Author: KNUCKLEHEAD

   As usual, I`m back on Fridays to post my coral reef images & to lend my small support to all the people from the gulf, & for all the plants & animals, above & belowthe surface.
I fear the damage will affect more the denizens of the deep, than the more visible surface land inhabitants.
   As I`m sure you`ll all concur, I believe this was by design, … to minimize the visible surface  damage, at the much greater expense of the out-of-sight underwater damage.
I`m encouraged, albeit minimally, of the renewed pushback against the mantra of “the oil is gone”, a magical feat, (read, pack of lies) akin to the  (mushroom cloud from WMD`S in Iraq).

BP

    I have to thank the innumerable writers & commentors on blogs I frequent for their nonstop activism to provide current info on the status of all things pertaining to the gulf.
Another thing I should mention is the building of a coalition of writers I see, grouping to address more than the gulf catastrophe, but also global warming , the flooding in Pakistan, & alternative energy sources etc. etc.
Here are some links to other site & writers all working for the same goal,..
To save this planet in as diverse ways as there are problems.
Feel free to add links to sites I have not mentioned in your comments, please

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/8/20/894969/-Pakistan-Floodsreporting-working-from-the-inside

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/8/20/894941/-Dear-White-House-Re:-Oil-Spill-Not-Gone

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/8/20/894896/-Daily-Kos-Gulf-Watchers-ROV- – 316BPs-Gulf-Catastrophe

http://www.docudharma.com/diary/22632/bps-oil-is-not-on-the-surface-its-on-the-sea-floor

http://healthygulf.org/

BIG BANG
(Tube Anemone)

UDDER FANTASY

COMET

LAWNMOWER BLENNY

PURPLE ANEMONE

SAD SACK
(Engineer Goby)

LAWNMOWER BLENNY 2

NIGHT REEF

FRIEND`S REEF

FRIEND`S REEF
(Detail)

FUNGIA TENTACLES

BANGAII CARDINALFISH

TOMATO CLOWNFISH

THE FLASHER

REEF CREST

“FLUFFY”
(Fuzzy/Gorilla crab)

FRIEND`S REEF 2

OCELLARIS
(Green Bubble Coral)

OCELLARIS
(Green Torch Coral)

DATING GAME

PIPPI LONGSTOCKING
(Blue Legged HermitCrab)

   Lately, I`ve been not so enthused about the progress in the gulf.
I see the ramping up of activism in diaries with multiple posters, that, great unto themselves, the collective impact is much more than the sum of it`s parts.

   It seems there has been a lack of enthusiasm on the part of the government to push for a final & definitive push to do a bottom kill .
I would not expect the officials at BP to listen to us,  but you`d think the government would.
   I realize I`m a dreamer, but when I think  of all the damage, seen & unseen, to plant & animal life, I seem to be in a constant nightmare.

OCTOPUSES GARDEN

   I present to you these images to help encourage all of you who can speak more eloquently than I can, in all that you are doing , while thanking you for all you`ve previously done.

SUNRISE DOTTYBACK

EYESPOT MISDIRECTION

PIPPI`S TURF

INCOMPATIBLE SPECIMEN

CORAL BEAUTY

FEEDING CUP

FEEDING TRUMPET CORALS

CORAL BANDED PROWLER

COMET  SIGHTING

LEATHER FINGERS
(Purple Coraline)

RED EYED CRAB

BREAST IMPLANT

GIANT CUP

LOVE ON THE ROCKS

BLOOD BROTHERS

SERPENTINE LOGIC

FINGER LEATHER & CUP NUBS

CRAB & GOBY

HERMIT CRAB ON TOADSTOOL

LURKING MANDARIN

   It`s Friday again, time to temper my anger with a sharing of some of my images from my reef tanks.
You may have noticed that my images are  often of a same specimen.
I liken that to taking more than one picture of your cat, dog, bird, lizard or child.
Every image is a close encounter with what one loves doing with the loved ones one does it with.
   I titled this diary  with “memorial days” not because I want to have anyone remember these specimens, but for you to remember the days the authorities wanted you to forget.
They want you to forget how much oil was spilled.
They want you to forget how much was hidden, by the use of toxic dispersants.
They want you to forget the harm they`ve done.
And they want you to forget, they`ve  been trying to make you forget for years.
 Well that will not happen. There are too many who will always remember.
Just reading through the blogs, we can see that there are Gulf Watchers everywhere.
From  here,
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/8/6/890757/-BP-Catastrophe-Liveblog-Mothership:-73
(please rec them)
to here
http://www.docudharma.com/diary/22446/when-does-mostly-gone-actually-mean-a-lot-is-still-there
to here
http://healthygulf.org/
And to many others, we are watching you.

