The Reef Check Foundation is helping Haitians discover and protect their marine life. Click on the link to see the article from the New York Times.
In March 2011, ecodiver training was conducted for 6 partners of Conservation International – Philippines (CIP). Three partners were from the Local Government of Occidental Mindoro, and the other three were university partners of CIP. The group was joined by 2 trainees from the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute.
The training was conducted by Dr. Wilfredo Licuanan (Course Director of Reef Check Philippines) and Ms. Carina Escudero (Reef Check Instructor). The training venue was the Brother Alfred Shields Marine Station of the De La Salle University in Sitio Matuod, Lian, Batangas.
 The ecodiver trainees enroute to one of the dive sites of Talim Bay.  Using the plumb line for the substrate survey  Outbreaks in the population of Crown-of-Thorns starfish have caused much damage to Philippine reefs.  Talim Bay has plenty of interesting marine life, such as this nudibranch.  This flower sea urchin is not counted in the Reef Check survey, but you have to watch out for it because its spines are extremely venomous!  Close-up shot of moon coral  Two ecodivers from the Local Government of Occidental Mindoro  Recording the survey results Congratulations to the Eco-Divers who completed the course last February 6, 2011! The course was conducted over a 2-week period. It consisted of 4 classroom sessions (held after office hours), 1 pool session in Metro Manila, and then culminated by 2 days of field work in Anilao, Batangas.
 New Eco-Divers with Instructor Carina Escudero (2nd from right) and volunteer assistant Jaypee Mendoza (rightmost) The photo shows the Eco-Divers displaying the hand signals used underwater by Reef Check for identifying the substrate. It turns out that the hand signals are good for photo ops too!
Students from the 10th Grade of the International School Manila went on an Ecology Field Trip to the De La Salle University’s Brother Alfred Shields Marine Station in Sitio Matuod, Lian, Batangas last 14-16 January 2011. The 46 students were divided into 2 groups. Each group stayed one night in the Bro. Shields Marine Station.
 Dr. Al Licuanan shows the fascinating world of marine life to the students. The Reef Check survey method was discussed, and how it can help in monitoring impacts of human activities (such as overfishing either for food or for the aquarium trade; and destructive fishing practices) on coral reefs and marine life.
The field trip participants learned how to identify certain species of fish and invertebrates. They also learned how to differentiate between hard and soft coral. For example, they learned that coral are colonies of thousands of tiny animals. Hard coral have tentacles that come in multiples of 6, while soft coral have only 8 tentacles.
 Using Reef Check hand signals to identify coral The first batch of students donned their snorkeling gear and did a Reef Check survey of the coral reef. On the next morning, it was raining a bit, so the water was not as calm and clear as it was for the first batch. So, the second batch explored mangrove forests and seagrass beds located nearby.
 Students explored a mangrove forest -- a vital component of the marine ecosystem. |
