Reef Check Teams in Action
- Fiji
- Indonesia
- Cocos Keeling
- Japan

Spotlight on Reef Check Site  - Hong Kong

Mark Your Calendars
- RC Australia Fundraiser
- ICRS 10 Reef Check Workshop
- Quiksilver Crossing Brings Reef Check Home to America
- Reef Rescue 2004

Reef Check Champion - Russ Lesser

Methods Check - New 2004 Instruction Manual

Reef Check News
- New Staff Members
- 2004 Board Members
- Passing Of Ondo Amores
- Sandals Jamaica Training Isn't Last Resort
- Reef Check Addresses US CRTF in Washington DC
- Nemo Visits RC Hawaii
- Reef Check Website Relaunched
- Get your data in!
- Send us your updates

Coral Reefs in the News
- Shifting Baselines
- Dive In To Earth Day 2004
- World Ocean Day

Garden Island Resort in Taveuni, Fiji Islands, lies ten minutes from the Somosomo Straits, a of prime dive region especially famous for soft corals and abundant fish life. Staff at Aquatrek Taveuni have been trained in Reef Check techniques since January 2002, and take an active part in annual surveys of the reef system.

In January 2004, training in Reef Check techniques for new staff and retraining for old staff took place, and six sites were surveyed. Training was conducted by Helen Sykes, one of two Fiji Reef Check Coordinators. The reefs surveyed are popular dive sites collectively known as the Rainbow Reef, between the islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni. Three sites (the Great White Wall, Blue Ribbon Eel Reef and Sem’s Point) have been annually surveyed since 2002. Three new sites (Small White Wall, The Corner and Jerry’s Jelly) were surveyed on this occasion, and will be regularly monitored from now on. Taken together, these sites will give a good representation of reef health in the entire area. Although a cyclone passed through the area in January 2003, the team found that the reef’s soft coral and fish population appeared unchanged, and new hard corals were seen to be growing swiftly on corals broken by the storm.

Training local dive staff to conduct surveys empowers them to teach others, and gives the Fijian people a strong feeling of stewardship for their own reefs. Community conservation programmes are growing in Taveuni, and RC intends to expand these surveys into local areas where there is interest in marine protection and conservation. For more information on RC Fiji, contact Helen Sykes. You can find out more about Aquatrek Taveuni by email or by logging onto their website. Click here to see Helen's full report.

In collaboration with Reef Check, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has coordinated annual surveys of corals in Hong Kong since 2000. AFCD has put in place a series of measures and programs to protect and conserve the coral communities in Hong Kong. They have organized a range of educational and publicity activities including public lectures, seminars and exhibitions to enhance public understanding of the importance of protecting the marine environment and coral communities. A book entitled "Hong Kong Reef-building Corals" was also published in mid-2003.

To protect coral communities from anchor damage, mooring and marker buoys have been installed in marine parks where recreation pressure is high. They also installed four marker buoys at Ung Kong Wan to mark off areas with high coral coverage and advise boat operators to avoid anchoring within the marked area. The initial results indicate that damage to corals caused by boating activities has been significantly reduced.

A leaflet teaching divers and snorkellers the best practices in visiting coral sites was published and distributed through diving clubs. Hong Kong scientists have just completed a study to verify and update all hard corals recorded in our local waters. A total of 84 hard coral species, from 28 genera of 12 families were confirmed. A coral field guide is under preparation and will soon be uploaded to the AFCD website.

Hong Kong government has designated four marine parks and one marine reserve for the conservation of marine environment.

In 2004, RC Hong Kong Coordinator, Keith Kei expects over 30 survey teams and even better results. For more information, including their 2003 results, check out the RC HK website.

HELP SAVE AUSTRALIA'S CORAL REEFS!

Reef Check Australia needs your help! You can participate in the establishment of an Australia-wide Reef Check network. Reef Check Australia has begun to build a network of volunteer teams of recreational divers who regularly monitor the health of Australia’s coral reefs. To achieve its aims RC Australia collaborates with businesses, universities and community groups because the participation of industries that are reliant on healthy reefs is crucial to effective and sustainable coral reef management.

With the assistance of Quiksilver, a major sponsor of Reef Check, RC Australia is holding a fundraising event at the Sydney IMAX theatre at 6pm on Friday June 18^th 2004.

