Reef Check Guadeloupe Educates Kids About Local Reefs

Submitted by Remi Garnier
Photos by Mariane Aimar

On January 12, 2008, the Terre d’Avenir organization along with Regional Environmental Direction (DIREN) and the Pareto Ecoconsult Environmental Engineering office organized a demonstration aimed at educating young children about the degradation of the health of the coral reefs of Guadeloupe.

 

After carrying out a mock survey in the lagoon, the students from Bragelogne in Saint Francois, aged 5 to 10 years old, signed the International Declaration of Reef Rights. Local marine experts were also on hand to explain the impacts on the marine environment, including coral reefs, mangroves, and marine turtles.

 

The Reef Check Guadeloupe team was also able to establish a second monitoring site on the reef of Saint-François, under the surfing spot “The Aquarium”. Two new surfers were trained in the Reef Check protocol. A new monitoring station is expected to be established on Saint-Martin’s Island (FWI) in April 2008.

 

For more photos of Reef Check Guadeloupe: http://gallery.reefcheck.org/main.php?g2_itemId=8968

 

Click here for video coverage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auZaaQv0QcA