Back in 2011 or 2012, while snorkeling in Brown Bay, St John, USVI we saw numerous Queen Conch moving about in the sand through the sea grass beds. Sadly, we saw many shells lining the trail down to the beach and if memory serves correctly, this was within the boundaries of the National Park.
Unlike their northern counterparts, queen conchs are vegetarian, and seagrass is both their food and their habitat. Displaying empty shells in a national park does give a mixed message, but may be a byproduct of the local fishery (which should be closed in federal, e.g. park waters).
Back in 2011 or 2012, while snorkeling in Brown Bay, St John, USVI we saw numerous Queen Conch moving about in the sand through the sea grass beds. Sadly, we saw many shells lining the trail down to the beach and if memory serves correctly, this was within the boundaries of the National Park.
Unlike their northern counterparts, queen conchs are vegetarian, and seagrass is both their food and their habitat. Displaying empty shells in a national park does give a mixed message, but may be a byproduct of the local fishery (which should be closed in federal, e.g. park waters).
Very interesting thank you. Do Boffs apply to crabs and fish?
Definitely fish. Their egg production increases at a higher rate than body mass. It hasn't been an issue for crabs because only males are kept.