Press

Reef Check is excited to announce Aqualink as an official Global Reef Tracker partner for Reef Check’s coral reef data. Aqualink, a groundbreaking nonprofit offers an open source tool for people on the front lines of ocean conservation and showcases Reef Check’s worldwide coral reef database of over 17,000 surveys, alongside Aqualink’s collection of data from sensors, models, satellite observations, community member surveys, images, and video to give an instant view of real-time reef conditions. 

With just a few clicks, users can:
– View Reef Check survey data going back to 1997
– Access ocean temperature data from satellites or smart buoys
– Track heat stress and bleaching events
– Compare reef images over time  

Completely free, Reef Check and Aqualink are making high-tech reef monitoring accessible and collaborative—because ocean conservation should be a team effort.

How do I explore Reef Check data from the map?

1. 1. Click on a site and press “EXPLORE”.
2. 2. Scroll down to “Survey History” to find all the Reef Check survey data for the site. 
3. 3. Click on “VIEW DETAILS” to access the full table with all of the data.

In early 2021, the California Fish and Game Commission enacted a regulation allowing the unlimited take of sea urchins at Tankers Reef in Monterey, located just east of the commercial pier and offshore from Del Monte Beach. This three-year rule aimed to assess whether recreational divers could effectively reduce urchin densities to support kelp regrowth and whether they could collect, analyze, and communicate data in a scientifically rigorous manner useful to resource managers.

The regulation expired on April 1, 2024, and culling activities are no longer permitted. The coordinated culling efforts, led by the Giant Giant Kelp Restoration Project (G2KR), concluded in July 2023.

With continued funding from Seatrees, Reef Check monitors the Tankers restoration site twice a year (June and September) to evaluate the effects of the removal effort and now to study how the kelp forest can persist without ongoing urchin removal.

In 2024, Reef Check conducted four surveys at Tankers Reef—two at the restoration site (grid) and two at the control site. These surveys involved a total of 74 dives completed by 17 divers, including both staff and volunteers. Volunteers underwent restoration-specific training before each survey day. All surveys were conducted from a boat and required two days to complete.

The most recent surveys from September 2024 indicate that the kelp forest has persisted despite the cessation of coordinated culling efforts over a year ago (July 2023).

• Urchin densities at the restoration site currently average 3 urchins per m², compared to 5 urchins per m² at the control site.
• Giant kelp densities have remained stable since the fall 2023 surveys.
• Giant kelp stipe densities declined by nearly 45% in June 2024 but showed no further changes in the fall.

These findings suggest that the kelp forest has remained relatively stable, even without continued culling efforts. The fact that density of kelp individuals (plants) are stable while the numbers of stipes decreased suggest that some of the larger plants were lost over the winter 2023/24 and are being replaced by new smaller kelp plants in 2024.

Reef Check’s Kelp Forest Monitoring Program continues to expand with 2024 being our biggest year yet! In 2024, we completed more than 190 surveys in California, Oregon, Washington, Baja California, and British Columbia. Since data collection began in 2006, Reef Check has conducted almost 1,900 surveys. All data is now available through our Data Request Form.

Additionally, over the past year, Reef Check staff has been hard at work formatting the kelp forest monitoring data into easy-to-use formats, so that scientists, managers, and members of the public can quickly and easily analyze our dataset to get a picture of the health of our kelp forests and of the numerous species who depend on them. The dataset is available in its raw form of species counts by transect, and summarized by survey with mean values for each species. For more information on export formats, as well as our data management procedures, see the Reef Check Data Management document.

By Jackie Selbitschka, Reef Check Washington Regional Manager

Every year, scientific divers from all over the world come together for the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) symposium to learn about organizational updates, participate in professional certification courses and share current scientific diving research with the goal to advance and facilitate safe and productive scientific diving. In March, the symposium was held in Seattle, Washington and hosted by the University of Washington, NOAA and the Seattle Aquarium. With the symposium being hosted by partner organizations in the backyard of our Washington region, Reef Check was asked to lead a couple events throughout the week- a local fun dive and a Reef Check experience workshop. 

To kick off the week, we gathered at Saltwater State Park on Monday morning to experience some Pacific Northwest diving at its best. Rhoda Green with Friends of Saltwater State Park met us there to give a brief history of the park and the development of the marine preserve. This site used to be home to bull kelp forests, but what is now left is mostly sparse understory kelp. This is a Reef Check monitoring site as well as a planned restoration site with the Friends of Saltwater State Park, but on this day we were going to go for fun and dive a little deeper than our transect typically takes us. This time of year the visibility can be great- around 30 ft- prior to the spring plankton blooms. We got to enjoy that water clarity on the artificial reefs that go down to around 80 ft deep, with a vertical height of 20 ft and about 2-4 ft of rock structure that create habitat for 6-foot Lingcod and large schools of Black, Brown, Copper and Quillback Rockfishes. Since 2009 these reefs have become home to large colonies of plumose sea anemones, nudibranchs, urchins and sea stars— all of which we found exploring the cracks and crevices that this reef structure creates. 

On Wednesday, the Reef Check workshop was held at the Seattle Aquarium with divers coming to get a taste of what our volunteers learn during their training courses and experience underwater during surveys. Having access to the exhibits at the Seattle Aquarium gave us the rare opportunity to practice species ID with living examples. After a morning of protocol review and species ID practice, we suited up to have the unique experience of diving in the heart of downtown Seattle right off the pier of the Seattle Aquarium. In Washington kelp is perennial, with bull kelp, as well as most of the understory kelp species, dying off over the fall months, reproducing and recruiting over the winter and starting to grow back in the spring. Because of this, our kelp transects were full of tiny kelp recruits. Most were not large enough to count on Reef Check transects, but it was exciting to see these beds in the early stages of growth. Despite the kelp bed being mostly recruits, our invertebrate transects were full of stars, crabs and even a couple of Wolf Eels! We wrapped up the day sharing our practice transect results and reflecting on the experience. This event allowed us to connect with scientific divers hailing from Minnesota, California, Oregon and Washington to share how we engage citizen science divers to participate in monitoring efforts. 

