Sea Cucumber spawning

While diving and surveying sea cucumbers in Papua New Guinea, you will rarely encounter many of the different kinds of species of sea cucumbers to spawn. However, the species of Flower fish Boadschia graffei is commonly seen spawning with its tail rose up while releasing the eggs or sperm in coral reef habitat. It is quite amazing to just observe and take photos. Twice whilst diving in New Ireland Province, I observed the Sand fish Holothuria scabra spawning. Other experience was at Kombe in West New Britain Province, where I observed a Deepwater redfish.

All species of sea cucumbers have different times of spawning season. There is a gap in the knowledge of those spawning seasons to very effectively carry out monitoring and conservation efforts.

Seaweed Farming -Alternative to Beche-de-mer?

Sea weed farming has been trialed in Milne Bay province and just recently, the people of Kataret Island in the Autonomous region of Bougainville stated farming. Unfortunately, it is new in Papua New Guinea therefore, the price and facilities had not been set has yet. The islanders of Kataret had been farming, harvesting and processed dry to sell it the Solomon Island's buyers. They were selling a kilo for only one PNG kina. Below is the photograph of

 the under water farm.

Manus Island BDM Survey

WE started the Sea cucumber survey in Manus from the 8th to the 15th of June 2013. We started at Loniu then make our way to Ndilo. After completing Ndilo, we went to Andra and over night at ponam Island. Ndilo, Andra and Ponam had good numbers of Surf Redfish -Actinipyga mauritina were recorded on the reef crests. The next morning we went on to Kali then Bipi.After Bipi we overnight at Mbuke and moved on to Tawi and Pere before overnight again at Mbunai. WE my group cam to town to refill, the other two teams did Mbunai before we all moved on to Baluan. After completing Baluan, we slept over at Rambutso. Early the net morning, we  surveyed the reefs and seagrass beds of Rabutso before we completed the survey for Manus province.