MacGillivray Freeman’s newest IMAX® film, Coral Reef Adventure, will be shown, followed by an auction of coral reef artwork donated by Ron Steven and Richard Vevers, photography by Michael Aw, Quiksilver memorabilia signed by Kelly Slater and more. If you are interested in helping to sponsor RC Australia, to donate an item for auction or think you can help in another way, please contact RC Australia Coordinator Jos Hill. 

JOIN US FOR ICRS 10 REEF CHECK WORKSHOP IN OKINAWA
Coral Network and Reef Check are planning to hold a training workshop for coral reef monitoring on the main island of Okinawa, Japan, following the 10th International Coral Reef Symposium held June 28 – July 2, 2004. The workshop will introduce two types of simple monitoring methods, Spot Check and Reef Check, to participants. 

Workshop I, “Spot Check Workshop”, will focus on the Spot Check method which is expected to be employed as a standard coral reef monitoring method for Monitoring Site 1000 by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan.  The workshop is held on July 3 and consists of lectures and training by snorkel.

Workshop II, “Reef Check/SocMon Workshop”, will focus on the Reef Check method, which is the standard method employed by Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN)/Reef Check. It will also focus on Socio Economic Monitoring.. The workshop, held over four days from July 4 through 7, will consist of lectures and training by snorkeling and scuba diving.

For more details, including a schedule and application form, check out the Reef Check website.

QUIKSILVER CROSSING BRINGS REEF CHECK HOME TO AMERICA

The Quiksilver Crossing is a voyage of surfing discovery on board the surf exploration vessel, the Indies Trader. The boat left Papua New Guinea in March 1999 and is currently exploring the Caribbean. An RC Scientist is on board to carry out surveys and educate surfers and residents of coastal communities about coral reefs.

Now the Crossing is coming to North America on its first ever P.R. tour.  At each stop, there will be press conferences, boat tours, retail tours, and other special events.  Plan to stop by and visit the boat, the surf stars and RC staff. For details of the Crossing's schedule in your area, email Megan.

The Quiksilver Crossing will be at the following locations:

Miami, May 19-24                             Toronto, August 9
Cocoa Beach, May 28-31                  Chicago, August 25-31
Virginia Beach, May 21-25                 St. Louis, September 7-13
New York City, July 4-9                     New Orleans for Halloween
Boston, July 24-29

Other stops without a press conference: Jacksonville, Myrtle Beach, Atlantic City, Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee

REEF RESCUE 2004
Reef Check's annual fundraiser, Reef Rescue, is scheduled for September 30, 2004 at the Victorian in Santa Monica, California.  This year, we will honor Hollywood producer Gale Anne Hurd (Armageddon, Terminator, Alien) for her incredible support of marine conservation and Reef Check.  Other highlights include a VIP pre-party with a special guest, live auction with celebrity auctioneer John Rhys-Davies (Indiana Jones, The Lord of the Rings), and the launch of the new Garden Botanika fragrance Reef with a percentage of sales to benefit Reef Check.  For more information, email Megan. Keep checking our website for details.

Body Glove Donates Wetsuits to Reef Check Team

Russ Lesser, the President of Body Glove, arranged for a generous donation of wetsuits to RC Cebu, Philippines. The team is coordinated by Mike and Nora Ross of the Coastal Dynamics Foundation who were thrilled to accept the top-of-the-line gear to reward their volunteer divers.

Reef Check Cebu was established in 1998 and, today, is successfully addressing the problems facing Cebu's reefs by involving key stakeholders including local resorts, dive operators, dive instructors, and other concerned divers in monitoring and management projects. For more information on RC Philippines, contact Mike Ross.

Body Glove was created in the early 1950s by Bob and Bill Miestrell in the South Bay of Los Angeles. Now, Body Glove is one of the 50 most recognizable brands in the nation with products ranging from sunglasses to snorkel gear. Many of the best pro surfers in the United States are members of the Body Glove Team.

Russ Lesser is also serving as Co-Chair for our annual Reef Rescue fundraiser in September.

NEW STAFF AT RC HEADQUARTERS
RC Headquarters recently said goodbye to two of our staff, Kelly McGee and Ashley Spencer. Kelly has gone on to the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro, California. Ashley is looking forward to working with RC Hawaii upon settling in Oahu for graduate school. Reef Check has hired two new staff members to help with operations.

