Date: September 28th	TI: 1130	TO: 1200	Max Depth: 30m
Divers: Carol, Starrlight

Date: October 3rd	TI: 0850	TO: 0940	Max Depth: 6m
Divers: Sylvia, Grant, Starrlight, Paul, Rebecca

Date: October 3rd	TI: 1035	TO: 1130	Max Depth: 9m
Divers: Sylvia, Grant, Paul, Carol

Date: October 4th	TI: 0850	TO: 0940	Max Depth: 7m
Divers: Sylvia, Grant, Paul

Date: October 4th	TI: 1230	TO: 1320	Max Depth: 8m
Divers: Carol, Paul, Eddie, Starrlight

Date: October 5th	TI: 0900	TO: 0950	Max Depth: 8m
Divers: Sylvia, Grant, Paul, Carol

Date: October 6th	TI: 0815	TO: 0905	Max Depth: 7m
Divers: Sylvia, Grant, Paul, Starlight

Date: October 6th	TI: 1000	TO: 1050	Max Depth: 8m
Divers: Carol, Starrlight, Eddie, Paul

Date: October 6th	TI: 1430	TO: 1520	Max Depth: 8m
Divers: Sylvia, Grant, Carol, Eddie

Date: October 12th	TI: 0815	TO: 0915	Max Depth: 8m
Divers: Eibes, Sylvia, Paul, Kitty, Rebecca

Date: October 9th	TI: 14300	TO: 1530	Max Depth: 8m
Divers: Sylvia, Paul, Kitty, Rebecca, Starrlight, Grant

Our 1^st dive off Sakao's fringing reef in the Maskelyne Islands showed the reef to be very diverse in both coral and marine life and later dives only supported these findings. This reef system was a platform barrier reef and became our science study site. The bottom composition here consisted of coral rock, bommies, seagrass, rubble and sand. During our 11 dives on this site we found the coral to be very diverse. Common genera here included Pachyseris, Porites, Montipora, Pavona, Hydnophora, Acropora (in particular staghorn) Galaxea, Psammacora, Stylophora, and Pocillopora.

Marine life was diverse, some of the more abundant fish to note were many species of Angelfish and Damselfish, Clownfish, Triggerfish, Butterflyfish, Groupers, Wrasse, Sweetlips (some of which were juvenile). Also noted were Scorpionfish, Filefish, Boxfish, Hawkfish and a plentiful supply of the smaller reef fish.

Invertebrates to note included many species of starfish, Nudibranchs, Flatworms, Anemones and hundreds of Feather Stars. Unfortunately the Crown of Thorns was also present and one dive here included a cleanup of crown of thorns due to their high number and lack of natural predators.

During all dives the current was slack to moderate and swells were either not present or only 2-5ft and waters were around 26°C on all dives.  

Date: September 30th	TI: 1015	TO: 1105	Max Depth: 6m
Divers: Sylvia, Carol, Paul, Kitty

Date: September 30th	TI: 1415	TO: 1505	Max Depth: 7m
Divers: Eibes, Eddie, Starrlight

Date: October 2nd	TI: 1030	TO: 1120	Max Depth: 25m
Divers: Eibes, Sylvia, Carol

Date: October 10th	TI: 0835	TO: 0925	Max Depth:11m
Divers: Sylvia, Rebecca, Grant, Starrlight, Kitty

Date: October 10th	TI: 1015	TO: 1105	Max Depth: 11m
Divers: Eibes, Carol, Grant, Eddie, Becky

Date: October 10th	TI: 1435	TO: 1325	Max Depth: 11m
Divers: Sylvia, Rebecca, Paul, Eddie, Starrlight

Date: October 11th	TI: 0920	TO: 1020	Max Depth: 10m
Divers: Sylvia, Rebecca, Grant, Kitty, Starrlight

Date: October 11th	TI: 1435	TO: 1325	Max Depth: 11m
Divers: Sylvia, Rebecca, Eibes, Kitty, Starrlight

This reef area was our second study site here in the Maskelyne Islands. The area of reef we studied was a platform barrier reef with a bottom composition of coral rock. Mostly Acropora, Pocillopora, Pavona, Goniastrea, all coral was in very good health and was more than 95% with algae coverage less than 15%. This site had a high diversity of fish, mainly some large Snappers, Sweetlips, Groupers and other small reef fish. A very large giant moray eel was also spotted on a number of occasions within the study site.

In general the area here had a moderate current with small 1-2 foot swells and 26°C water.

Date: October 1st	TI: 1430	TO: 1520	Max Depth: 12m
Divers: Sylvia, Paul, Grant, Carol

This site was a sloping barrier reef with a bottom composition of coral bioherms and a plethora of fish. There was a high diversity of the large commercial fish which is always good evidence to show over fishing is not a problem. Originally this site was going to be the location of our science study; however the site was a struggle to dive at due to the ever-present strong currents.

Date: October 9th	TI: 1030	TO: 1115	Max Depth: 22m
Divers: Eibes, Carol, Sylvia, Grant, Rebecca

Date: October 12th	TI: 1020	TO: 1110	Max Depth: 19m
Divers: Eibes, Carol, Becky

Date: October 16th	TI: 1020	TO: 1110	Max Depth: 17m
Divers: Sylvia, Grant, Becky, Rebecca

This was an amazing dive site, a pass with a fringing reef with a gradual slope and a bottom composition of sand.  It was full of marine life.  There was no current on any of the dives and visibility was about 30-40m.

