Reef Check’s Full Slate of 2022 Kelp Forest Monitoring Trainings Now Available

Reef Check’s Kelp Forest Monitoring training classes for the year are now open for registration, providing ten opportunities in California, Oregon and Washington for divers to get involved as citizen scientists! Visit our training page for details, to sign up and for information about available scholarships. If you have been previously trained as a Reef Checker, you can sign up for one of our recertification classes to get ready for the upcoming survey season at http://calendar.reefcheck.org.


New Research from Florida Tech Uses Reef Check Data to Identify Coral Reef ‘Bright Spots’

A new study led by researchers at Florida Tech has identified coral reef ‘bright spots’ that will likely maintain relatively high coral cover through climate change, as well as ‘dark spots’ that are likely to lose significant coral cover. The findings from the research lab led by Florida Tech professor Rob van Woesik and Reef Check were published in the journal Global Change Biology and suggest that some larger-scale, coordinated management efforts could ensure that reefs with the greatest chance of survival receive specific conservation focus.

Remembering Dirk Burcham, Reef Check California Diver and 2013 Citizen Scientist of the Year

The Southern California diving world recently lost an invaluable member with the passing of Dirk Burcham. Dirk’s passion for citizen science was an integral part of the first 10 years of the Reef Check California program and for several years in a row, Dirk completed the most survey dives of all Reef Check volunteers. Reef Check’s former Southern California Regional Manager Colleen Wisniewski fondly remembers him here. Click below to read her account.


Video Spotlight: Kelp Forest Restoration in Monterey

In the next presentation in Reef Check’s Seminar Series, Reef Check’s Director of Kelp Forest Program Dan Abbott and Central California Volunteer Coordinator Maxwell Seale discuss their kelp restoration efforts in Monterey, highlighting the results from citizen scientists trying to make kelp grow in Monterey Bay at Lovers Point and Tanker Reef.


Reef Check Malaysia Releases 2021 Annual Survey Report

In Parts 1 & 2 of this article series, Reef Check Malaysia discussed Reef Check Malaysia has published its 2021 annual report on the Status of Coral Reefs in Malaysia, marking the 15th year of its annual survey program. Despite facing several setbacks due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a total of 206 sites were surveyed last year. Based on the overall survey results, on average, the reefs in Malaysia are considered in “Fair” condition with a level of living coral at 44.26%, the first increase seen since 2015.


Stewarding the Next Red Sea Coral Reef Advocates

Reef Check Red Sea Coordinator and EcoDiver Course Director Dr. Mohammed M. A. Kotb has been busy assisting the region’s up and coming researchers and coral reef advocates. As a professor of coral reef ecology at Egypt’s Suez Canal University, he is currently supervising two MSc projects on coral diseases on Egyptian Red Sea reefs and also teaches an underwater survey methods course where he introduces participants to Reef Check as a way of actively participating in conserving their reefs.


Reef Check in the News

Coral reefs still under threat despite slight improvements – New Straits Times (Malaysia)

New research identifies coral reef ‘bright spots’ – Phys.org

Seiko’s new limited edition watch is inspired by PH sunrise – ABS-CBN News (Philippines)

For more, visit www.reefcheck.org/press/