RickMo

Four stand out to me. First, this image of batfish gliding by above a disorganized scrum of divers following a negative descent off a tender in PNG. It reminds me of how foreign we are to the undersea world. It's not a technically-great image--in fact, a full-on grab shot--but I find it evocative. Second, this picture, from last February, of healthy, vibrant purple tube sponges in a rich reef scene on Klein Bonaire. I had no idea that within months, SCTLD and serious bleaching would overtake Bonaire's reefs. While I don't know what this scene looks like now, I fear the worst. Third, this soft coral crab in the Tulamben muck. It reminds me that no matter our size, our survival depends on our environment, even if it's a few square inches of soft coral. And fourth, this marbled Saron shrimp found in the Banda Sea, in hopes that someone can tell me why it has a pompom on its beak. Great 2024 to all of you!

It's unchanged. There are a couple of improvements, notably a dedicated ISO button just below the video button, and a button to re-center the focus point.

This is very timely for us. Sometime last spring, I booked a long photography-oriented liveaboard in the Jardines de la Reina, now a month away. At that time, there appeared to be no SCTLD in the Jardines (although I was and am suspicious about that, fingers crossed), and the hard corals have long been reputed to be very healthy, certainly by Caribbean standards. It's now clear that the triple-digit temperatures in the Keys, and the attendant temperature spike throughout the region, has not spared Cuba. Two recent videos show extensive bleaching, one just a month or so old. So, there is likely to have been some recovery of bleaching, but the trip will certainly be different than planned. My partner and I discussed two nights ago that it will be important to document the tragedy; although it's our first time in the Jardines, there are lots of baseline images which we can bump what we see up against. Also apropos, there is a decent documentary on Netflix, Chasing Coral, which documents the glory and subsequent ruin of a little-known reef complex in the western Caribbean.

Trendsetter, that's me.

Whoa! Sea Sponge already! Ian Marsh, something to strive for. I do aspire to Bobbitt Worm . . . Mods, any chance of adding it to the list?

John, we've had great success with Prescription Dive Masks, and I really recommend getting lenses ground to your prescription. They offer a different grind for photographers, with the close-focus lens extending a little bit higher in the visual field. Given that you don't need distance correction, maybe those would be worth checking out. (I wouldn't be happy with fuzzy distance vision, but that's a lifestyle choice). As to mask size, I've happily used Cressi Big Eye masks with prescription lenses for a long time.

Of all the things I've been called, I think "polyp" stands out. According to Google: "a projecting growth of tissue from a surface in the body, usually a mucous membrane"-- and, apparently, commonly the colon . . . I'm trying not to take it personal-like!

Phil, thanks for the update. The strobes (and Marelux) are certainly innovative. How is the RC capability used/useful?

Bittersweet, but more sweet. Nice job, ghosts-in-the-machine!