Reef Check California May Update

By Reef Check California Director of Science Cyndi Dawson

Surveys are on! May has been an exciting month for RCCA as always. We completed more trainings across the state and have begun surveying both in southern and the northern/central parts of the state. Staff has also been out there talking to the public and marine managers by attending Commission meetings, an informational forum about data collection in southern California, and an Open House event at Big Creek UC Reserve on the Big Sur Coast.

A big push this month has been getting ready to attend the International Marine Conservation Congress in Washington, DC May 19-24. We presented twice on Reef Check’s behalf. One talk was focused on Citizen Science and our experience in California and the other talk was highlighting the utility and unique features of our Nearshore Ecosystem Database (NED). You can check out my daily blog of the trip or you can follow me on Twitter. I will continue “tweeting” throughout the season to keep everyone updated on the RCCA program and my exploits as RCCA’s Director of Science. All relevant updates will also be posted on the Forum.

There are still a few spots open in some of the RCCA Trainings throughout the state. There is no better way to take direct action to improve marine management in California than to become a trained RCCA Diver. If you are an experienced certified diver please visit our training page and sign-up, the spots are going fast! If you are a non-diver and are interested in taking the RCCA Training Course please contact california@reefcheck.org for more information.

We continue to be on the front lines of improving marine management in California and need your support! Your donations to RCCA go directly to supporting the collection of the critical data needed to sustainably manage California’s marine resources. If you aren’t a member, please join us!