HAWKFISH

MARINE BETTA

BLUE CRAB DROPOFF

BULLSEYE SHRIMP

GREEN TORCH FRAG
(On coralline covered reef rock.)

HAWKFISH

CORAL BANDED SHRIMP

MOON-LANDING GOBY

 GIANT CUP
(Closed, like a purse)

ILLEGAL ALIEN
(Maze Brain, fluorescing at night)

BLUE MUSHROOM

MARINE BETTA
(Peeking)

I`M NOT HAPPY
(Tomato Clownfish in Purple Anemone)

SPACE NOODLES
(Tube Anemone fluorescent)

BLACK GOLD

SETI MEMBER

PURPLE PUZZLE

TOMATO SAUCE

EMERALD CRAB

QUICK PEEK
(6feet long, 120 gallons)

   Being Friday again, I`m here to try & keep the gulf coast on the minds of as many people as possible.
Lately I feel that the media is trying to give the gulf, the bum`s rush. We keep hearing about wrapping up the booming under the guise that booms do deteriorate. I can`t argue that, but let`s have new booms available & on hand, since this is hurricane season.
I will not be sold on wrapping up the gulf cleanup till they at least plug the well permanently, & keep monitoring the gulf for the next few years.
   Right now Bob Cavnar is speaking  on TV & mentioned the posters at Daily Kos, specifically the ones guiding everyone through this disaster  with the Mothership & it`s “Babies” (my qualifier)
He is also one of the people I listen to & believe, when I see him on the big TV machine, over any one else on their Propaganda machine.
   I normally post my images as distractions from all the travails of our daily lives in these trying times, but these are not to distract, but to point you towards what some would have you be distracted from. Please do not fall for that old ploy.
Even if the specimens I post do not all live in the gulf environment, they are the best I can post from these taken in my reef tanks.

Twilight of the Gods
(Shot at a friend`s outdoor tank around the corner)

PURPLE ACROPRA

BAD HAIR DAY

GIANT CUP MOUTH

WRONG PASSWORD

SATED ELEPHANT EAR
(Giant Cup)

CEANER WRASSE
(Green Bubble Coral)

CORAL BANDED SHRIMP
(On reef crest)

FORE REEF

SOFT CORAL

OCELLARIS
(Under Bubble Coral)

CLEANER WRASSE

ON THE LOOKOUT

WATCHING THE ACTION

TOMATO CLOWNFISH
(With Rose Anemone)

BANAN APEEL

OUT OF THE DARKNESS

TAMALE TOM
(Tomato Clownfish  Rose Anemone)

PYGMY ANGEL

GREEN TORCH MASSAGE

OCELLARIS & PURPLE ANEMONE

REEF CREST

TWILIGHT OF THE GODS

GULF GUARDIAN

  I`m a day late this week, in posting reminders of what kind of life we stand to lose due to the oil gusher in the  gulf.
I know it is presently capped, albeit temporarily, but I worry about the situation going south fast.
   I feel that the decisions that were made in the last few weeks, are to hide to the public, the fact that they (BP) are not very confident they can stop this disaster, even with the relief wells so near completion.
   But I post these images in hopes that people  will never forget this disaster, man made, I should add, & never allow it to happen again.
It seems like greed has taken over, regardless of the consequences to the livelihood of humans, & the lives of all the defenseless animals above & below the surface.

CORA BANDED SHRIMP

EEL & RABBITFISH (venomous)

STARFISH NAUGHTIES

HERMIT CRAB

BROWN POLYPS

GREEN POLYPS

GOBY (rear view)

GORGONIA

PAJAMA CARDINALFISH

BULLSEYE SHRIMP

CHRISTMASTREE WORM

REEF CREST 1

REEF FACE

REEF CREST 2

RABBITFISH

CORAL BANDED SHRIMP

SHARKNOSE GOBY

PYGMY ANGELFISH

MAROON CLOWNFISH

YELLOW TANG

BLUE TANG & GREEN TORCH

Promoted by Steven D — have a great weekend all.

   I`m back with more underwater images in support of the gulf  coast, it`s inhabitants above & below the surface, & to all who`ve worked so hard to keep the daily developments on the front pages.
    I would like to also mention a big “Thank You” to all the workers out on all the skimming boats, the oil retrieval crews on the beaches,  &  the crews out working on the rigs, tankers & the ROV operators who have worked nonstop to end this gusher.
I cannot blame them for the bad decisions of their managers.
   Now that the gusher is stopped albeit temporarily, I think we can have a little breather.
Then we`ll have to get back to keeping this catastrophe  at the top of the news, since we all know how the style of news cycles here can rapidly shift away the  important issues to  iPhones & Lohans.

