Posted by seahunt on March 14, 2005 at 22:12:49:
In Reply to: Re: No flames, but please answer some questions posted by Steve Shimek on March 14, 2005 at 21:42:49:
OK. Just tell me one thing honestly. Can there be any sport or commercial fishery that competes with otters? Is there any now? I certainly couldn't find anything to take let alone shorts. Just answer that
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>What do otters offer? They bring about increased primary productivity (conversion of sunlight to life) and a dramatic increase in biodiversity.
Like I said, more kelp (whoopee) and some increased biodiversity, but at huge cost in animal biomass. It looks like a desert, because anything an otter can eat is hidden way down deep.
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I have spent my life studying ecology, especially California Reef ecology. I got a degree in it from UC Santa Cruz. There is nothing like an otter in any other ecology. The only comparisson would be the mongoose in Hawaii, which has a more restricted diet. The mongoose simply destroys the ecology by eating everything, especially native birds. It is an ecological catastrophy that is fought by humans trying to preserve an ecology with some animal life in it. What is the difference between that and the otter. Well, if you like seaweed and otters, that is fine for you, but I went diving with the otters and it seems like desert compared to the areas with no otters. You might call that more natural, but much of it seems ugly and dead compared to what I ma used to seeing.
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>Yes, I have dove south of Carmel. I disagree with your assessment. It is some of the most fantasticly rich diving you will ever see.
No. It is nice, but much of the ecology is simply missing in my view. Apparently you do most of your diving in otter areas and are used to it.
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>And no, the abs at Hopkins are not blacks (although some are), but are reds, some of the largest you will ever see.
I'd like a report on that from the locals. I've never heard of them and find it unlikely. I have dove that area a fair number of times as well over more than 30 years.
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>I guess I'm having a hard time acknowledging that otters, who lived in the system to begin with, overwhelm the system. They just don't.
What do you mean, they don't? They do. Acknowledge it or not. You can say what you want. It's not something you can miss. Any diver that has any question about otters should just dive Morro Bay or that area. They will see.
Enjoy, seahunt
By the way, breaking urchins was found to be counter productive. It was the pollution that needed fixing.