim-throughs of the shallow coral reefs along the Egyptian coast of the Red Sea, between Port Ghalib and the reefs off Berenice. The strong sunlight, cloudless skies, and mild surface waves make for the most wonderful light effects in these underwater passages.

Red Sea Coral Reefs

Pawlik Lab 2019-06-18 | A video tour of coral reefs along the Egyptian coast of the Red Sea from Port Ghalib south to the reefs off Berenice on the live-aboard Aggressor I. May 2019. Set to 4K resolution.
Amazing coral cover. Gigantic coral heads. Among the healthiest reefs left in the world.

Red Sea Highlights: Dolphins and Octopodes

Pawlik Lab 2019-06-03 | Snorkeling with spinner dolphins and diving with fighting octopods on Marsa Mubarak reef off Port Ghalib, Egypt, with the Red Sea Aggressor I, 24 May 2019.

Diving Belize

Pawlik Lab 2019-03-31 | Diving off Southwater and Carrie Bow Cays, Belize.
March 2019

Reefs of Barbados

Pawlik Lab 2019-02-10 | Switch to 4K resolution! (unless it gets jerky, then go to 720).
A video tour of reefs off the SW coast of Barbados, January 2019, at 10-25 m depth (see map at start of video).
Things to notice: (1) Huge biomass of large giant barrel sponges (Xestospongia muta) in unusual growth forms, with sponges overgrowing and smothering live coral heads, (2) fairly high coral cover, particularly of Madracis mirabilis in large mounds, (3) Acropora almost absent (only one patch seen), (4) low macroalgal cover, with lots of black spined sea urchins hiding, but cyano mats in some areas, (5) low fish abundance.
Lots of juvenile hawksbill turtles foraging for sponges - conservation programs are working!!

Diving Barbados with GFish

Pawlik Lab 2019-01-22 | Wrecks and reefs along the SW coast of Barbados.
Filmed January 2019 with dive support from GFish Watersports, next to the Radisson Aquatica hotel in Carlisle Bay, Bridgetown, Barbados.

Visit from Hurricane Florence

Pawlik Lab 2018-09-22 | Some images from the impact of Hurricane Florence on downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, 13-16 September 2018.
Video mostly taken around the intersection of 2nd and Ann St.

Hyde & Markum wreck diving

Pawlik Lab 2018-07-10 | Change to 4K resolution!
Dive video taken 6 July 2018 of the wrecks of the Hyde and Markum off Wilmington, North Carolina, on a dive charter through Aquatic Safaris out of Wrightsville Beach. The wrecks are close together, about 18 miles off the coast. The Hyde had a number of sand tiger sharks inside and around the wreck. The large sea slug (nudibranch) Hypselodoris picta on the sponge Dysidea etheria can be seen at 10:30.

Revisiting a Fiske antique cast-iron aquarium

Pawlik Lab 2018-07-04 | Switch to 4K for best resolution.
This video is an update to one I did 5 years ago about the restoration of a 1880s Victorian-era cast-iron aquarium made by the JW Fiske Company of New York City. The link to that video is:
youtu.be/UVQivbrJN4M

In this video, I show the latest group of fishes to live in this tank, a group that includes 8 bettas.

Read an earlier article about this aquarium at this link:
http://people.uncw.edu/pawlikj/2007TFHPawlik.pdf

Cubas reefs II: Garden of the Queen

Pawlik Lab 2018-06-10 | CHANGE quality to 4K!!! Second set of Underwater videos of the reefs on either side of Cayo Anclitas in the Jardines de la Reina (Garden of the Queen) off the South coast of Cuba. These reefs are well protected from over-fishing and have healthy populations of reef sharks, as well as some of the largest numbers of groupers, snappers and grunts that you will see in the Caribbean. These videos were taken in the first week of March 2018 on an Aggressor I liveaboard diving cruise. Lots of reef sharks, silky sharks at the surface, nassau and black groupers, and an octopus that was mimicking drift algae!

Coral reef rescue: Save the parrotfishes!