PURPLE CONTORTIONIST
(An Anemone)

   I must stress that the images I post are not necessarily gulf inhabitants, they are my tank inhabitants, but it`s the only way I can personally do my part to make others aware of what we stand to lose, when we are not proper stewards of our planet.
  With that in mind, we have to be prepared to work for years to clean up this disaster.
The oceans are the heartbeat of this planet, & we just gave it a stroke.
BABY GREEN MASSAGERS

PURPLE CONTORTIONIST
(An Anemone)

PAINTBALL WARS

PRIMEVAL

BLACK MATRIX

GREEN CHROMIS

STARBURST & GALAXIES
(crop)

STARBURST & GALAXIES
(original)

FUORESCING TUBE ANEMONE

BLENNY

DEEP DIVE

BLUE LEGGED HERMIT CRAB
(green torch coral)

ENGINEER GOBY

A TRIO

I`M DOWN HERE

TOMATO CLOWNFISH

TAIL-STANDING BLENNY

A CAPELLA

SSHHH!, I`M HIDING

MANDARIN DANCE

   Here I am once again & as promised  I will only post images of life that is not visible from the surface.
   Many people tend to think that life in our oceans consists mostly of fish, crabs, shrimp, & shellfish, like oysters, scallops clams & snails, plus mammals like dolphins, whales, & I have to also mention turtles, the darlings of the  gulf.
   What many don`t realize is that the above mentioned  species make up a small fraction of the biodiversity of the oceans.
In the following images, try & look beyond the main subject, & look to the backgrounds of the images. Every bit of color is a living  organism.
The purple on the  reef structure is coralline algae.
Every little nook & cranny has little “bugs” living in them.
Every little filament you see is some kind of worm.
The reef is covered with billions & billions of life forms, & I`m just talking about these numbers, pertaining to my reef tanks.The sand  at the bottom contains billions of  these per cubic inch.
   Now these are the bottom of the food chain, but also sometimes the first to die off when the water chemistry is changed by even parts per billion.
When the first link in the food chain is destroyed, the other links fall apart in rapid succession. That`s why I post these images. They are not spectacular in any way as images, but as examples of the spectacular life in the oceans that the planet depends on.
Regardless of their microscopic sizes.

Giant Cup
(Elephant Ear)

Tiger Sea Cucumber

Clownfish in Trumpet Coral

Copperband Butterflyfish
(Coral banded Shrimp)

Copperband with Goldentail Eel

Seaweed
(unidentified)

Pajama Cardinalfish
(Green Torch Coral)

Green Polyps

Sharknose Goby
(Two Christmastree Worms

“Prancing” Starfish
(Long Spined Urchin)

Feather Duster Worm

Starfish & Green Zoas

Fuzzy Finger Leather
(Long Spined Urchin)

Mushroom Group

Humbug

Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp

Coral Banded Shrimp

Six Line Wrasse

Cleaner Wrasse

Hawkfish

Reverse Goldentail Eel
(All Kinds Of Things)

Blastomusa & Brown Polyps

A bunch of fish & corals

Pajama Cardinalfish Being Cleaned

Tomato Clownfish

Maroon Clownfish

Blue Tang

Yellow Tang

Green Torch Coral & Goby

Pygmy Angelfish & Hawkfish

As I previously mentioned, I shall post only images pertaining to underwater life.
Helping me choose these images from my archives, I have my good friend Coconut, a parrot I rescued many years ago.
I therefore will include him in the opening.
Plus I promised Ekaterin I would.
I feel the situation in the gulf is being slowly moved back in the pages of the national newspapers & the gulf is not in the collective minds of the people of the country as a whole.
  The pain & suffering to the whole nation will be felt for/in years to come, but the immediate stress is surely being felt among the people directly impacted by this man made catastrophe. Those who live there, breath there & wanted to die in peace there.
  These people are our brothers & sisters, sons & daughters, & mothers & fathers.
They are us.
Although many of these specimens imaged are not endemic to the gulf, they are nonetheless part of our  planet`s heartbeat, & will ultimately be affected as time goes on, no matter how far our planet`s blood, (the oceans) is pumped to.
  I post these to impress upon you, the life forms that many will never have the opportunity to ever see in the wilderness of the unseen.
  It bothers me that this was allowed to happen, especially when we can see the devastation we`ve caused on the visible surface of the earth, & which only is a 1/4 part of our pale blue dot.
  Another thing that comes to my mind right now, is my anger at the responsible parties to this mess, was temporarily forgotten today, while I attended a funeral for a longtime dear friend.
A funeral!! Damn, I needed a funeral to distract my anger.
But my friend Coconut makes it better albeit only momentarily.

