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90 pct. of diver sites now have proper buoys
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Posted on Sep 19 2011
About 90 percent of dive sites on Saipan are now using proper buoy systems, thanks to an ongoing federally funded project administered by the Coastal Resources Management Office.
CRM coastal coordinator Guy Macaranas said the project, which started two years ago, ensures that proper buoy systems are in place, especially since diving is among the water activities that tourists engage in when they visit the island.
Macaranas explained that a proper buoy system is installed in a manner that doesn’t damage corals.
Some dive sites “still use chains on rocks” as buoys, according to Macaranas.
“We have to eliminate that because it’s not environmentally friendly because it damages our corals,” he told Saipan Tribune.
Macaranas said that some of the over 30 dive sites on Saipan require properly installed buoy systems, including the Ice Cream, a seamount located outside the lagoon slightly south of Garapan and is home to baby eels, anemones, and eagle rays, and the Dimple, also a seamount on the western side of Saipan where red snappers and butterfly fish dwell.
Macaranas noted that proper buoy systems not only require careful installation but also proper maintenance for longevity. He said some of the island’s dive sites have buoy systems that already need to be upgraded.
The coastal coordinator said they have been working with private dive companies and the Northern Marianas Dive Operators Association to carry out the project.
Macaranas added that the project also involves the installation and maintenance of proper buoy systems at dive sites on Tinian and Rota.
