By Pro Dive’s EcoDiver Course Director Nikole Ordway
Pro Dive USA in Fort Lauderdale, Florida held a 20 person Reef Check EcoDiver Trainer course on October 9th. Most of the students were from the Florida Keys Community College. Reef Check Montserrat coordinator James Hewlett also participated. It was such a delight to teach these students because they all had a great deal of knowledge about the indicator organisms and understood coral bleaching and coral diseases. The course was a three-day event with two days in the water learning how to conduct surveys and record data. It was a real treat to lay the transect line down and record the Flamingo Tongue snail, one of the Reef Check indicator species. These snails are pretty rare in the Fort Lauderdale area. The group from the Florida Keys Community College is looking forward to starting surveys in their neighborhood; if you are interested contact Reef Check Headquarters or Pro Dive USA for more info.
The next EcoDiver training course at Pro Dive will be held November 16 -18, 2009.