Reef Check California December 2009-Update

By Reef Check California Director of Science Cyndi Dawson

The numbers are in and 2009 has been the most successful Reef Check California survey season to date! With the help of hundreds of divers statewide, we collected critical information on the status of 61 reef sites while completing 75 surveys. We had some great highlights this year as well: sevengill sharks in San Diego, training and surveying with the Port of Los Angeles Police, and the most successful north coast camp out ever, just to name a few. It really was an inspired year with participation and support of the program continuing to grow in leaps and bounds.

In addition to all the new partnerships and accomplishments, our successes would not be possible without the support of our incredible group of citizen scientist divers. Since the start of the program in 2006, 354 individual divers have taken part in RCCA surveys. Each one of those divers has taken action to help improve marine management in California. We even have 16 divers who have just completed their fourth season of surveying! We are a more well known and respected community-based monitoring network and I look forward to another amazing year in 2010.

If you want the inside scoop on what is happening with RCCA you can follow me on Twitter. I will continue “tweeting” throughout the season to keep everyone updated on the RCCA program and my exploits as RCCA’s Director of Science. All relevant updates will also be posted on the Forum including daily blogs when I am on the road spreading the word about Reef Check.

As you all know, this has been a challenging year financially for most of us and RCCA is no exception. Please consider making an end-of-the-year donation to help us finish 2009 in a healthy financial condition. 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 sustainably manage California’s marine resources. Please join us and help ensure the sustainability of reefs worldwide!