Press

Reef Check Foundation was recently awarded a $200,000 grant from the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). This grant is part of an investment announced by Governor Gavin Newsom in July to increase apprenticeship opportunities that will help break career barriers for opportunity youth across California, helping them launch into their future careers.

Reef Check will develop an apprenticeship program to create a pathway into marine research through scuba diving. This first-of-its-kind apprenticeship will allow participants to gain the necessary skills to work in marine research, conservation and management by providing an alternative to the traditional 4-year college education. This grant will allow us to develop a competency-based Youth Registered Apprenticeship Program for Marine Science Research Technicians.

“This COYA investment accelerates and broadens access for a more diverse workforce in marine science, ocean conservation, marine resource management, ocean recreation/ecotourism, and other Blue Economy jobs,” said Jan Freiwald, Executive Director of Reef Check Foundation. “Youth will have opportunities to connect to an entirely new community of marine scientists, ocean conservation practitioners, and marine resource managers.”

Reef Check’s Dive into Science (DIS) offers scuba and scientific diving certification courses, ocean stewardship training, and marine science educational opportunities to low-income and BIPOC populations who have been historically excluded from the marine science and resource management space. DIS is a 30-month program that incorporates classroom and ocean-based field instruction. Participants are trained and certified in Open Water, Advanced, and Rescue scuba, the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) scientific diving, and Reef Check’s citizen science-based subtidal reef health monitoring protocol for kelp forest ecosystems. 

The funding was made available through DIR’s Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship Grant (COYA). COYA is a new funding source to develop and test innovative practices to increase the participation of opportunity youth in pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs that help youth enter and advance in high quality careers. Our apprenticeship program builds on Reef Check’s 27 years of conducting citizen science reef monitoring programs worldwide, 17 years monitoring kelp forests and marine protected areas in California, and 5 years of engaging Opportunity Youth and Adults, and Tribal Populations in our DIS programs.

In the coastal regions of San Diego and Ensenada, Reef Check and our partners at EcoCiMaTi and UABC (Universidad Autónoma de Baja California) piloted an initiative to better understand threats facing kelp forests in our shared oceans. Driven by a shared commitment to safeguarding the vital kelp ecosystems surrounding the Coronado Islands, the team worked over the course of a year to recruit and train a binational group of citizen scientists, conduct Reef Check surveys, and engage communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border in our efforts. The project was developed to address the urgent need for ecological monitoring and community awareness of the state of kelp surrounding the Coronado Islands, and was made possible thanks to grant support from the San Diego Foundation. 

Some of the highlights of the year-long project were:

We developed training materials in both Spanish and English. These materials ensured that all participants could fully engage in the project’s activities regardless of their primary language. The training provided divers with the skills needed to conduct ecological surveys and also empowered them with knowledge about kelp forest conservation strategies.

One of the most remarkable achievements of this project is the successful recruitment and training of an 18-member binational team of SCUBA divers from San Diego and Mexico. This diverse group— comprising individuals from government, academia, the fishing cooperatives, and the recreational dive community—, brought together a wealth of knowledge and experience. This was the spark for establishing a long lasting, binational network to ensure the ongoing monitoring and conservation of kelp beds in the region. Participants were empowered with the knowledge and skills needed to actively participate in kelp forest conservation. These divers are now equipped to take on leadership roles in future monitoring and restoration efforts.

The ecological surveys conducted by the team yielded critical data on the current state of reefs around the Coronado Islands. This data highlighted the seemingly local extirpation of foundational macroalgae such as giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) and California sea palm (Eisenia arborea). Additional monitoring efforts indicated an overabundance of herbivores, mainly sea urchins and gastropods, suggesting that overgrazing is hindering kelp recruitment. These findings are crucial for informing future restoration efforts, as they provide insight into one of the key challenges facing the recovery of kelp forests in the region.

Looking ahead, we are collaborating with our partners to develop a Reef Check Baja program as a critically important ongoing transboundary project to monitor and protect the health of the kelp in our project sites. Our long-term vision is to create a self-sustaining program that monitors reefs and to develop restoration projects from Oceanside to San Quintín. By establishing a comprehensive and ongoing restoration program, we hope to see the revival of kelp forests and the ecological benefits they provide.

Submitted by Magali Combes, L’Asso-Mer
Photos: Margaux LEWANDOWSKI / L’Asso-Mer 2024

Created in 2016 in Martinique in the Lesser Antilles, the NGO L’Asso-Mer aims to raise awareness and educate people about the marine environment, participate in its protection and management, and improve knowledge and monitoring of the marine ecosystems by using citizen science programs.

