Coral Spawning advice needed asap!!!

hi guys,

I've just recieved multiple reports of coral spawn around the reefs here in Bermuda today and I'm already organising a night dive for tonight but I need help from those that have seen this before. I'm not even sure if they will spawn two nights in a row... but definitely worth a go. Can anyone suggest what time to dive? I've heard mentions that it happens later at night... 10pm? Midnight? Later?

Can anyone suggest the best way to shoot it? I'm torn between my 15mm FE (on a D200) or my 105mm macro. Was thinking some side or even backlighting w a slave strobe?

Particularly looking for advice from Dr Mustard as I've seen some wonderful shots from cayman spawning in past years.

Our dominant species are brain coral, star coral and those fluffy brown gorgonians, we don't have the coral diversity of the carribean.

I'd really appreciate any advice, even after today as I hope it will happen again next month or even again in the coming days (thought it was more like 8 days after full moon and last night was the 3rd...). Cheers,

Chris

I have never dived in spawning coral but I would much prefer to go with the 16mm over the 105 as I would like to take a picture of the reef with black background and clouds of the small "eggs"...and besides, no one will notice the backscatter!!

Alex is in the Bahamas wetpixel trip so I think he will not be able to help you before tonight. But I just checked his Reefs Revealed book and he shot the coral spawning pics (page 40-41) with D2X and 16mm...

Good luck!!!! and post the pics...

Alex is the guy with all the knowledge i normally experience it with here in Cayman.

It is always in September here, and happens around 10-11pm.

There is a way of calculating it down to the minute if you know what you are doing.

It seems early for to me, even if you are in a more northern area Lower caribbean I thought goes before us and then you guys after, but you have completely different currents and water etc so who knows.

I just googled and got http://www.springerlink.com/content/q12035k185u484t7/ which suggests it does happen in July and August in Bemurda in sync with ter sub tropical spawnings.

Here in Cayman due to a higher diversity of corals we have at least 3 nights of spawning, sometimes more. But with the types I hear dyou saying you have I would guess you should get at least 2 if not 3 types where the different corals will spawn on different nights. If I had paid attention to Alex talking about gonads and othr scientific words that make me giggle I may be able to be more helpfull.

Time wise though, I would suggest getting in from 10.00 10.30 latest for 1 hour on a shallow reef (longer if you can) and look at all species of corals. If you see the egg masses bunching in the polyps then you will have about a 15 minute warnign before it all goes off.

google the coral types and the area and coral spawning you wil find lots of gd information I am sure

thanks giles, that was immensely helpful, i'll go for a 10-10:15pm splash in about 15-20ft so lots of bottom time. I've only just got home and hitting that google thingamagiggy now (posted earlier from my phone). That link was a good spot, thanks again. If I get lucky I'll post some pics.... fingers crossed.

and i think i will hit up the 15mm FE for those black background reef shots, thats a good call david. kept thinkin closups of egg sacs poppin out of polyps with the 105mm...... try that if i get a second chance. cheers,

Chris

This was shot in early morning.

Nikonos 15 mm, dual Ike 200, Fugi 50

I have seen spawning corals in Palau and filmed that with stacked diopters for the really close polyp shots. Never went wide on the second night we got skunked and third night was just a wash out. Some here, some there, a cell here a cell there. Frustrating. If you want the polyp shot, hence the reason for your lens choice, I would suggest also a diopter +2 or higher.

Good luck,

Mark.

This is a video grab using +2 diopter on.

Enjoy the worms.....