Reef Check Australia Projects Current Projects

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1 Reef Check Australia Projects Current Projects Great Barrier Reef Project 2. Reef Check Townsville 3. Coral Reef Monitoring at the Palm Islands 4. Fishing Line Clean Up 5. Recreational Fisher Monitoring 6. Reef Check Palm Island 7. Reef Check SEQ 8. Reef Check WA 9. EcoAction 10. Reef IQ 11. Communications How do we measure the success of our projects? We measure success through the number of people who participate in our projects as volunteers and their feedback on what they have learned as a result. Ultimately we would like to measure success through how involvement in Reef Check encourages people to make environmentally friendly changes to their lives as well as through building capacity of young people to follow careers in environmental monitoring and management. The success of our volunteer data will be measured by their uptake into formal natural resource management structures. Volunteer data are currently accepted by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority as well as SEQ Catchments NRM Board in Brisbane. We aim to achieve formal integration of Queensland s Reef Check data into natural resource management structures through Great Barrier Reef Project The Great Barrier Reef Project has been running since 2001 and involves long-term monitoring of more than 30 key dive sites on the Great Barrier Reef and Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea. This flagship project was initiated by Jos Hill and Undersea Explorer has the support of more than 20 dive operators along the length of the Reef. These operators recognise the importance of looking after their reefs, and support the project by providing in-kind berth space for our teams for surveys and training. This remarkable achievement has been realised through the enthusiasm and commitment of over 100 volunteers. As well as taking part in surveys our volunteers have assisted with training, survey coordination and reporting. GBR Project surveys are coordinated from Reef Check Australia s Headquarters in Townsville. The survey season runs between February and June each year. Most surveys are run at weekends to enable our community volunteers to participate outside work commitments. Since monitoring began most sites have remained relatively unchanged. However, some reefs in the Cairns and Townsville regions have been affected algal blooms of blue-green algae. This suggests high nutrient levels in the water. Some sites in the Townsville region have been affected by crown-of-thorns starfish, which feed extensively on hard coral. Coral bleaching was recorded at many sites during the

2 summers of 2002 and 2004 with sites at Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea suffering more than those on the Great Barrier Reef. However, the corals at most sites appear to have recovered. Incidences of coraleating snails (Drupella spp.) and coral disease have been reported at a few sites. GBR Project target audience: Volunteers for the GBR Project are recreational divers from the general community. These divers participate in the Reef Check Australia Training Program prior to joining survey teams that collect Reef Check data from dive sites. The teams are led by Reef Check Project Officers who are marine biology graduates from all over the world who volunteer 6 months of their time to lead Reef Check Australia surveys and enter the data into our database. The target audience for the GBR Project data are any community member or local business with a passion to participate in local natural resource management issues, scientists, managers, government employees or anybody who wishes to learn more about our local coral reefs. Financial sponsors of the GBR Project are: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority $ overheads & project development and management each year Reef and Rainforest Research Centre $ project development and management each year Supporters of the GBR Project include the following companies whose in-kind support totals > $ per annum: Australian Marine Park Tourism Operators (Ampto) Port Douglas Calypso Reef Charters Haba Dive Poseidon Quicksilver Connections Undersea Explorer Cairns Downunder Dive Mike Ball New Horizon Pro Dive Cairns Reef Encounter Reef Magic Sunlover Cruises Cairns Dive Centre Townsville Adrenalin Dive SunSea Cruises Airlie Beach Cruise Whitsundays Fantasea Cruises Hayman Island Resort Hamilton Island Resort Water Sports Hamilton Island Beach Sports Hamilton Island H20 Sportz Tropical Diving

