Calling all Gold Coast based RCA Surveyors! We're looking at getting a team out to Gold Coast Seaway for a shore dive on 18th January.

Exact times to be confirmed.

If you'd like to be part of this survey, please email Jodi@reefcheckaustralia.org to confirm your spot!

Calling all Brisbane based RCA Surveyors! We're looking at getting a team out to Peel Island and Macleay Island for a scuba survey on 25th January.

Exact times to be confirmed.

If you'd like to be part of this survey, please email Jodi@reefcheckaustralia.org to confirm your spot!

Join Reef Check Australia for the first clean up for the hatchlings of 2020 at La Balsa Park on on February 8th, from 6am.

This is an important area for turtles, but it's also very popular with human visitors. And unfortunately where there are large numbers of humans, there is also inevitably going to be rubbish.

The Reef Check Australia team will be doing a clean up both in and out of the water. If you want to help out with the snorkelling clean up, you must register with Reef Check Australia (and be approved!) prior to the event.  

Email seqevents@reefcheckaustralia.org for more information.

If you want to secure your spot at one of the on land clean up locations, you can contact Sunshine Coast Council to register before the day.

Did we mention? There’ll be a FREE BBQ and PRIZE draw while we weigh and sort debris. The Australian Marine Debris database will use all our litter info from the day to help encourage source reduction discussions.

So get in touch now to be part of protecting our reefs and oceans!

The Reef Ambassador program is a ground-breaking project, training community outreach volunteers to actively inspire, motivate and support their communities to better understand and help protect local marine environments. This program mentors volunteers to develop their knowledge and skills in reef ecology, communications, behaviour change principles, and project planning to support positive locally relevant action for the reef. 

As part of the Integrated Coral Reef Citizen Science Program, funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Reef Check Australia is running Reef Ambassador training for Whitsundays’ based volunteers who live locally and wish to stay involved over multiple events, projects and seasons.

These Ambassadors will become enthusiastic community leaders, promoting information about the condition of our coral reefs and educating communities on what they can do to help.

We are currently opening Expressions of Interest for February 2020.

PLEASE NOTE: To participate on a Reef Ambassador training course, you must be able to attend all training dates, and commit to at least 6 months of volunteering. 

The course will run from 8-9 February.

If this sounds like something you'd love, get your EOI in before 31 January 2020.

APPLY HERE

Beer and Yoga combine to help protect reefs and oceans on the Sunshine Coast!

Come get bendy at Your Mates Brew House for the next beer yoga session! 🧘‍♂️

Brydie O’Halloran from Younion Yoga, a qualified vinyasa yoga instructor (and seasoned beer drinker) will get you loose, limber, and having fun — whether you're a total yoga novice, or a well-practiced pro. 🍻

All proceeds from this event will be donated to Reef Check Australia to support Sunshine Coast Reef Health Surveys and local community education. 👏🏻

Details:
- Tickets $35 plus booking fees
- BYO yoga mat

Two cans of tasty brew are included in the bargain price of $35 (plus booking fee) for the session.

The first 25 people to jump on board will also get a FREE beer cooler!

Bookings are essential and we expect this event WILL SELL OUT, so make sure you book your spot!

Our Coast to Coral Community talk series is back for 2020! Join Reef Check Australia and friends on the second Tuesday night of each month at Sea Life, Mooloolaba, for an evening of discovery, inspiration and appreciation of our local marine, coastal and catchment environments.

This month we will hear from Dr. Alexis Levengood from the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Alexis is a behavioural ecologist with a passion for marine mammals and a focus in social evolution. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Biology and Environmental Studies from Connecticut College and spent two years travelling the world studying manatees, great white sharks, and various species of dolphins and whales. In 2012 she moved to Scotland to complete a Masters in Marine Mammal Science. Most recently, Alexis completed her PhD here at the University of the Sunshine Coast where she studied long-term avoidance behaviour in bottlenose dolphins as part of the Shark Bay Dolphin Research Project (SBDRP). Now Dr. Alexis continues her work with SBDRP in addition to working as a part-time Research Fellow at the University and teaching on courses such as Animal Behaviour and Marine Vertebrates.

About the Talk: Bottlenose Dolphins: are they really as friendly as Flipper made them out to be?

