Post by tekmac on Jun 20, 2005 8:07:37 GMT -5
By Daniella Aird
Staff Writer, Sun Sentinel
Posted June 18 2005
Lauderdale-by-the- Sea · This is how Marc Furth unwinds: he grabs his digital camera, slips on scuba gear and plunges 20 feet beneath the ocean's surface to photograph South Florida's coral reefs.
Underwater photography has been Furth's hobby for two decades. With his Nikon D2X, the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea resident captures all kinds of creatures that dwell in the colorful reef 400 feet off the town's shore: polyps, squid, barracudas, octopi, damselfish and hermit crabs.
But Furth, a former commissioner, said the reefs are slowly dying from human invasion: boat anchors, fishing, fertilizer runoff, pollution and swimmers' touch. That's why he's using his pastime to help preserve what he considers the town's threatened treasure.
Today, Furth, a motel owner, will share about 20 of his photographs taken over the past three years at St. Lawrence Gallery, 3556 N. Ocean Blvd. He hopes the display will educate the public about the delicate ecosystem that could one day be destroyed. "Nobody knows that reef better than I do and I've seen it change over the years," said Furth, a longtime resident whose home is a short walk from the beach. "The coral reef is in decline. People think there's just an inexhaustible supply of fish, but when one thing dies, something else dies. This is my opportunity to bring about public awareness. I want to educate people with my photos."
About 30 of his framed photographs have been on display in Town Hall for the past six months, and several residents have inquired about the nautical beauty, said spokesman Steve d'Oliveira. Furth, whose work appears on Lauderdale-by-the-Sea's Web site, pamphlets, budgets and other town material, was also recently named the town's official underwater photographer.
Town officials are working to protect the reef because it's a selling point for tourism, d'Oliveira said. "We really believe in raising awareness about the reefs," he said. Fort Lauderdale resident Neal Watson, a diver who was recently inducted to the Broward County Sports Hall of Fame, said many locals don't know South Florida offers first-class reefs.
"It's amazing the number of divers living in Broward County that have no idea we have this incredible diving product," he said. "People think they have to go to the Keys or the Caribbean to see the living reefs we have right here."
But Watson worries future generations won't get to enjoy the awesome sights that now exist beneath the surf.
"If some steps aren't made to reverse the trend, my grandchildren won't have the opportunity to see the things I've grown up loving," said Watson, 64, who started diving when he was 13. "One of the major battles is getting the reefs protected. I don't know why they protect the parks and the forests, but they don't do that for the reefs. Marc has really been a champion in the cause."
Furth visited the underwater world for the first time in 1985 while snorkeling in St. Croix. Stunned by its beauty, he wanted to stay longer than his lungs allowed, so he became a certified diver. He soon discovered the diving hotspot in his own back yard, and became a regular visitor. He goes on about 60 dives per year lasting up to two hours each. The fish, he said, "know me pretty well."
He started bringing his camera down under, which he encloses in a "housing," a clear container that keeps his gear waterproof. Housings sell for up to $5,000, but Furth, who considers himself a "do-it-yourselfer," makes housings using his own tools and materials. His housings will also be on display at Saturday's event.
Furth recently developed signs reminding the town to protect the reefs, which officials will post at beach entrances later this year. Said Furth: "If we can create awareness about what's out there, hopefully we can save what we have."
Daniella Aird can be reached at daird@sun-sentinel.com or 954-572-2024
Staff Writer, Sun Sentinel
Posted June 18 2005
Lauderdale-by-the- Sea · This is how Marc Furth unwinds: he grabs his digital camera, slips on scuba gear and plunges 20 feet beneath the ocean's surface to photograph South Florida's coral reefs.
Underwater photography has been Furth's hobby for two decades. With his Nikon D2X, the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea resident captures all kinds of creatures that dwell in the colorful reef 400 feet off the town's shore: polyps, squid, barracudas, octopi, damselfish and hermit crabs.
But Furth, a former commissioner, said the reefs are slowly dying from human invasion: boat anchors, fishing, fertilizer runoff, pollution and swimmers' touch. That's why he's using his pastime to help preserve what he considers the town's threatened treasure.
Today, Furth, a motel owner, will share about 20 of his photographs taken over the past three years at St. Lawrence Gallery, 3556 N. Ocean Blvd. He hopes the display will educate the public about the delicate ecosystem that could one day be destroyed. "Nobody knows that reef better than I do and I've seen it change over the years," said Furth, a longtime resident whose home is a short walk from the beach. "The coral reef is in decline. People think there's just an inexhaustible supply of fish, but when one thing dies, something else dies. This is my opportunity to bring about public awareness. I want to educate people with my photos."
About 30 of his framed photographs have been on display in Town Hall for the past six months, and several residents have inquired about the nautical beauty, said spokesman Steve d'Oliveira. Furth, whose work appears on Lauderdale-by-the-Sea's Web site, pamphlets, budgets and other town material, was also recently named the town's official underwater photographer.
Town officials are working to protect the reef because it's a selling point for tourism, d'Oliveira said. "We really believe in raising awareness about the reefs," he said. Fort Lauderdale resident Neal Watson, a diver who was recently inducted to the Broward County Sports Hall of Fame, said many locals don't know South Florida offers first-class reefs.
"It's amazing the number of divers living in Broward County that have no idea we have this incredible diving product," he said. "People think they have to go to the Keys or the Caribbean to see the living reefs we have right here."
But Watson worries future generations won't get to enjoy the awesome sights that now exist beneath the surf.
"If some steps aren't made to reverse the trend, my grandchildren won't have the opportunity to see the things I've grown up loving," said Watson, 64, who started diving when he was 13. "One of the major battles is getting the reefs protected. I don't know why they protect the parks and the forests, but they don't do that for the reefs. Marc has really been a champion in the cause."
Furth visited the underwater world for the first time in 1985 while snorkeling in St. Croix. Stunned by its beauty, he wanted to stay longer than his lungs allowed, so he became a certified diver. He soon discovered the diving hotspot in his own back yard, and became a regular visitor. He goes on about 60 dives per year lasting up to two hours each. The fish, he said, "know me pretty well."
He started bringing his camera down under, which he encloses in a "housing," a clear container that keeps his gear waterproof. Housings sell for up to $5,000, but Furth, who considers himself a "do-it-yourselfer," makes housings using his own tools and materials. His housings will also be on display at Saturday's event.
Furth recently developed signs reminding the town to protect the reefs, which officials will post at beach entrances later this year. Said Furth: "If we can create awareness about what's out there, hopefully we can save what we have."
Daniella Aird can be reached at daird@sun-sentinel.com or 954-572-2024