3 Past supporters of the GBR Project include the following organisations. These organisations have played an important role in building this project to where it is today: Envirofund Low Isles Preservation Society Volunteer contribution We estimate our volunteers contribute ~ $ of in-kind time to the GBR Project. Inshore Reef Monitoring Inshore coral reefs such as those fringing islands are often those most visited and used by local communities for recreation. However, due to this level of use and their proximity to coastal development and agriculture, they are perceived to be most at risk from human impacts. Reef Check s inshore monitoring program provides communities, scientists and managers with status and trends of the coral and algae populations, counts of targeted fish such as coral trout as well as counts discarded fishing line. Reef Check volunteers monitored a number of sites around the Palm Island Group just North of Townsville during and currently monitor 6 sites around Magnetic Island. We aim to expand upon the number of sites we can monitor in the inshore regions to include sites that are held as special places to their local communities. Reef Check Townsville This project was established during 2003 to increase the number of inshore sites monitored by Reef Check volunteers in the Townsville region. While inshore reefs are less often frequented by recreational divers, those off Townsville have some of the greatest biodiversity of hard coral on the Great Barrier Reef. Nutrient pollution from land-based activities is one of the greatest threats facing the Reef. Inshore reefs are particularly affected by poor water quality due to their close proximity to shore. Reef Check Australia partners with Creek to Coral, a combined Townsville/Thuringowa and State Government initiative to maintain and enhance our healthy waterways in the coastal dry tropics. Download the Status of Reefs Around Magnetic Island: report. (1.9MB pdf) Reef Check Townsville target audience: Volunteers for Reef Check Townsville are recreational divers from Townsville s general public. These divers participate in the Reef Check Australia Training Program prior to joining survey teams that collect Reef Check data from sites around Magnetic Island. The teams are led by Reef Check Project Officers who are marine biology graduates from all over the world who volunteer 6 months of their time to lead Reef Check Australia surveys and enter the data into our database. The target audience for the Reef Check data around Magnetic Island are any community member with a passion to participate in local natural resource management issues, scientists, managers, government employees or anybody who wishes to learn more about our local coral reefs. Financial sponsors of Reef Check Townsville are: Creek to Coral Townsville city council Supporters of Reef Check Townsville are: Reef Sarafi Pleasure Divers Volunteer contribution We estimate our volunteers contribute ~ $ of in-kind time to monitoring Townsville s coral reefs.

4 Coral Reef Monitoring at the Palm Islands Reef Check volunteers monitored a number of sites around the Palm Island Group just North of Townsville during We aim to expand upon the number of sites we can monitor in the inshore regions to include sites that are held as special places to their local communities. We are currently looking for sponsors to continue monitoring of these sites in conjunction with our coral trout monitoring project. Reef Check Palm Islands target audience: Volunteers on our Palm Islands monitoring program are recreational divers from Townsville s general public. These divers participate in the Reef Check Australia Training Program prior to joining survey teams that collect Reef Check data from sites around Magnetic Island. The teams are led by Reef Check Project Officers who are marine biology graduates from all over the world who volunteer 6 months of their time to lead Reef Check Australia surveys and enter the data into our database. The target audience for the Reef Check data around the Palm Islands are any community member with a passion to participate in local natural resource management issues, scientists, managers, government employees or anybody who wishes to learn more about our local coral reefs. This project was funded by Envirofund. Fishing Line Clean-up Reef Check Australia volunteers have cleared fishing line from around a number of fringing coral reefs of the Palm Island Group north of Townsville. The volunteer team discovered a lot of fishing line at a number of sites, highlighting the impact that fishing can have on the reef. The aim of this project is to raise awareness about some of the effects fishing can have on the reef and to promote stewardship of our coral reefs for those who use them for recreation. With a background in construction, learning about the ecology, threats and management solutions to coral reefs was a new subject to me. This knowledge has enhanced my enjoyment of diving and interest to participate in Reef Check's projects. These projects have such a clear benefit to the conservation of coral reefs as well as to the community participants. I had the opportunity to join Reef Check on a trip to Orpheus Island to trial new fish monitoring protocols and to collect up discarded fishing line. As a recreational fisher and diver I really valued the opportunity to see the difference between the fish populations between the no take and fished zones and can understand the impact fishing has on the reef and the health of fishing sites for our future generations. My involvement with Reef Check has made me more carefully consider how my actions can impact upon the environment and has opened an avenue to meet a diverse range of people with a common interest to help sustain our environment. Steve Glasby, 2007 Reef Check Volunteer Financial sponsors of the Fishing Line Clean-Up Project are: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority $5 000 overheads & project development and management each year George Alexander Foundation $4 718 project funds Project Aware $3 102 project funds Australia Post $1 200 project funds 2007 Supporters of the Fishing Line Clean-Up Project are: James Cook University s Orpheus Island Research Station James Cook University