The NGO runs various educational activities, and in particular, hosts three “Educational Marine Areas”, a full-year program in which a class takes on the role of manager for a small marine area in their town, practicing scientific surveys, identifying conservation stakes and proposing to implement management measures.

In 2021, L’Asso-Mer became coordinator for Reef Check Martinique, which is now comprised of four survey stations, among which is a snorkeling station created in 2023 and named after recognized marine scientist and lifelong educator of local youth, Dr. Romain Ferry. This station, easily accessible but full of marine life, opened the way for the “Ti Moun” program.

To adapt the Reef Check protocol for kids, the team started by simplifying the survey by breaking indicators down to only four categories for each of the protocols (e.g. for substrate: algae, live coral, dead coral, rock/sand). The goal here is for kids to understand the role and importance of the main indicators, and to be able to recognize and count them easily.

The program runs over five sessions: three learning sessions in class, one fieldwork session, and finally a results interpretation and advocacy session. To facilitate this, several educational tools were developed by the team, some of them also proving useful for adults:

–       Three underwater videos simulating a survey, with species pointed out for identification

–       An 8 m (26 ft) mat presenting a giant view of the substrate, where people have to point and identify features

–       Slideshows in parallel with a “Ti Moun” booklet in which each child finds the essential information and has to fill in some activities (with various difficulty levels adapted to grade level)

–       The “Ti Moun” datasheet and automated results sheets that aides in the interpretation of results

The first classes testing the program (4th & 5th grade, 8-10 years old, and high schoolers, 14-15 years old) really enjoyed becoming marine scientists of their town. Many of them are not used to looking underwater, and were amazed by the wonders of their local rocky shore. They successfully learned the life cycle of coral, the role of various fishes on the reef, and the methods for evaluating reef health. All of this made them really want to continue exploring the sea and protect their local reef. Objective complete!

For next steps, L’Asso-Mer plans to design dedicated data-entry tablets instead of using waterproof paper. After this successful testing phase, the program will be open to more classes for the 2024-2025 school year.

We thank our Reef Check sponsors, ODE Martinique and DEAL Martinique, as well as our education sponsors, Martinique Marine Park (PNM/OFB) and ODE Martinique.

Submitted by Reef Check Malaysia

Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) shares all their latest news- a positive update on coral bleaching, their recent attendance at the UN Ocean Decade Conference, a new project in Mersing, the search for a more cost-effective solution to handle waste management, outreach efforts on Redang Island, and corporate sponsor conservation programs on Tioman.

CORAL BLEACHING MONITORING IN MALAYSIA

The good news is that recent NOAA data shows that the warm water causing coral bleaching is receding, but we’re not completely out of the woods just yet. Our CEO, Julian Hyde shares his thoughts on the current situation, in a brief note. We welcome the public to help us monitor the health of Malaysia’s coral reefs. If you have seen any bleaching corals during your trip to any islands in Malaysia, you can report your observations to us here or by scanning the QR code.

REEF CHECK MALAYSIA AT THE UN OCEAN DECADE CONFERENCE

In April, our colleague Adzmin Fatta, represented RCM at the UN Ocean Decade Conference, held in Barcelona, Spain. Adzmin delivered an oral presentation on “Science-Based Approach to Empowering Local Communities”, mainly using RCM’s ‘Community-Based Coral Restoration Project’ funded by the IKI Small Grants as a reference. He emphasized a science-based approach to empowering local communities in marine conservation, which aligns with Ocean Decade Challenge 1 (Ocean Literacy).

As the Program Manager at Reef Check Malaysia, Adzmin heads our efforts in Semporna, Sabah, working closely with indigenous and local communities for more meaningful conservation and management of our marine biodiversity. Read more about the RCM’s participation (through IKI) at the conference here.

NEW PROJECT LOCATION

Say “hello!” to the newest addition to Reef Check Malaysia! Beginning the third quarter of this year, our colleagues in Mersing began expanding their work scope to include seagrass monitoring, among other efforts. This is in line with RCM’s recent shift in our focus. RCM now has 6 main project locations across Malaysia.

Our colleagues kicked off the project by meeting with two schools and a few partners to discuss the proposed marine environmental awareness program and activities for the year. We then conducted two indoor awareness programs with these schools, involving a total of 202 students, as well as an awareness program with participants from one of our collaborator companies, during which we covered basic knowledge and understanding of mangroves, seagrass and coral reef ecosystems. We also discussed the roles of corporations and industries in protecting and preserving the environment.

