2026 Kelp Forest Monitoring Trainings Now Open! Register Today!

Reef Check’s Kelp Forest Monitoring training classes for 2026 are now open for registration! There are five opportunities in California, Oregon and Baja California for divers to get involved as citizen scientists. Oregon will also be hosting two restoration trainings for those wanting to assist with kelp forest restoration. 

The Reef Check Kelp Forest Monitoring Training course is designed to provide participants with the skills and experience to complete the Reef Check Kelp Forest Monitoring survey protocol accurately. In addition to teaching the survey methods, the training will address safe diving practices, techniques of research diving, sampling design and theory, general marine ecology including species identification and interactions, and the importance of monitoring to meet marine management needs. Training includes a combination of online in-person training, recorded lectures and at-home work, and in-person ocean field sessions. Following completion of the training, all participants will have the skills necessary to complete the examination, allowing them to collect data and become eligible to obtain a Reef Check Kelp Forest Monitoring Specialty Certification (NAUI).

For a list of course prerequisites and to sign up, visit our registration page at: https://www.reefcheck.org/kelp-forest-program/training-schedule/

If you have been previously trained as a Reef Checker, you can sign up for a recertification class to get ready for the upcoming survey season at http://calendar.reefcheck.org.