Megan Wadley, Director of Outreach
Megan graduated from the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma with a BA in Arts Management.  She studied performing and visual arts as well as business with a particular focus in non-profit executive work.  Before beginning her career in the non-profit world, Megan worked in corporate advertising for CITGO Petroleum Corporation.  She then served as the gallery curator for the charitable Diorama Arts Centre in London, England.  In 2003, she moved back to the United States where she held the position of Executive Director at VSA arts of Missouri.  Megan’s combined experience in marketing, fundraising, and non-profit executive level management are perfect for her work on corporate partnerships, celebrity endorsements, public relations, and special event planning. To contact Megan, click here.

Chris Knight, Director of Training           
An award-winning dive industry professional, Chris is a 1990 graduate of UCLA with a degree in political science.  He has extensive experience with the recreational and scientific diving community having worked in marketing and product management for the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI).  In addition, Chris serves on the board of directors of the Los Angeles County Underwater Instructors Association, the oldest training agency in diving. He has served as a research diver with the Catalina Island Conservancy and holds multiple diving, training, and first aid certifications.  He is currently an active instructor with NAUI, PADI, and Los Angeles County. To contact Chris about expeditions and dive events click here.

2004 BOARD MEMBERS

ONDO AMORES
Reef Check Headquarters would like to extend its sympathies to the family and friends of Ondo Amores. Ondo, a strong supporter of RC Philippines, died of natural causes at the age of 63 following a recent dive. The proposed Baring Marine Protected Area, where the event happened, will be named after him in his honor. Ondo’s two brothers, Boy and Mario, continue to be strong Reef Check supporters.

SANDALS JAMAICA TRAINING ISN'T LAST RESORT
By Dulcie Linton, Caribbean Coastal Data Centre (CCDC)

The Jamaica Coral Reef Monitoring Network (JCRMN) partnered with Reef Check and Sandals International to conduct a training workshop at Beaches Boscobel, Oracabessa, St. Mary, Jamaica, February 7-9, 2004. Malden Miller, the Project Manager for the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN) Project, facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme - Caribbean Environment Programme (UNEP-CEP) and Noylis Amair, Director of Watersports for Sandals and Beaches Resorts, coordinated the workshop, with George Warner and Peter Edwards of the Centre for Marine Sciences, UWI as the team scientists. Fifteen water sports managers representing hotels from the local Sandals International chain were trained and certified in the Reef Check method of coral reef monitoring.

Trainers were all JCRMN members representing participating organizations: the Centre for Marine Sciences and the University Sub-Aqua Club (USAC) at the University of the West Indies, the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN) Project and the United Nations Caribbean Environment Programme (UNEP-CEP), the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), Caribbean Coastal Area Management (CCAM) Foundation and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).

After the classroom sessions led by Malden Miller, a “dry run” was done to clarify any misconceptions. Later in the afternoon, training in actual data collection was done under the supervision of the JCRMN trainers. The training also featured a talk by Krishna Desai, Manager of the Coastal Zone Branch of NEPA on the Blue Flag Certification Program to which Sandals International was subscribing and which now requires Reef Check monitoring of reef locations within 500 m of the shoreline. Afterwards the trainees collected data at Boscobel West (Channel Edge). These data will be analyzed and used to report on the status of the reefs at this site. The workshop has generated great enthusiasm among the trainees who are now looking forward to collecting data from their respective locations. For more information on RC Jamaica, contact Malden Miller. Click here to read the full report.

REEF CHECK ADDRESSES US CRTF IN WASHINGTON DC
By Bill Kiene

On February 24 and 25th, Reef Check's Director for Conservation Science, Dr. Bill Kiene, addressed the US Coral Reef Task Force meeting in Washington DC. Held at the US Department of Commerce, the meeting is a gathering of Government agencies and NGOs that report on the activities of Task Force members from across the government.

The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (CRTF) was established  in June 1998 through a Presidential Executive Order to lead the U.S. response to the global crisis faced by coral reefs. The CRTF is responsible for developing and implementing coordinated efforts by the US Government to:

- Map and monitor U.S. coral reefs;
- Research the causes and solutions to coral reef
  degradation;
- Reduce and mitigate coral reef degradation from
  pollution, overfishing and other causes;
- Implement strategies to promote conservation and
  sustainable use of coral reefs internationally.