WASTE MANAGEMENT EFFORTS SEEKING MORE COST-EFFECTIVE OPERATIONS

RCM has been working on waste management on Mantanani Island in Sabah since late 2018. Over the years, the local islanders have shown support and are now very much involved in the entire program, which is now partially managed by a few local volunteers themselves.

In mid-June, our team on Mantanani Island sent out 62 bundles of compressed plastics weighing almost 700 kg to the mainland in Kota Belud. The company that bought the recyclables paid us RM50 for it, which we used to cover the cost of transportation. In the second quarter of 2024, we successfully sent out 1,720 kg of general trash to the landfills in Kota Belud.

Despite the program progressing well, one major issue we face is the total cost of sending the collected waste out of Mantanani Island, including costs of boat rental and transport on the mainland. The amount received from selling the recyclables is insufficient to cover the entire expenses incurred. We are still looking for a more cost-effective solution to handle the waste management program on the island, so do reach out to us should you have any suggestions that would help us.

MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS IN REDANG ISLAND

RCM’s team on Redang Island organized a consultation session with the various SCUBA dive operators on the island, to gauge their feedback on ways to generate local income through conservation activities on the island. The feedback received is useful in helping us plan the next steps that will help the local islanders earn income while protecting their island. Our team also took the opportunity to discuss current RCM efforts on the island. A majority of these operators was very supportive of our current work and expressed interest to continue participating in our activities too.

Towards the end of June, we conducted an awareness program with the students of the local school on the island, SK Pulau Redang. Among the activities were a classroom presentation and discussion, as well as coloring and building their own marine ecosystem scenery. We hope that these programs will be able to instill a sense of love and ownership of the marine environment among these students.

TIOMAN ISLAND CONSERVATION – COLLABORATIVE EFFORT

Our Tioman team has been carrying out conservation programs with several organizations who made a visit to the island. The first was a ‘Coral Rehabilitation & Cultivation Sustainability Program’ in conjunction with Watsons ‘Blue Beauty’ Campaign. The Watsons team made “coral pots” and 35 blocks for coral reef rehabilitation, conducted a DIY workshop with bottles, and presented a mock check to RCM.

A team from KPMG Malaysia, a long-time partner and sponsor of RCM also visited Tioman Island participating in several activities such as the EcoDiver course, reef rehabilitation activities and a rubbish clean up. The group also carried out reef rehabilitation efforts at existing coral nursery sites.

In June, SC Johnson, whom we are collaborating with this year, visited our team on the island. The collaboration involves microplastic sampling at 3 selected sites around Tioman Island. During this visit, we conducted activities such as Crown-of-Thorns (COTs) clean-up, building of “coral pots” and clean-up of the reef rehabilitation sites.

UPCOMING EVENTS

RCM has some exciting events happening in September. For those of you who happen to be in Malaysia, we’d love to have you come join us!

Our “Kod Blue, Laut Needs You!” for 2024 will take place on 7th September on Kampung Air Batang, Tioman Island, Malaysia. Hurry and book your spot to join us.  

Our annual International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) will be taking place on 21st September 2024, in various locations around Malaysia, so if you’d like to join us, keep yourself free and register here. Meanwhile, take a look at our 2023 ICC and 2023 “Kod Blue, Laut Needs You” program highlights to get a glimpse of what to expect this year.

Adopt-a-Reef and become a Kelp Forest Champion!

Four new sponsorship opportunities are now available to support kelp forest conservation in California. Click here for details.

Oregon and Washington coming soon!

By Jodi Salmond, General Manager, Reef Check Australia

Our team was thrilled to be a part of the recent Australian Coral Reef Symposium (ACRS) held in Perth!

We presented two exciting talks based on upcoming research papers utilizing valuable data collected by Reef Check Australia volunteers.

·         One presentation focused on coral bleaching trends in Southeast Queensland (SEQ). 

·         The other explored the power of citizen science over 17 years, analyzing reef health data from SEQ.

The response was fantastic! We connected with attendees from across Australia, all passionate about protecting our coral reefs. It was also a great opportunity to see so many old friends still working in the industry, as well as so many new faces.

The ACRS covered a wide range of crucial topics, including bleaching, recovery and resilience, citizen science and innovative technologies.

It was inspiring to see such broad representation and enthusiasm for coral reef conservation. 

Stay tuned for upcoming publications based on the research presented at ACRS!