December 12, 2007

Year in Review: Reef Check Dominican Republic

Submitted by Reef Check Dominican Republic

Reef Check Dominican Republic (RCDR) has been busy this past year carrying out Reef Check’s three key components of research, education and conservation.

RCDR Director Ruben Torres and his staff trained a total of 30 EcoDivers in using the Reef Check protocol to monitor reef health, allowing RCDR to implement a regular monitoring program at over 50 sites nationwide. A total of 24 divers have also been trained as EcoDiver Trainers to instruct other divers in using the Reef Check protocol.

RCDR has also done a number of community outreach activities. Six lectures for grade school and college students (80+ participants) about marine conservation and Reef Check were conducted. Three more presentations were given to Hotel staff from the Bayahibe areas (20 participants) about coastal marine ecosystems, marine conservation and current threats to the marine environment. Also, three snorkelling summer camps (40+ participants) for children were conducted with schools from the Santo Domingo and Jarabacoa areas.

RCDR has partnered with dive centers around the country to sell both English and Spanish copies of the Reef Check Adventures kids book and the Caribbean Underwater Guide.

Most recently, RCDR hosted a successful fundraising event at the Hard Rock Café in Santo Domingo to raise funds to support the management and protection of the La Caleta Marine Protected Area, for which RCDR recently obtained co-management rights. For more information, contact info@reefcheckdr.org.

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Kids learn about reefs at the Duolos Summer Reef Camp (Photo: Ruben Torres)
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RC Dominican Republic volunteers at La Caleta National Park (Photo: Ruben Torres)