Differences between the Caribbean and Indopacific reefs

Ohioreefer7 · 02/13/2018, 03:44 PM

One thing I noticed after scuba diving in Cancun is that the Caribbean has a lot of soft corals like gorgonians and sea fans that sway in the ocean current and are really beautiful. When I dove in Asia there wasn’t as much but there was more coral coverage and reefs however. The biggest difference I noticed was that the Indopacific had a lot more species. And in particular there were a lot more small fish like damselfish, wrasses and gobies swimming around. It seemed like there were small fish everywhere in Asia doing something. The Caribbean had more open spaces between the the corals and if there had been Indopacific species there they would have filled in the gaps between the corals. The Caribbean was beautiful but it didn’t have the fractal stuff where you look more closely and you see a fire fish or mandarin goby or swarms of many different species of damselfish swimming together. Just some thoughts.

Scrubber_steve · 02/13/2018, 06:19 PM

I snorkled on the GBR in march 2017, shallow reefs, Hook Island, Whitsundays.
I was surprised by the variety of coral types all growing in the same vicinity. Large expanses of various colored softies, some that looked like sinularia. Next to them were groups of branching sps. Then plating corals mixed in as well. All completely pristein.

Plenty of fish, & a laid back green sea turtle.

I dived & snorkled Treasure Island, of the Fijian mainland back in 1995 & that was amazing. Not only the coral, but the amazing amount of large tropical fish.

02/13/2018, 03:44 PM	#1
Ohioreefer7 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 145	Differences between the Caribbean and Indopacific reefs One thing I noticed after scuba diving in Cancun is that the Caribbean has a lot of soft corals like gorgonians and sea fans that sway in the ocean current and are really beautiful. When I dove in Asia there wasn’t as much but there was more coral coverage and reefs however. The biggest difference I noticed was that the Indopacific had a lot more species. And in particular there were a lot more small fish like damselfish, wrasses and gobies swimming around. It seemed like there were small fish everywhere in Asia doing something. The Caribbean had more open spaces between the the corals and if there had been Indopacific species there they would have filled in the gaps between the corals. The Caribbean was beautiful but it didn’t have the fractal stuff where you look more closely and you see a fire fish or mandarin goby or swarms of many different species of damselfish swimming together. Just some thoughts.

02/13/2018, 06:19 PM	#2
Scrubber_steve I'm really very likeable Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Down Under Posts: 676	I snorkled on the GBR in march 2017, shallow reefs, Hook Island, Whitsundays. I was surprised by the variety of coral types all growing in the same vicinity. Large expanses of various colored softies, some that looked like sinularia. Next to them were groups of branching sps. Then plating corals mixed in as well. All completely pristein. Plenty of fish, & a laid back green sea turtle. I dived & snorkled Treasure Island, of the Fijian mainland back in 1995 & that was amazing. Not only the coral, but the amazing amount of large tropical fish.