In just three dives two Hawksbill Turtles, one Green Turtle in the distance swimming with speed, 7 spotted eagle rays that circled round us for a while, a cuttlefish, 2 approximately 2 metre wide stingrays. Reef fish were also abundant, a school of 30 Bumphead Parrotfish, thousands of fusiliers, giant barracuda, a school of smaller barracuda, blue spotted ray, giant sweetlips, 2 Napoleon Wrasses, big groupers and unicorn fish. There was also a high abundance of small fish and large commercial fish.

The coral here was very healthy with about 30-40% coral coverage. Overall the reef was healthy and diverse, dominated by some Porites and Acropora which included some large Acropora tables. However there were patches of filamentous algae cover.

Date: October 16th	TI: 1330	TO: 1420	Max Depth: 12m
Divers: Eibes, Paul, Kitty, Carol

This was a pass, wall and valley dive with slight currents; small swells of less than 2 feet and 25°C waters. The bottom was a hard composition with some rubble and sand but mainly live coral which was very diverse. This area was dominated by a lot of branching and table Acropora, also some massive Porites heads. Fish life was abundant and particularly schools of black snapper, Napoleon Wrasse, Sweetlips, 2 Cuttlefish and many other varieties of reef fish. The diversity of marine life in this area was incredible.

Date: October 31st	TI: 0930	TO: 1020	Max Depth: 8m
Divers: Sylvia, Becky, Rebecca, Paul

Date: November 1st	TI: 0930	TO: 1030	Max Depth: 8m
Divers: Sylvia, Carol, Paul, Kitty

Date: November 7th	TI: 1050	TO: 1150	Max Depth: 18m
Divers: Eibes, Grant, Carol

Date: November 8th	TI: 0920	TO: 1020	Max Depth: 12m
Divers: Sylvia, Kitty, Carol, Starrlight

The coral coverage and diversity at Uri’s outer fringing reef was high and gave the reef an especially colourful and beautiful appearance. Most coral colonies were in very good condition. Only in very few spots there were small areas in which corals were affected by a filamentous algae mat smothering. This site was a marine protected area and fishing has been banned for the past 15 years. The area is abundant in commercial fish with a high number of different snappers, big sized groupers and parrotfish inhabiting this area. Schools of different fusiliers, bar jacks, filament-fin parrotfish  and bumphead parrotfish were always present on the dives. With many different smaller reef fish and the occasional white tip reef shark the fish life is very diverse. There was also a  high abundance of crown of thorns starfish predators. Yellowmargin triggerfish and Moustache triggerfish are spread throughout the entire reef. Several very large Napoleon wrasses were also spotted.

Date: November 1st	TI: 1430	TO: 1520	Max Depth: 5m
Divers: Sylvia, Becky, Paul, Kitty

Date: November 2nd	TI: 0920	TO: 1020	Max Depth: 5m
Divers: Sylvia, Carol, Kitty, Paul

Date: November 4th	TI: 0930	TO: 1020	Max Depth: 5m
Divers: Eibes, Sylvia, Carol

Date: November 10th	TI: 0930	TO: 1020	Max Depth:6m
Divers: Sylvia, Rebecca, Grant, Starrlight, Kitty

This inside fringing reef was dominated by Porites coral, including very large Porites heads and fields of Porites fingers. Also found on the reef was Astreopora forming massive colonies of about 50 cm diameter and apart from some Montipora colonies, other coral genera were only present as very small colonies.

The number of large Porites heads was outstanding. They were in good condition apart from scars originating from bioeroding Scallop mussels, leaving deep valleys in the skeleton without live tissue. Most Porites finger colonies had partly lost their live tissue starting from the colony base. The tissue on top was still healthy and the borders between live tissue and dead skeleton looked clean as if the process of tissue loss had stopped. Corals were surrounded by sand and sediment.

During our study we experienced very turbid waters, while the wind was blowing strongly for days. In the marine protected area inside Port Stanley Bay a clam farm garden has been established, but fishing is allowed. In this area the fish population resembles the typical picture for an inside reef. A lot of very small reef fish in particular damsel fish, but also schools of fusliers and paddletail snappers  were sighted inside this area. Even a small dogtooth tuna passed through the transect area of the inside reef as well as a dugong.  For the full results of our study, see our science website.

Date: November 6th	TI: 1100	TO: 1150	Max Depth: 18m
Divers: Eibes, Grant, Carol

Date: November 6th	TI: 1430	TO: 1520	Max Depth: 20m
Divers: Sylvia, Starrlight, Kitty, Becky

The area here consisted of a gentle slope which became a small drop off. Live coral coverage was 35% consisting of some large Acropora tables and large Diploastrea, also some Pocilopora, Porites and encrusting Montipora. Commercial fish were high in abundance also Napoleon Wrasse, Bumphead Parrotfish, a Great Barracuda, Fusiliers, Sweetlips, Batfish and a school of Black Snapper were present on these dives. On the second dive 2 turtles and 2 white tip reef sharks were also spotted. Conditions were rough during these dives as there were very strong swells from the North East but only a slight current was present. Visibility was between 15 and 20m and the water temperature was 27 degrees Celsius.