Pawlik Lab 2018-05-19 | WINNING ENTRY in the 2018 Ocean 180 video challenge!!
Coral reef rescue: Save the parrotfishes! by Boston Dang and Joseph Pawlik
The Pawlik Lab's 2018 entry in the Ocean 180 Video Challenge won first place in the "amateur" category. The "challenge" is to present a recent scientific journal article in 180 seconds (3 min) that can be understood by 6th-8th grade students.
To learn more about the Challenge, and the other entries, see this website:
http://ocean180.org
More on the first place win here:
https://uncw.edu/news/2018/05/uncw-faculty-student-team-wins-ocean-180-video-challenge.html

Cubas Reefs 1: Garden of the Queen

Pawlik Lab 2018-04-30 | CHANGE TO HD!!! Underwater videos of the reefs on either side of Cayo Anclitas in the Jardines de la Reina (Garden of the Queen) off the South coast of Cuba. These reefs are well protected from over-fishing and have healthy populations of reef sharks, as well as some of the largest numbers of groupers, snappers and grunts that you will see in the Caribbean. These videos were taken in the first week of March 2018 on an Aggressor I liveaboard diving cruise.

Roatan North

Pawlik Lab 2018-02-26 | Change to 4K for full effect!
January 2018 diving on reefs on the North side of Roatan, off Sandy Bay. Great sequence of neon gobies chasing parasitic copepods on the surface of a black grouper starts 4:30. Beautiful green turtle at the end. Note the bleached corals on this reef -- these are recovering from a bleaching event that peaked in October 2017.

Roatan South Side

Pawlik Lab 2018-02-14 | Change to HD 1080p60 for sharp video!
Reefs off the South side of Roatan, near Las Palmas, east of the opening to Mahogany Bay. January 2018.

Frenzy: Shark Dive Roatan

Pawlik Lab 2018-01-14 | Change to HD!
How do we save sharks on coral reefs? Make them much more valuable to the locals alive than dead!
This video is from a ~40 minute shark dive to 70 feet off the SW coast of Roatan, Honduras. In operation for ~12 years, the owners say there have never been any accidents. The feeding station attracts 10-20 female Caribbean reef sharks with a maximum length of ~9 ft.

Seein with Fluorescein: Red Sea edition

Pawlik Lab 2017-12-28 | Water pumping by sponges is visualized using non-toxic fluorescein dye. This video was shot on Red Sea coral reefs off the coast of Saudi Arabia south of Al Lith.

Reefs of the Past: Grecian Rocks, Florida Keys, 1987

Pawlik Lab 2017-10-06 | Reefs of the Past: Grecian Rocks, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Pennekamp Park, Key Largo, 1987
Film Credits: Cameraman – John C. Halas, Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary; Scientific Director and Script – Vassil N. Zlatarski, Smithsonian Institution; Narration – Judith F. Halas, Key Largo, Florida; Special consultant – Eugene A. Shinn, U. S. Geological survey.
Filmed in November 1987, finished – December 1987.
Time-stamp data:
0:01 -- Pawlik Lab in association with Dr. Vassil Zlatarski presents …
0:06 -- Reefs in the Past: Grecian rocks, off Pinnecamp Park, Key Largo, Florida Keys, 1987
0:12 -- Underwater. Title
1:12 -- Gene Shinn
1:33 -- Gene Shinn turns to air photo
3:26 -- Scheme
5:29 -- Underwater, mooring buoy G9
5:51 -- Solenastraea patch
6:36 -- Acropora cervicornis
7:11 -- Colpophyllia natans, Pomacanthus paru
7:32 -- Meandrina meandrites
7:48 -- Solenastraea
8:04 -- Montastraea cavernosa
8:43 -- Diploria strigosa
8:48 -- Eusmilia fastigiata
9:05 -- Lobster, Panulirus argus
9:59 -- Siderastraea siderea
11:19 -- Montastraea annularis complex
12:00 -- Acropora palmata
14:16 -- Reef flat, Acropora palmata
14:52 -- Back reef slope
16:07 -- Montastraea annularis complex
17:35 -- Diploria
17:48 -- Cannon
18:18 -- Barracuda, Lemon shark
18:38 -- Dead Acropora cervicornis
18:52 -- Healthy Acropora cervicornis
19:41 -- Damselfish
20:25 -- Mooring buoy G2
21:11 -- Favia fragum
21:24 -- Acropora cervicornis
21:27 -- Starfish, Oreaster reticularis
22:09 -- Mooring buoy G8; coral neoplasms
23:48 -- Damselfish
24:21 -- Black grouper, Myctoperca
24:27 -- Colpophyllia natans
26:15 -- Montastraea annularis complex
26:41 -- Millepora
27:31 -- Acropora palmata
29:06 -- Colpophllia natans
29:45 -- Montastraea annularis complex
30:39 -- Diploria labyrinthiformis
31:37 -- Strombus gigas
31:47 -- Thalassia
31:53 -- Acknowledgments
32:25 -- End