Hello Everyone!
Today we had our second livestream from Little Cayman and it was awesome to see all of you who were able to join us! You had such fantastic questions! Today we shared with you some footage of the Nassau spawning, which happened last night. As we discussed, the grouper is able to change its color, very much like an octopus, and it does this for a couple of reasons, such as camouflage. The Nassau can make itself lighter or darker to better blend in with its habitat. The second purpose of its color changing behavior is for communication. The Nassau will often change its coloration when it encounters other Nassau. Here is a graphic showing the different color phases of the grouper:
Color Phases!
Also on today’s livestream, we also talked about how the Grouper Moon researchers count all those fish, which is no small task. One way that we are estimating the number of fish is by tagging a set number of grouper with brightly colored tags. Once the tags have been placed on the fish, divers start counting fish. Each time, a diver will count 50 fish and then make a notation of how many of those fish have tags on them. We have several divers out there counting those fish, three times a day, collecting as much data as possible. We can then estimate the total number of fish based on the number of tagged fish we count. Dr. Lynn Waterhouse shared about this process today, but made an error in her math and wanted me to make a correction. Here is a graphic she put together for you explaining the math behind tagging Nassau Grouper:
If you were unable to join us for today’s livestream, do not worry. All of our livestreams are available to watch on REEF’s YouTube page. Here is the link from today’s livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/1yIZuV9sHmc?feature=share
Finally, be sure to tune in for tomorrow’s third and final livestream where we will take you out on the boat and go underwater to see all those magnificent grouper!
Go Grouper Moon!
Todd