Coming to the End of a Big Week of Reef Check Australia Training

It has been a fantastic experience to be involved with the Reef Check Australia training here at Ningaloo.  By the end of Sunday (16/6/2013) there will be 9 people from Exmouth and Coral Bay with accreditation to undertake reef monitoring in the Ningaloo Region using the Reef Check Australia methodology.

Trainees were taught how to classify and record:

• Substrate types including different types of coral forms
• Record the presence of macro-algae
• Identity coral bleaching
• Record the presence of coral disease and damage
• Record the presence key indicator invertebrates

Massive hard coral (HCM)

Anemone with tomato clown fish (Amphiprion frenatus)

Collector urchin amongst branching hard coral (HCBR)

Giant clam

Foliose hard coral (HCF) with Labophora algae

Massive hard coral with bleaching (HCB)

Drupella scar on hard coral. Druppal snails are covered in pink coroline algae

Plate Coral with Trochus shell

Thanks very much to Jenn, Jodie and Jody for the excellent training and patience.

Reef Check @ Oyster Stacks

If you want to know more about participating in Reef Check Australia monitoring see their website: http://www.reefcheckaustralia.org/

If you are elsewhere see Reef Check Worldwide: http://www.reefcheck.org/