From mythology and historical records to popular television shows like Flipper and even today’s research, we know dolphins as highly social, intelligent animals. But there is a component of their lives that we have been overlooking for decades, if not centuries. Dolphins actually avoid individuals more than they prefer them! This talk will discuss dolphin friends and their avoidances and uncover the many reasons why dolphins avoid one another. Come hear about the secret social lives of bottlenose dolphins across Australian waters.

The talk will be held in the Seal Stadium at SEALIFE Mooloolaba. Doors open at 6:15 pm for a 6:30 pm start. Stay after the event for a discussion with the presenter and other attendees and enjoy a pizza-rific snack.

6:15: Grab a seat
6:30: Talk kicks-off
7:15: Pizza & good sea-minded conversation!

This initiative is hosted by Reef Check Australia, and proudly supported by Sunshine Coast Council's Environment Levy partnerships grant and the June Canavan Foundation with amazing in-kind support from SEALIFE Sunshine Coast.

Thanks also to these awesome local businesses supporting these events with giveaway sustainable goodies, Onya, Bokashi Ninja, Surfing Green, Seastraws, Ever Eco, Boomerang Bags

For more information email ambassadors@reefcheckaustralia.org or check out our Facebook event page.

If you're a PADI Advanced Open Water diver, or equivalent, and you've always wanted to get more involved in reef research - now is your chance!

As part of the Integrated Coral Reef Citizen Science Program, funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Reef Check Australia is running SCUBA Surveyor training in the Whitsundays region.

Reef Check Australia SCUBA Surveyor training is a fun way to meet a tribe of reef-mind people, find out more about our beautiful reefs, boost your dive skills and build your capacity to actively contribute to scientific research. You don't need to have previous science or survey experience--we'll provide you with comprehensive training to safely collect great quality data to help look after reefs. 

When you successfully complete the surveyor course, you will receive a Reef Check EcoDiver certification and a PADI distinctive speciality certification.

The Reef Check EcoDiver qualification is recognised by the International global network of Reef Check programs, which allows you participate in survey expeditions at research sites all over the world! (Some locations may require additional training to learn regional indicators).

Once qualified, you’ll be eligible to join our teams of surveyors in the water collecting Reef health data on long-term sites in the Whitsundays region.

The course will run from 14-16 February 2020.

If this sounds like something you'd love, get your EOI in before 5th February.

APPLY HERE

The Reef Ambassador program is a ground-breaking project, training community outreach volunteers to actively inspire, motivate and support their communities to better understand and help protect local marine environments. This program mentors volunteers to develop their knowledge and skills in reef ecology, communications, behaviour change principles, and project planning to support positive locally relevant action for the reef. 

These Ambassadors will become enthusiastic community leaders, promoting information about the condition of our coral reefs and educating communities on what they can do to help.

We only offer a limited number of training courses each year and while we already think you are awesome for wanting to get involved, we cannot accept every applicant. Your application will be reviewed and we'll advise you of the status. Don't worry, there are plenty of additional opportunities to get involved!

PLEASE NOTE: To participate on a Reef Ambassador training course, you must be able to attend all training dates, and commit to at least 6 months of volunteering. Also note that prior to starting this application that you will need to have a copy of a current resume ready to complete this application.

Training dates are: March 14 & 15 (full 2 days workshop: 9am-5pm)

Please see costs and further details and apply here.

If you're a PADI Advanced Open Water diver, or equivalent, and you've always wanted to get more involved in reef research - now is your chance! Expressions of Interest are now open for our upcoming SCUBA Surveyor training course.

Reef Check Australia SCUBA Surveyor training is a fun way to meet a tribe of reef-mind people, find out more about our beautiful reefs, boost your dive skills and build your capacity to actively contribute to scientific research. You don't need to have previous science or survey experience--we'll provide you with comprehensive training to safely collect great quality data to help look after reefs. 

When you successfully complete the surveyor course, you will receive a Reef Check EcoDiver certification and a PADI distinctive speciality certification.

The Reef Check EcoDiver qualification is recognised by the International global network of Reef Check programs, which allows you participate in survey expeditions at research sites all over the world! (Some locations may require additional training to learn regional indicators).

You will also be eligible to join our teams of surveyors in the water, collecting the important data we need to better understand, appreciate and protect our reefs. 

Training dates include: March 20, 21 and 22

If this sounds like something you'd love, get your EOI in before 28 February.

APPLY HERE