COCONUT for Ekaterin

Others of the Brittle Star species from the Gulf of Mexico, can grow up to 10 feet across.

TUBE FEET, SPINES & OSCICLES

TOP SIDE

SIZE SCALE
(Click to “original” size)

TURBINA PELTATA

COPPER ZOAS
(Deathly poisonous)

XENIA

PIPPI LONGSTOCKING

SPOT THE GOBY

SCARLET CLEANER SHRIMP

BANGAII CARDINALFISH

SIX LINE WRASSE

MUSHROOM LEATHER & LONG SPINED URCHIN

FINGER LEATHER

BULLS-EYE SHRIMP

MY SCREEN SAVER

BRAIN MAZE

TOMATO CLOWNFISH

CLEANER WRASSE

OSCELLARIS

REEF CREST

RABBITFISH
(venomous spines)

TORCH CORAL

GULF GUARDIAN

I want to post images of underwater life from the oceans of our planet, which I`ve stolen a little of, to put in my reef tanks, till the oil gusher is stopped & I want to post them every week.
    That`s the least I can do.
I feel so much for the people on the gulf coast.
I want as many people as possible to see what is being devastated below the surface, even if it aggravates their sorrow at what is being devastated above it. The only way for the gulf coasters to be “made whole” is if all the damages are brought to the light of day.
   I`m sorry for all you are going through.
I hope my little bit helps.
I live on the California coast, so I know how your paradise feels to you.
I`ll start off with a shot of my coast, which I will defend as much as I`ll try & defend yours.
BEACH NEIGHBOR

PYGMY ANGEL

REEF CREST

TIGER CUCUMBER

LOBOPHYILYIA (?)

HAWKFISH

BLUE LEGGED HERMIT CRAB

BLUE LABIA

GREEN BUBBLE CORAL
(NIGHT SHOT)

REEF FACE , CLEANER WRASSE

YELLOW TANG, ELEPHANT EAR

BAND OF BROTHERS
A Maroon Clownfish, stealing food from in an Elephant Ear,
while  a Tang, a Hawkfish & a Pygmy Angel look for scraps

PYGMY ANGEL HEAVEN

MAROON CLOWNFISH
(One of the most obstinate fish I`ve ever had.)

BRANCHING CORAL

REVERSE GOLDEN TAIL EEL

CLEANER WRASSE

NATURAL LIGHT

BANGAII

GREEN BUBBLE with OCELLARIS

REVERSE GOLDENTAIL EEL

GREEN ZOAS

SCARLET CLEANER SHRIMP
(Up close)

NIGHT STAR

For all of you who were so nice to have responded to my call for help last week,
I`d like to update you on the situation.
The original post is here.http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2010/5/6/195923/8348
I had told you that I would forward the link to your comments, to the father.
I have been in touch with him throughout the past week, & tonight,
I have good but also sad news, temporary, I hope.

The father just left my house & told me that his son was removed from the family home,
to be transported to a residential treatment location.
He`d called first to say he was coming to pick up the family dog, Buddha
I was taking care of Buddha since the escalation of the situation in the family home
He`s quite sad to have had to resort to this heartbreaking decision,
but does wish to thank everyone for helping him see what he already saw, although,
through glasses fogged  by loving fatherhood.
Personally, I would like to thank you so very sincerely for having come to my aide to help a friend.

I also would like to reiterate the relationship I had with this young man.
As proof of this, I will tell you what I was told tonight, by the father.
The transport team, (those in charge of taking the young man, from A to B)
were in touch with the father, at different points/times of the journey.
At one point, he was allowed to briefly talk to his son.
During that conversation, he specifically requested that I personally be allowed to take care of
all his exotic cactus & succulents, that he was so proud of & that I`d helped him with.
As a matter of fact, (and as you`d know, if you read the original post) the last time I talked with him,
was by his invitation to come over to see his fresh blooms, & to photograph them.
That means so much to me, & I believe the father was also impressed, that his son cared about his interests, over hating. (That`s not the right word, but I don`t know how to pick the “right” one.

The mom & dad now have the beginning of their new lives back.
It sounds great, but I`m sure is filled with sadness, for the time being.

Many times during our conversations over the past week, your comments & advice was referred to, in grateful terms.
Thank you for stepping up & taking your valuable time to help a stranger.
I know you all did this for nothing in return, but you shall reap a hundredfold what you`ve sown.
I will bring more updates over time.
These are photos I took the last time I spent time with my young friend last week.
As you can see, he is quite adept with his green thumb & how to bring beauty out, simply with a seed.
I`m sure he too will blossom.
I will not let him do otherwise.
That`s what friends are for.
Thank you.