On the first day of the meeting, Bill presented an overview of the value of coral reef monitoring data collected by volunteers, and how Reef Check has become a strong global force in coral reef conservation through the hard work of all its volunteer teams.  Bill is part of the CRTF's Education and Outreach working group, which organized this first session of the meeting. On the second day, during the time set aside for public comments, Bill suggested that both local communities and scientists be brought into the CRTF process in order to increase its effectiveness.  He noted that Reef Check provides a sound mechanism for doing both.

To find out more about the workings of the CRTF or to read Bill's presentation, visit the CRTF website.

NEMO VISITS REEF CHECK HAWAII
Alexander Gould, the child actor who is the voice of Nemo the clownfish in the hit Disney film "Finding Nemo" spent his Thanksgiving Holiday filming a Public Service Video for Reef Check. Alexander's whole family are long-time ocean lovers and Mom Valerie, a former actor herself, wanted to do something to help coral reefs. The short video that promotes coral reef conservation and Reef Check will be made freely available to cruise lines and airlines. The video was sponsored by Hagen, the aquarium equipment manufacturer, the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative and Reef Check. The director, Dirk Hagen volunteered his holiday to make the film with assistance from underwater photographer Jeff. Robert Kinzie of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology also gave up his holiday to provide a calm location for filming in the water. Dodging some record-setting rains, a group of Hawaiian children also joined Alexander at Ala Moana beach for the filming.

REEF CHECK RELAUNCHES WEBSITE
To kick off the new year, Reef Check redesigned its website, www.ReefCheck.org. Keep checking back often for all the latest news!

GET YOUR DATA IN!
Reef Check will soon be launching its online WRAS database system and we want to make sure we have all the data you have collected for us over the years. Please send us data- even if from previous years so it doesn't go to waste! Please send any data to Jenny.

SEND US YOUR UPDATES
If you would like to submit a story or photographs for the next issue, please contact Jenny.

SHIFTING BASELINES
Shifting Baselines, a partnership of ocean conservation organizations including Reef Check and the Hollywood community, has been busy spreading its message about ocean decline. Earlier this year, the organization held their “Rotten Jellyfish Awards” for the 10 worst stories of ocean decline in 2003. Coral bleaching came in at number five. Check out the Shifting Baselines website for the rundown. Shifting Baselines is also offering a free SB Action Kit. Over a thousand kits have been sent out since October. Visit their website to sign up for your free kit!

On March 22, Shifting Baselines presented their Hollywood Ocean Night. Sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund, the event brought together celebrities, journalists, ocean scientists and the general public. The event consisted of a town hall meeting, led by top ocean scientists Jeremy Jackson of Scripps Institution of Oceanography (co-founder of Shifting Baselines) and Daniel Pauly, Director of the Fisheries Center at the University of British Columbia (responsible for coining the term, “shifting baselines,” in 1995). Serving as moderators were actresses Sharon Lawrence, Wendie Malick, and Amy Smart.  Following the discussion, participants got to taste sustainable seafood choices presented by Blue Ocean Institute and celebrity chef, Ben Ford, son of Harrison Ford.

DIVE IN TO EARTH DAY 2004
Earth Day (April 22^nd) is almost here! Following the success of last year’s international event, Reef Check invites you to participate in a Dive In To Earth Day 2004 activity. You can help out by organizing or participating in a coral reef and marine conservation activity during the week of Earth Day. So far RC surveys in Sudan (by Red Sea Conservation Initiative) and Malaysia (by the Malaysian Nature Society) have been registered as Dive In activities. If you have a survey planned for Earth Day week, please register. To organize your own activity, or find one already planned in your region, visit the Dive In website.

WORLD OCEAN DAY
The Ocean Project is working with organizations around the world to promote this annual celebration of the ocean, and to stimulate aquatic and ocean conservation action from people all over the planet. Begun after the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, World Ocean Day is still not receiving enough attention and we aim to change that! Whether you are at an inland zoo or conservation organization, or a coastal museum or aquarium, there is much you can do with and for your visitors and members to celebrate World Ocean Day!  If you are planning an event this June 8, please submit a WOD event form so that we can promote your event on our World Ocean Day web-pages and keep track of worldwide WOD efforts. Visit the WOD website for more information, including a list of activities.

The global coral reef education, monitoring and management program.
>> M a k e   a   D o n a t i o n <<

 The Reef Check Foundation
1362 Hershey Hall, Box 951496
University of California at Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1496 USA
1-310-794-4985 (phone)   1-310-825-0758 (fax)
Rcheck@UCLA.edu