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research + education =
a future for coral reefs
Reef Check Australia offers a unique way for the community to help look after our coral reefs. We hope that encouraging more people to participate in our projects will increase general awareness of the crisis facing coral reefs and the importance of environmental conservation. This is our way of promoting Citizen Science. We aim to foster amongst the Australian population a genuine sense of collective stewardship of Australia's coral reefs.
We partner with leading marine research organisations, tourism companies and dive operations, universities, government, local and international volunteers and a variety of other businesses and organisations.
The information our volunteer recreational divers collect is used by community groups, governments, universities and businesses to design and implement ecologically sound and economically sustainable coral reef management.
Our projects stimulate local action to protect remaining pristine reefs and rehabilitate damaged reefs worldwide.
Training
Our globally-accredited training program provides our volunteers with the knowledge and techniques they need to gather high quality data that is useful to coral reef managers.
Surface-based Monitoring
Anyone who enjoys the coral reefs and the waters surrounding them can participate in conservation with Reef Check Australia. We now have two introductory programs aimed at increasing awareness and breadth of data collection.
REEFSearch
We are currently piloting our brand-new program for snorkelers and divers. Would you like to better understand the reefs you visit and share the information you collect? Become a REEFSearcher!
Scuba Monitoring Programs
Reef Check Australia has a unique way of involving the general public in coral reef conservation. Our valuable volunteers are recreational scuba divers who monitor the health of reefs around Queensland (and in the future, we plan to spread our network to wider Australia and the Indo-Pacific). All our volunteers complete one of our PADI accredited Training courses to qualify as Coral Reef Surveyors.
Great Barrier Reef
Our flagship project, run with the generous in kind support of dive operators in Cairns, Port Douglas and Airlie Beach, conducts regular annual surveys (and in some cases biannually) at over 25 selected sites.
In-shore Townsville reefs
In the important nursery grounds between Townsville and Magnetic Island, we survey annually 6 sites which are identified as most at risk from human impacts.
more about in-shorejoin our team
South East Queensland
Our SEQ survey teams regularly monitor 25+ sites on the natural and fringing reefs in the area between Bundaberg and Palm Beach.
Western Australia
In 2013, we plan to expand the Reef Check Australia network to include the valuable reefs on the Ningaloo Coast through a Caring for Our Country grant. If you would be interested in helping us set up these projects, please contact support@reefcheckaustralia.org.
Education - Reef IQ
Not only do we engage in activities that respond to coral reef deterioration, we also work towards preventing those human impacts that cause the decline. Our education program for children, Reef IQ, includes course materials, workshops and fun activities using coral reefs as a vehicle to encourage sustainable practices amongst young people to protect the environment as a whole. By educating children today, we hope to combat the causes of coral reef degradation for tomorrow.
Introduction to Reef Check Australia