Marine Conservation Diving
Island Divers Hawaii and Ocean Alliance Project present the FIRST EVER Conservation Diver courses in the beautiful state of Hawai’i. We built these marine conservation diving courses because we know the future of marine conservation is not a job that just scientists or experts can do. It requires all of us! Each person that signs up for these conservation diver courses will not only get dives with turtles, sharks, and pristine reefs, but will also be making a monumental difference with each breath you take underwater.
However, the marine conservation diving you are doing doesn’t end at the end of the day. Once certified, you can take what you learned and use it all around the island, saving reefs that otherwise would have been overlooked. We cannot do this without your help! It’s time to be a part of the solution rather than just another visitor.
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Coral Reef Ecology And Monitoring
This SCUBA DIVING course is for those looking to help save our coral reefs. Our corals have come all the way from the great barrier reef, bouncing from reef to reef, until they arrived on our shores. As a result, our reefs are incredibly unique and have life that can’t be found anywhere else on this planet. Like everywhere else on this planet, our reefs are struggling. They are facing the ever-present threat of climate change.
However, the silent killer’s that are often overlooked are coral disease and invasive species. The course teaches students all about the threats our reefs face, as well as how to use real world scientific sampling and reef survey techniques. All the data we collect throughout the course goes directly to the Division of Aquatic Resources and Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology.
The information you learn and the data you collect throughout the course AND after has the potential to save reefs that have been around for thousands of years.
What does the Marine Conservation Diving certification do for you?
The Coral Reef Ecology and Monitoring certification is from the Conservation Divers organization. It is an international certifying agency with 8 centers across the globe. The certification you receive will allow you to go to any of these centers and assist on their projects without having to undergo any sort of training. The conservation diver certification is a prerequisite to work with our local projects (eyes of the reef, restore with resilience etc.). You will be certified to independently conduct surveys and report to eyes of the reef, survey with the Ocean Alliance Project, AND find animals that have never before been documented.
For those looking to truly embark on a career in Marine Biology, the conservation diver certification is internationally recognized. It looks fantastic on a resume because it shows you have more practical experience than most other applicants. For those that are still unsure about what you want in a career, this will give you insight into what a working job in coral reef ecology looks like.
What will your day look like?
Show time is 9am
Meet with our head marine biologist Dylan Brown. Dylan has been working with sea turtles and coral reefs for the past decade. Our 1 hour presentation will cover everything you need to know to work with our local reef animals. We cover their ecology, threats, survey techniques, and what the data we are collecting will be used for.
The next hour covers diving techniquest: navigation skills, buoyancy skills, finning techniques, and underwater camera use.
Lunch Break
The Island Divers shop is located in a marina with plenty of free parking and plenty of options for a meal. Including the Safeway deli, a McDonalds, noodle and pho shops, and many others.
Coral Reef Ecology and Monitoring
At 12:30 pm our scuba diving research boat departs.
The first dive will be a buoyancy training dive. Our instructor will teach you how to maintain neutral buoyancy (with a survey slate in hand), helicopter turn, reverse frog kick, and take photos at consistent depths. We do all of this training at Koko Craters, so we should have some good turtle models to test out our photography skills. The second dive is our survey dive. We will search for instances of coral disease, invasive species, coral predators, and coral bleaching. These are the killers of reef ecosystems.
When we get back, we sort through our collected data, and relay all of our information back to Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology and the Division of Aquatic Resources. You also will be afforded the opportunity to take the images collected home. When we notice high instances of what we’re surveying for (coral bleaching, disease etc.), we coordinate and emergency response with the Division of Aquatic Resources to mitigate damage and restore the area. YOU will be the primary reason that these reefs are saved.
Wrap Up you Marine Conservation Diving Day
Final Exam and certification will take place at this time you you will leave with your The Coral Reef Ecology and Monitoring certification from Conservation Diver Foundation issued by Ocean Alliance Project director Dylan Brown.
The Coral Reef Ecology and Monitoring Course is a partial fulfillment of the full Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP) and students receiving this certification are welcome to return later and complete the full EMP course.
When can I participate?
Ocean Alliance project is offering this program any day that Island Divers Hawaii is running an afternoon reef dive. Which pretty much means 7 days a week. You can look at the schedule below. Simply choose the Marine Biologist Diver option.