Show Navigation

Search Results

Refine Search
Match all words
Match any word
Prints
Personal Use
Royalty-Free
Rights-Managed
(leave unchecked to
search all images)
{ 13 images found }

Loading ()...

  • Ron Leidich and Terry Ward in the shallow water of Long Lake during the incoming tide. Ron is explaining the natural history of Long Lake and the associated ecosystems to Terry. Long Lake leads from the open ocean, snakes through an area dominated by mangrove forest, and finally opens into the inner lake at Ngeruktabel Island in Palau. Water from the island's inner lake jets out through submerged passages in the island's substrate when the tide goes out, transporting nutrients to the exterior of the island. This constant flow of nutrients supports the healthy colonies of Lobophyllia and other coral at Darwin's Wall, Einstein's Wall and nearby areas.
    long-lake-mangroves-ngeruktabel-isla...tif
  • Long Lake, part of Ngeruktabel Island in Palau, is home to a variety of plant life, including a dense forest of mangrove trees. This is a young Bruguiera gymnorrhiza mangrove plant taking root in the shallows. When mature, these mangrove trees create an intricate network of roots that stablize and lock-in silt and mud, providing a buffer against erosion, as well as serving as shelter for juvenile fish and other marine animals.
    bruguiera-gymnorrhiza-young-mangrove...tif
  • Long Lake, part of Ngeruktabel Island in Palau, is home to a variety of plant life, including a dense forest of mangrove trees. Pictured here is a portion of the thick, intertwined network of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza mangrove prop roots that are submerged during high tide, but partially exposed during lower tides. These roots are key to the survival of the trees, but also serve as shelter for juvenile fish and other marine animals. The intricate network of roots also stablize and lock-in silt and mud, providing a buffer against erosion.
    Bruguiera-gymnorrhiza-mangrove-tree-...tif
  • Shallow, protected nooks and crannies among the Rock Islands of Palau are characterized by murky water, but can provide a safe environment for corals to flourish and develop into intricate, unbroken formations like the one pictured here. This coral tree was one of many in very shallow water in front of Ngchuus Beach, Ngeruktabel Island.
    backlit-coral-formation-ngeruktabel-...tif
  • This is a young Bruguiera gymnorrhiza mangrove plant taking root in the shallow water of Long Lake, part of Ngeruktabel Island in Palau. These mangrove trees create an intricate network of roots, visible behind this young plant, that stablize and lock-in silt and mud, providing a buffer against erosion, as well as serving as shelter for juvenile fish and other marine animals.
    Bruguiera-gymnorrhiza-mangrove-long-...tif
  • An inquisitive blenny (Salarias sp.) in very shallow water at Ngchuus Beach, Ngeruktabel Island, Palau.
    blenny-salarias-sp-ngeruktabel-islan...tif
  • This is a cloud of crab larvae, just after release in shallow water by a female land crab (Discoplax hirtipes). At 100% magnification, the individual larva are easily distinguishable. See separate image of female crab in the act of releasing these eggs/ larvae into the water. Photographed at Ngeremdiu Beach, Ngeruktabel Island in Palau.
    crab-larvae-zoea-Discoplax-hirtipes-...tif
  • This is a cloud of crab larvae, just after release in shallow water by a female land crab (Discoplax hirtipes). At 100% magnification, the individual larva are easily distinguishable. See separate image of female crab in the act of releasing these eggs/ larvae into the water. Photographed at Ngeremdiu Beach, Ngeruktabel Island in Palau.
    crab-larvae-zoea-Discoplax-hirtipes-...tif
  • A submerged forest of pneumatophores that supports a vibrant community of mangrove apple (Sonneratia alba) trees in Long Lake, which is a tidal exchange area that connects a saltwater lake inside Ngeruktabel Island with the ocean. The conical pneumatophores pictured here comprise an extended root system that is essential for gas exchange in an anoxic environment. Sonneratia alba communities prefer seaward fringes with high salinity and soft sandy or muddy bottoms.
    Sonneratia-alba-pneumatophore-mangro...tif
  • A crab-eyed goby in shallow water at Ngchuus Beach, Ngeruktabel Island, Palau
    crab-eyed-goby-signigobius-biocellat...tif
  • Diver Terry Ward shining a light on multicolored Lobophyllia brain coral formation at Darwin's Wall that Ron Leidich has dubbed the Four Corners. This unique location is flushed by strong currents exchanged between a large inner lake (Long Lake) and the open ocean, generating ample nutrient flow to support these slow-growing corals, which flourish in large numbers and grow to exceptional size in this area. There is minimal sunlight that penetrates the canopy of overhanging foliage, meaning than the corals rely more on the daily tidal exchange for nutrients than on their zooxanthallae. This wall and the corals that live on them are a perfect illustration of the intricate relationship between the ecosystems of the inner lakes of Palau's Rock Islands and the open ocean.
    diver-with-lobophyllia-coral-darwins...tif
  • Malcolm was our cook during the kayak expedition. Here he is holding a large male land crab (Discoplax hirtipes) at our second campsite, which was at Ngeremdiu Beach. Malcolm told me that female crabs migrate from land to the water to release their brood at the turning of the high tide during full moon. We saw a few females releasing eggs here at Ngeremdiu Beach, and also at the next campsite on Ngchuus Beach. See separate photos of female crab releasing eggs, and of the resulting zoea.
    terrestrial-crab-discoplax-hirtipes-...tif
  • This is a female Discoplax hirtipes terrestrial crab disseminating her brood of fertilized eggs into shallow water during full moon. The crab waited on land at Ngeremdiu Beach for the evening high tide. She entered the water as the tide turned to go out and released her eggs. Once she committed to releasing eggs, it was only a matter of seconds before she completed her task and headed back to the safety of her underground burrow. See separate photograph of the crab eggs in the water.
    female-land-crab-releasing-eggs-pala...tif
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
x

Tony Wu Underwater Photography

  • Search Image Archive
    • All Galleries
    • Search
    • Cart
    • Lightbox
    • Client Area
  • View Portfolio
  • Read About Me
  • Send Me a Note
  • Portfolio