X-Ray Mag

X-Ray Mag #12

Feature articles in this issue with stand-alone pdfs

Michael Arvedlund   Tyge Dahl Hermansen , Michael Arvedlund , Peter Symes
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Peter Symes   Tyge Dahl Hermansen , Michael Arvedlund , Peter Symes
Stauromedusae are the stalked jellyfishes.
Ecology & Science

What? Animals in the sea armed with missiles? And thousands of them? Yes, you’ve read correctly. No, sea lions or dolphins have not been stealing Tomahawk missiles from any of the American navy bases. But did you know that jellyfishes, sea anemones and corals contain thousands of “miniature missiles” to kill prey and sting intruders? We will look at bit closer at this missile battery mechanism here.

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Gunild Symes   Supplied
Lifestyle & Art

Effortlessly I glide through a sapphire sea, admiring sparkles on the underside of slick, moving wavelets rimmed with light, gently cupping an ephemeral bit of living jelly in my hand, then turning to glimpse a dazzling sight: corals, sponges, anemones, in a riot of soft pinks, blazing reds, luminous oranges, all marked with the disciplined wildness that I love in nature—and in the Seaforms.

I want to touch my tongue to the ice-clear blue smoothness of one, taste the colors allow the texture to merge with the skin of my fingertips, feel the links between humankind and that realm where most of life on earth is concentrated—the sea.

— Sylvia Earle on Chihuly Seaforms

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Michael Symes   Charles Maze , Michael Aw
Ecology & Science

How the corals get their algae. In the previous issue of X-ray Mag the problem of coral bleaching was discussed. Mechanisms were described which might provide resistance and protection to increased temperature and light intensities. It was stated that, due to rising sea-temperatures, the symbiotic algae that help supply nutrients to the polyps of the corals were dying off.

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Louise Murray   Louise Murray
Travel & Trips

The sea ice is about two metres thick above frigid Arctic waters over 300 metres deep—and we are camping on it! It’s a strange sensation, knowing that there is nothing but frozen water between you, and water so cold it kills in less than four minutes. This clearly had an effect on Martin, a Swedish photographer, who had a nightmare on his first night out on the ice. “I dreamed that my body heat was melting the ice underneath me and my sleeping bag was about to sink into the depths,” he said, “I’m glad I woke up.”

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Peter Symes   Peter Symes , Yann Saint-Yves
Cedar Pride wreck
Travel & Trips

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is just soaked in this special ambience that dreams and adventures are made of—the air scented with traces of spices, desert flowers, charcoal and tobacco smoke from the water pipes and where the past and the present seamlessly weave together. It’s a mystic place that seems to exist in a time and dimension of its own. Relaxed, exciting and always intriguing, Jordan is a true getaway, yet also a place that plays with all six senses.

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Cedric Verdier  
Wrecks & Archaeology Tech and Training

The entrance of the Sra Keow cave, north of Krabi, Thailand, is dark and quiet. All the local kids who use the pond as a playground are now back home for dinner. The only three people still there, closely watching the motionless pond, trying to see any bubble or glow that could reach the surface now start to worry. The divers were supposed to complete their dive within four and a half hours...

Still nothing after six long hours.

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Cedric Verdier  
Wrecks & Archaeology Tech and Training

The entrance of the Sra Keow cave, north of Krabi, Thailand, is dark and quiet. All the local kids who use the pond as a playground are now back home for dinner. The only three people still there, closely watching the motionless pond, trying to see any bubble or glow that could reach the surface now start to worry. The divers were supposed to complete their dive within four and a half hours...

Still nothing after six long hours.

Download the full article as pdf ⬇︎
Photo & Video Profiles & Interviews

Kurt Amsler, winner of over 100 awards at international photo competitions and a world champion title, turns 60 this year, but you would never know it watching him mountain bike up a steep pass with his black Labrador running at his heels in the hills behind his house, a lovely home that sits overlooking the beautiful Mediterranean and a small picturesque village in the south of France.

Download the full article as pdf ⬇︎
Photo & Video Profiles & Interviews

Kurt Amsler, winner of over 100 awards at international photo competitions and a world champion title, turns 60 this year, but you would never know it watching him mountain bike up a steep pass with his black Labrador running at his heels in the hills behind his house, a lovely home that sits overlooking the beautiful Mediterranean and a small picturesque village in the south of France.

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Jason Heller   Jason Heller
Tech and Training

Underwater photography requires more than your basic dive gear and cameras. Sometimes it’s the often overlooked accessories and customized set ups that help you safely and conveniently capture the shot in difficult or unexpected conditions. Some accessories simply make your life a little easier, while others help you avoid ditching your camera in an emergency.

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Cindy Dale   Cindy Dale
"In a cave you are surrounded by velvet darkness and an unnatural silence, leaving you with a distinct impression that the fish can hear your heartbeat."
Travel & Trips Tech and Training

The third dimension, a Bosnian experience

Cave divers are like rock-face climbers; their purpose is the same, only in the opposite direction, with one difference. Cave-diving is about as extreme as it gets.

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Cindy Dale   Cindy Dale
"In a cave you are surrounded by velvet darkness and an unnatural silence, leaving you with a distinct impression that the fish can hear your heartbeat."
Travel & Trips Tech and Training

The third dimension, a Bosnian experience

Cave divers are like rock-face climbers; their purpose is the same, only in the opposite direction, with one difference. Cave-diving is about as extreme as it gets.

Download the full article as pdf ⬇︎
Leigh Cunningham  
Tech and Training

From the Basic Nitrox levels through to advanced Trimix, we base our calculations of dive profiles on a specific partial pressure of oxygen—pO2.

Managing and controlling the pO2 lies at the foundation of any level of technical diving as it enables us to perform longer, deeper and safer dives compared to diving air. But there are also a few points to watch.

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