The reef we monitored was relatively healthy and able to support a multitude of marine life forms. It was, however, under a little stress from fishing pressure and minor amounts of pollution. There are toilets with sewage flowing directly into the ocean and soda cans, among other visible pollutants, lying in the sand. Preservation and conservation are the important ideas to keep in mind...The collecting of corals and sand for building materials, as commonly practiced by the local community, damages the reef, in addition to creating sediment which suffocate marine life. If an area must be exploited, it should be done with conservation in mind. Dynamite fishing was observed once during a dive in the month of November. It was the first time for Clarence L. Kitalong Jr. to witness such an event and it was not very enjoyable...Taking only what is needed and doing as little damage as possible is what is encouraged...Sewage management and fishing methods are a few of the topics that should be looked into since they have an enormous impact on the coral reef system.

...The key to solving such problems usually begins first with education, local or foreign. Teaching people, especially the younger generation, to be more aware of their environment through outdoor activities such as snorkeling and hiking should be included in the local schools. Locals who are already aware of conservation and preservation methods (such as college graduates, or Xavier High School students) should return to their home islands and help their neighbors become environmentally conscious. People should know how to care for their environment; we all have to be aware of what's going on in our world. Micronesia is seen to be a tropical paradise in the Pacific. It is up to us to see that it remains that way.

Note:This year, 1998, reef monitoring surveys are being conducted off the Xavier Dock, the Truk Continental Hotel, and off Udot Island (at the site of two traditional stone fish traps). Work is still in progress.

Checklist of Fishes (Kenneth Yong, SJ)

For all three surveys, the author restricted himself to studying an area marked out by a circle with a radius of 100 feet centered around the wreck. Surveys were time-based, i.e. species seen within bottom times, generally 45-75 minutes, were recorded as present for the site. If the species proved to be of special interest, as is pointed below in the detailed genus discussion, number of sightings was also recorded. the At least 163 (including two species seen after the close of the study period -- see below) species were identified at the B6N site, a number which compares favorably with other species counts made elsewhere in Chuuk lagoon (145 species, Weno - Amesbury et. al., 1978; 65 species, Dublon -- Amesbury et. al., 1977; 136, Tol - Clayshulte, et. al., 1978). As mentioned earlier, the other two sites surveyed, especially the wreck of the A6M5, will probably yield more species with increased observer time. Primary identification reference material was Myers, 1991 and Lieske and Myers, 1994. The author also drew on his experience working with the fish collections of the Zoological Reference Collection, Singapore (formerly the Natural History Collection, National Museum); the Natural History Museum, England; the Zoological Museum, Bogor, Indonesia; and the Philippine National Museum.