2020 Year in Review

By Reef Check Executive Director Jan Freiwald

This has been by no means an ordinary year! Despite all the uncertainty and complications of bringing people together, we are proud of what we have been able to achieve this year here in California and with our teams around the world.

We could not have done this work without the help of our volunteers and supporters. Please help us to continue our work into the future by ending 2020 with a donation to Reef Check. Your generous contributions make our work possible.

Below, we share a few of our successes with you. Some creativity- including surveys by kayak and long surface swims- was required!

Here are some highlights from 2020:

Kelp Restoration Project
We began work on the restoration of kelp forests that were lost along California’s northern coast. The goal of this collaborative project is to ultimately catalyze a phase shift from urchin barren to kelp forest and understand how human intervention can help bring back this vital ecosystem.

Marine Protected Area Surveys in California
We completed over 100 surveys to monitor California’s Marine Protected Area network this year. Despite not being able to train any new volunteers this year, we still completed almost all the surveys we had set out to do in the beginning of the year.

Reef Check Australia’s Survey Season
Reef Check Australia conducted over 125 surveys during the year and joined in on more than 15 clean-up activities, pulling in more than 2200 lbs. of debris from above and below the water. 

Malaysia’s Tioman Marine Conservation Group
On Tioman Island, Reef Check Malaysia has created a real success story out of involving the local community in co-management of marine resources. The Tioman Marine Conservation Group has taken on numerous tasks for the conservation of their local marine environment by reducing threats to marine life and by managing the Island’s Marine Park.

Reef Check Data Used to Predict Effects of Climate Change
Several scientific publications used Reef Check’s global data to predict the effects of climate change on reefs and highlight ways in which thoughtful management strategies can help mitigate local impacts.

A New Look for Reef Check
We unveiled a new logo and website to offer a more cohesive representation of what Reef Check stands for: leading citizen scientists to promote stewardship of sustainable reef communities worldwide.

Please help us to continue our work into the future by ending 2020 with a donation to Reef Check. Your generous contributions make our work possible. We wish you a very Happy Holiday season and a peaceful and healthy New Year.