6pm, Wednesday 28th September 2011
Room 3.403 in the Engineering Building, Auckland University

We will be reporting on a huge 2011 at the club, the club’s 50th year in operation!

We’ll be electing a new committee for 2012. Nominations are being called for the committee positions:

• President
• Vice President
• Secretary
• Open Water Training Officer
• Advanced Training Officer
• Trips Officer
• Boat Officer
• Gear Officer
• Webmaster
• Spearfishing Officer
• Flotsam Editor
• Grants Officer
• Conservation Officer
• General Committee

If you are interested in joining the club committee, please don’t hesitate to email the person currently in the role for more information, or email Will on boat@akunidive.com. All nominations should be emailed to Anna on secretary@akunidive.com.

Dive Tutukaka have generously donated a day trip to the Poor Knights Islands, including full equipment. This prize is valued at more than $200!
ONLY MEMBERS WHO ATTEND THE AGM ARE IN TO WIN!

Our Russell to Paihia snorkel race team have also generously donated a dinner cruise valued at $95 with Darryl’s Dinner Cruises in Paihia (or $95 off a cruise for 2).

We will be voting on changes to our club’s constitution. Please view the proposed changes highlighted in yellow.

On top of all of that we will be welcoming guest speaker Major David Grundy who will speak on “How to apply lessons learned from the ER and war to dive related accidents”.

Committee Nominations: Email Anna on secretary@akunidive.com.
Questions: Email Will on boat@akunidive.com.

Dr Richard C. Willan

“Marine Molluscs of the Coral Triangle: The Most Diverse Place on the Planet”

Dr Willan is visiting from Australia where he is the Curator of Molluscs at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin. He has been studying nudibranchs for almost 40 years. He obtained his B.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Auckland studying the taxonomy and ecology of side-gilled sea slugs and sea hares.

6pm, Tuesday 3rd May 2011
Human Sciences Building, room HSB2/201N-352, at Auckland University
Map of Auckland University: http://web.env.auckland.ac.nz/public/maps/city.pdf
Non-club members welcome.

Cadlina willani: an endemic New Zealand nudibranch described by Dr Willan.

Got a nudibranch that you can’t identify? Bring your best quality photographs along to the meeting on a memory stick, for Dr Willan’s expert identification.

Contact:
Matthew Coutts
President
Auckland University Underwater Club

http://akunidive.com/

Email: prez@akunidive.com

At the second site soon after getting in the water, I saw Matt holding a 3kg snapper that he shot in mid-water. Great effort! He went on looking successfully  for crays while I devoted myself to a school of blue mao mao, my favourite ceviche ingredient. With every fish I added to my float the school got in a bigger frenzy making getting the next one even easier. An exceptionally tasty and stupid species… But from one second to another, they were all gone and I knew that meant bad news. I could see three bronzies one of which came in a bit too close for comfort. Shouldn’t they be interested in my fish and not me?  Eventually, the boat came and I could stop frantically aiming the business end of my gun at barely visible shapes in the periphery. Some fish went missing but at least they had the decency to leave me some. An exciting day but nothing compared to the Three Kings trip that is ahead.

We are still waiting for a good weather window for this one. It’s a once in a lifetime trip of epicness! Also, we are exploring options for a group trip to the tropics in winter. Talk to me if you are interested! Email spearfishing@akunidive.com

Mazdak Radjainia

This May, New Zealand charity Sustainable Coastlines will join the international expedition organisation Pangaea Exploration on an important marine survey of isolated island and atoll environments in the Pacific Ocean.

Our purpose is to collect and record valuable information to assist with long?term marine conservation, education and community projects in the area and around the world. We are looking for crew to help provide manpower, technical skills and financial support to our research mission.

Read more about joining the expedition.

Read more about the itinerary for the expedition.

Sponsor the crew.

Sponsor a trawl.

Date: Sunday 27 February 2011 (back up day Saturday 5 March 2011)
Time: 10am – 2pm
Where: Goat Island Marine Reserve

The event is being led by the Experiencing Marine Reserves Team who run a marine based education programme for schools. They are used to taking groups of novice snorkelers out into the water, but need volunteers to assist them on the day from 8.30am (blessing, set up and briefing) to 2.00pm (public snorkelling ends). A picnic will be held at the reserve afterwards for all volunteers.

We are looking for the following volunteers:

1. Water based snorkel guides (urgently needed!)

Volunteer guides will each take a small group of the public (maximum 6), assisting them to snorkel and identify the fish they see. The groups will keep close to the shore on the whole and sessions will last about 30 minutes. Volunteer guides will do 2-3 sessions then take a break. A chase boat or kayaks will support the groups and a full safety briefing will be held before the event.

You will need to be an experienced snorkeler i.e. comfortable in the marine environment and have the ability to look after the group, plus a basic knowledge of what you’re likely to see in the way of fish and other marine life.

2. Water based kayak support  (two more needed)

We are also looking for a few volunteers to provide support to the snorkelling guides and groups in kayaks i.e. making sure snorkelers don’t stray off from their groups or too far from the shore. Again, volunteer kayakers will do 2-3 sessions then take a break. If you don’t have your own kayak, we can provide one.

You will need to be an experienced kayaker.

