By Reef Check California Director of Science Cyndi Dawson
With the colder than normal weather up and down the state, Reef Check California Divers are happy to be taking a break from the water and enjoying the holidays. THE FINAL NUMBERS ARE IN…in 2008, RCCA Divers completed 73 surveys at 60 sites. In three short years RCCA divers have completed over 6000 transects and recorded over 50,000 fishes, 60,000 invertebrates, and 30,000 algae. RCCA had over 170 individual divers take action to improve marine management in California and take part in a RCCA survey in 2008. We will be posting an end of the year summary on the website soon with all the final numbers and data summaries, so stay tuned.
The winter season allows RCCA staff to focus on building the program from the inside out and continuing to ensure we have a strong infrastructure to assist our divers and supporters. One of the big projects we will be undertaking this winter is to create a detailed site description web page for all RCCA survey sites. These pages will have information about how to conduct a survey at each site, including information on transect layout and other important information. We also will be putting the final touches on NED (Nearshore Ecosystem Database) and improving our training materials. Another focus will be to develop opportunities for non-divers to get involved with RCCA.
As we move into 2009 and reflect on the past year, I would like to appeal you to consider making an end of the year tax-deductible donation. We continue to be on the front lines of improving marine management in California and we need your continued support! Your donations to RCCA go directly to supporting the collection of the critical data needed to manage California’s marine resources. So if you aren’t a member join us and if you are a diver, sign up for a training in 2009!