The 2025 AAUS Symposium had record breaking attendance despite many agencies and individuals being affected by federal travel bans leading up to the event. Being able to attend events like the AAUS Symposium that bring together the most experienced scientific divers from around the world creates unparalleled opportunities to build partnerships between agencies, learn from each other and advance safe scientific diving practices.

Submitted by Reef Check Malaysia

Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) recently has made great strides in its community conservation efforts: 

Tioman Marine Conservation Group (TMCG) Turns 10!
TMCG started as a pilot project in 2014 to engage local communities in conservation activities. An initial group of 10 recruits has since grown to over 80 full-time members, and TMCG is present in all seven villages on Tioman Island.

We have provided training in a variety of skills, from diving certification through reef surveys and ghost net removal to rehabilitation and other conservation actions. Members now participate in weekly conservation programs and are paid a small sum for their time.

Reef Check Malaysia CEO, Julian Hyde, shares our journey since the establishment of the TMCG and the replication of its success in this article. 

Sabah Community Environmental Leadership Camp (Sabah CELC) 2025  
This 8-day program was organized by Green Semporna (an NGO based in Semporna, Sabah) and RCM, with support from the Youth Environment Living Lab (YELL) and DHI Malaysia. A total of 36 participants from various regions across Sabah— as well as the Redang and Tioman Marine Conservation Groups from Peninsular Malaysia— attended the camp. With the theme “Resilient Communities & Ecosystems – Climate Change Adaptation,” the camp aimed to empower communities in addressing the challenges of climate change and strengthening ecosystem resilience. Participants were exposed to various knowledge and skills, including Resource Mapping & Community Project Statistics, Climate Crisis: Adaptation & Mitigation, Grant Writing & Climate Action Day Project Management.

The Pemimpin IKLIM Mabul group (a local Community Marine Conservation Group – CMCG) is among the 11 recipients of the Sabah CELC Mini Grant, along with the Tioman Marine Conservation Group (TMCG). They plan to implement a mini-project focusing on tackling the issue of fish bombing at Mabul Island, through sea patrolling and awareness activities.

Introducing Sustainable Tourism Programs in Sabah
In March, Reef Check Malaysia conducted an online workshop on its sustainable tourism programs, which include Green Hotels-based assessments, Green Fins, and the Eco-Friendly Snorkelling Guide. The workshop aimed to introduce these initiatives to various stakeholders in Sabah, with over 60 participants in attendance. 

The session highlighted key marine tourism challenges and how these programs can help mitigate environmental impacts while promoting sustainable tourism practices. Through Green Hotels, Reef Check Malaysia supports accommodations in adopting eco-friendly operations. Green Fins provides best practices for dive operators, while the Eco-Friendly Snorkelling Guide educates tour guides on minimizing marine disturbance. 

Our team then conducted a 4-day Eco-Friendly Snorkelling Guide Training in Semporna, aimed at equipping snorkelling guides with the knowledge and skills to promote responsible marine tourism. Over four days, participants learned about marine ecosystems, their importance, and best practices for protecting them during snorkelling activities. The training included theory sessions on marine conservation, practical exercises on guide briefings and mock snorkelling tours, as well as first aid training. Nineteen successfully completed the training and were certified as Eco-Friendly Snorkelling Guides. This initiative was supported by Green Fins and the Malaysia Red Crescent Society. 

Working with Local Communities to Improve Reef Resilience 
Following the mass bleaching event that took place in 2024, our colleagues in Tioman Island recently conducted a bleaching exercise with the residents of Kampung Tekek, Genting, and Salang. The exercise aimed to assess the level of coral bleaching and support the implementation of more effective management measures in efforts to conserve marine ecosystems. With a better understanding of coral reef resilience, local communities can play an important role in maintaining the sustainability of marine resources that are their main source of livelihood. 

Hands-On Marine Education Activities
Towards the end of 2024, all students and teachers from a local school in the South of Johor, along with two volunteers, participated in a session to assess the growth of mangrove saplings and test water quality. The students learned about the different growth stages of a mangrove, best practices in maintaining a mangrove nursery with optimum conditions, as well as the use of certain equipment for water quality testing.

In February, 24 students from the same school, along with all teachers and three volunteers, participated in a mangrove planting session. After five months of nurturing the saplings in a nursery, they were now ready to be planted. A total of 70 healthy mangrove saplings were planted at a patchy mangrove area along the coast of Kampung Pasir Gogok, Johor. Some parents who were present joined in and learned about mangrove restoration efforts. 

Community consultation sessions are a continuous effort to gather feedback from island stakeholders on RCM’s conservation initiatives in Mersing. These consultations are essential for enhancing programs that directly involve Mersing Islands communities. Discussions with the community covered topics such as community recycling efforts, past training programs, and future training needs for the community.  The team has received positive feedback on the ongoing recycling program in Pulau Sibu, Pulau Tinggi and Pulau Aur. Community feedback and comments to improve the program were also recorded to improve the implementation of the program to encourage higher community participation.

Reef Check’s Kelp Forest Monitoring training classes for 2025 are now open for registration. There are six opportunities in California, Oregon and Washington for divers to get involved as citizen scientists along the West Coast. Oregon will also be hosting three 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 direct 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 and 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 training 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.