3. Land based volunteers (may have plenty of these)

Land based volunteers will help to register and kit up the people attending, plus retrieve gear, talk to people about the reserve etc. No special skills or experience is needed for this job!

You can volunteer for both the land and sea based duties if you wish – we are happy to give people variety.

If you can help please reply to me as above ASAP with the following:

* Can you attend the day – Sunday 27 February?
* Can you attend the back up day – Saturday 5 March?
* Volunteer activity – snorkelling guide, kayaker or land based?
* Would like to stay on for the picnic?

Many thanks for your support. If you know of anyone else that may be interested in volunteering on the day, please let me know.

Liz Maire
Community Relations Programme Manager—Kaiwhakahaere Hapori Hononga
Department of Conservation—Te Papa Atawhai
DDI: +64 9 425 7842
Liz Maire <lmaire@doc.govt.nz>

Read more about the Community Snorkelling Day.

Darrell and Linda at Dive HQ Whitianga are looking for one female to share the costs of a room at the Matavai Resort on their dive trip to Niue, 25 June-2 July 2011.

Niue is the largest coral land mass in the world. It is a coral atoll on top of an old underwater volcano which rises out of the depths of the Pacific Ocean. With no streams or rivers on Niue, the rain filters through the porous coral out into the warm Pacific Ocean, completely devoid of any silt runoff. That’s why the visibility in the waters around Niue is some of the best in the world – often up to an incredible 70m!

The diving in Niue is diverse and spectacular, and includes walls, coral gardens, canyons, arches, swim-throughs and caves. Read more about the trip.

The Ross Sea Antarctica is the last intact ocean ecosystem remaining on Earth.

It provides vital information about the workings of all marine ecosystems.

But commercial fishing now threatens this fragile ecosystem.

Help the Ross Sea become a Marine Protected Area.

You’re invited to a film presentation from New Zealand documentary maker Peter Young.

Enjoy a night of stunning visuals, insightful interviews from around the world and engaging discussion.

When: 7:00pm Wednesday 9th February 2011

Where: Maritime Room, Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum, cnr Quay & Hobson Street, Auckland

Koha for admission.

Read more about The Last Ocean Charitable Trust.

The SeaWeek theme for 2011 is “Back to the Future!  The culture, history and traditions of the sea.  Kia kaha tangata moana!”

Seaweek takes place from February 26 to March 6, 2011, but hooks in events happening throughout February and March across the whole country.

Seaweek 2011 National Coordinator Mels Barton says “We can all link our history back to the sea. As an island nation New Zealand’s people have all arrived by sea from other lands and have depended on the sea for food, trade, transport and recreation. Our stories about the sea are deep rooted in myths and legends, and many of our special places are beside the sea.”

“So Seaweek is asking all New Zealanders to tell us what does the sea mean to you and what are the stories you’d like to share about the sea? From whaling to whale watching, fishing to surfing, singing to sailing, our use of the sea has changed throughout our history. Exploring these traditions and learning from them is what Seaweek is all about.”

Seaweek 2011 has a new patron, Greenpeace NZ Executive Director Bunny McDiarmid. Greenpeace is one of the 2011 sponsors of Seaweek along with the ASB Community Trust, Department of Conservation, Ministry of Fisheries, New Zealand Marine Studies Centre and the Auckland Council.

Seaweek is all about learning from each other and sharing experiences about and around the sea. No one agency or organization in New Zealand manages our ocean, it is something we all contribute to and many exciting Seaweek events are already online.

Mels Barton encourages everyone get involved in Seaweek. “If you, your organization, school, class, group, company, family or community would like to hold an event, run a competition or host any other kind of activity during Seaweek we will publicise it for you – contact me on seaweek2011@gmail.com or 021 213 7779 with your ideas or download the event template from our website at www.seaweek.org.nz where you can also find heaps of useful resources to use. You can also follow Seaweek on Facebook and Twitter.”

WHANGATEAU DOMAIN

Saturday 22nd January 2011

High Tide
Guided Snorkelling 8am-10am
Glass-bottom Boat Trips ($4.00) 8am-9.30am
Bookings are essential: Phone Margaret 09 422 9717 or mls@xtra.co.nz
Live Marine Displays in Whangateau Hall 8am-3pm

Midday
Picnic/Sausage Sizzle Lunch 12noon
Book Launch and Presentations 1pm

Low Tide
Intertidal Guided Ramble 2pm

View poster.

AUUC will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 29th September. This is when we go through the formal procedures to elect a new committee to govern the club in 2011.

Your club needs you!

We’re looking for enthusiastic, organised, committed individuals who would be willing to devote their time and energy to help out in the organisation of the club. We have a whole bunch of different roles to fill, from President to Treasurer to Boat Officer to Webmaster to Flotsam Editor, and much more. Each committee role involves different responsibilities and skills, so there’s sure to be a job on the committee that would suit you.

Find out more about each of the committee roles here.

Find out first hand what it’s like to be on the committee by emailing current committee members. They’re all listed here.

Being involved on the committee is your chance to help build a better club for the future. You’ll learn important management skills that will help you when you enter the workforce. Best of all, you get that rewarding feeling from having volunteered and given back to your community, helping to make AUUC the best scuba diving club around.

Want to get involved?
Email your nomination to our Secretary Hayley on secretary@akunidive.com.