Coral reefs monitoring: Reef Check

 

Reef Check : Watch and monitor coral reefs to help to protect them!

Reef Check is an international program working with local communities, governments and organizations to ensure the scientific monitoring, and the improvement and preservation of the coral reefs’ health.

Reef Check aims at educating people, creating a global network of voluntary teams trained to ensure a regular watch of the coral, and supporting local initiatives in favour of the protection or rehabilitation of reefs.

 

History of Reef Check :

Reef Check is an International organization created in 1996 by the Dr. Gregor Hodgson. This program for monitoring coral reefs brings together scientists and volunteers in more than 90 countries (1,700 reefs). The aim of this network is simple: involve residents in monitoring reefs and thus help to better protect them.

In French Polynesia, Reef check started in 2 000 but stopped in 2012 with the departure of the past local coordinator. Only some monitoring are still continuing on Tahiti and Bora Bora.

In 2015, after three years of quasi-inactivity of Reef Check Polynesia, Te mana o te moana was mandated by Reef Check to become the new local coordinator of the French Polynesian network.

In fact, the French Polynesian areas has got a huge potential because of hosting 121 islands, knowing that all those islands can’t be monitoring by the scientists.

What is Reef Check ?

Reef Check is dedicated to involve the local community in the saving of their coral reefs. Volunteers use a simple method, achievable by everybody, and scientifically recognized. They have to follow theoretical and practical trainings (one day and half), to become a Reef Check Eco-diver.

Then, helped by scientists, they will explore 100 meters of coral reefs one time per year (or more if they want to) in scuba diving or snorkelling. They will also take a sensus of the substratum, the fish, and the invertebrates that are really good health reef indicators.

Why doing the “Reef Check” program?

Volunteers will detect as scientists new disturbance and will get a better knowledge of the coral reefs’ health of their island. The datas collected will help scientists to get information from the far away islands where no scientific monitoring is done.

The program also provides an education tool for volunteers and general public to get a better knowledge about coral reefs and how to protect them.

 

We need your help…

If you want to get involved in the conservation of your lagoon and coral reefs, join us to us to become an Eco-diver Reef Check.

Call us at 87 715 344 or send us an email to :  matthieu.temana@gmail.com.

We will be happy to train you and give you all the information you need to be a “Reef Check” volunteer.

For more information, visit he Reef Check website: Reef Check

 

 News of the Project in French Polynesia :