5 Recreational Fisher Monitoring Reef Check Australia has formed a partnership with James Cook University s Effects of Zoning fish monitoring team to develop a new community coral trout monitoring protocol. This protocol will be used by Reef Check divers and snorkellers to count coral trout populations in both fished and no-take zones in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The next step is to test this protocol with trained Reef Check divers and snorkellers to ensure the data collected supports those collected by JCU researchers. This project will initially run around the Palm Island Group (off Townsville) and around the Keppel Islands (off Rockhampton). This work fits in with current research being conducted by GBRMPA and JCU into the effectiveness of green zones as an environmental management tool. It is hypothesised that green zones will help to restock blue zones through adult fish spill over and larval recruitment. JCU researchers are excited about having their data corroborated by local volunteers who will be able to expand upon the sites mentioned and continue monitoring into the long term. Recreational Fisher Project target audience: The purpose of this project is to provide meaningful opportunities for recreational fishers to contribute to our scientific knowledge of status and trends of key fish species (e.g. coral trout) from popular fishing sites as well as no-take areas. The target audience for the Reef Check data around Magnetic Island are any community member (including recreational fishers) with a passion to participate in local natural resource management issues, scientists, managers, government employees or anybody who wishes to learn more about our local coral reefs. Financial sponsors of the Recreational Fisher Project are: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority $5 000 overheads & project development and management each year Supporters of the Recreational Fisher Project include: James Cook University CapReef Reef Check Palm Island Reef Check Australia and the Palm Island community have formed a partnership to initiate a Reef Check program for Palm Island residents. This program will include coral reef monitoring around the new sponge farm as well as coral reef educational activities for school-aged students. Palm Island Project target audience: The purpose of this project is to provide capacity building to Palm Island Sponge Farm divers to monitor the health of local coral reefs surrounding the proposed sponge farm. This project will also build capacity of other community members to conduct Reef Check surveys of local coral reefs as well as to engage the young people from Palm Island s schools. The young people will learn how to conduct Reef Check monitoring on snorkel as well as participate in Reef Check Australia s other school program activities (see Reef IQ). The target audience for the Reef Check data around Palm Island include the local Indigenous community through a Marine Rangers program to encourage meaningful participation in the management of local resources as well as scientists and managers. Financial sponsors of Reef Check Palm Island are: Burdekin Dry Tropics Natural Resource Management Board $ seed funding Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority $ overheads & project development and management each year Envirofund ~$ for Reef Check training held by Coolgaree CDEP

6 Supporters of Reef Check Palm Island are: Coolgaree CDEP, Palm Island Australian Institute of Marine Science Reef Check SEQ This project began during Reef Check s SEQ teams will begin monitoring of fringing coral reefs off the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay and the Gold Coast during These areas are of particular importance as their reef substrate conditions are largely unknown and the impacts of human activity have not been monitored. It is important to determine the health of these reefs to ensure these valuable resources are maintained and impacts can be identified. Reef Check SEQ target audience: Volunteers for Reef Check SEQ are recreational divers from the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Gold Coast s general public. These divers participate in the Reef Check Australia Training Program prior to joining survey teams that collect Reef Check data from local fringing coral reefs. The teams are led by Reef Check s SEQ Project Officer. The target audience for the Reef Check data around SEQ fringing reefs are any community member with a passion to participate in local natural resource management issues, scientists, managers, government employees or anybody who wishes to learn more about our local coral reefs. Financial sponsors of Reef Check SEQ are: SEQ Catchments NRM $ seed funding 2007 Envirofund $ project funding Supporters of Reef Check SEQ are: Sea World Griffith University Diving the Gold Coast with Ian Banks Ocean Cat Sunshine Coast Uni Noosa Council NICA Noosa Livaboards Noosa Blue Water Dive Tourism Sunshine Coast Tourism Noosa QPWS Noosa Reef Check involvement in Biosphere Reserve Noosa Shire been recognised as Queensland's first Biosphere reserve by UNESCO hyperlink new page Biosphere reserves include an area of land which also includes coastal and marine ecosystems. These sites are recognised under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme, which innovate and demonstrate approaches to conservation and sustainable development. Biosphere reserves are established to promote and demonstrate a balanced relationship between humans and their environment. They are places where communities voluntarily work to promote sustainable development. To be successful in the establishment of a Biosphere reserve, you need an area with outstanding environmental values, coupled with a community of people who treasure their land. Reef Check Australia has been involved in the nomination process and Reef Check volunteers will monitor the health of Noosa s 50 acres of coral reef that is directly off the coast encompassing the Laguna Bay area.

7 Noosa, Australia, covers freshwater/tidal and terrestrial areas and straddles two ecoregions (Eastern Australian Rivers and Streams, as well as Eastern Australian Temperate Forests). The site is considered as a "biodiversity museum" critical to maintaining overall biodiversity representation and quality in South-East Queensland. In order to conserve and use in a sustainable way the rich natural and cultural resources of the site, Noosa communities endeavour to manage urban growth in a sustainable manner and develop sustainable tourism strategies in the buffer and transition zones. EcoAction The EcoAction program provides a range of interactive educational experiences that will stimulate active participation in coral reef conservation activities, empower tourists to collect reef health data, generate revenues to support established Reef Check projects here and around the world, and provide the means for future monitoring teams to self finance wherever there are existing hotels and dive shops. Whatever your age or experience level there is an EcoAction product for you. Each product has been designed by Reef Check scientists to give you a deeper knowledge and understanding of the coral reef ecosystem. As a result, your diving and snorkeling experiences will be greatly enhanced. As people progress through the EcoAction program, they will have the opportunity to participate in valuable data collection. By submitting data online, participants will be directly contributing to Reef Check s global coral reef conservation programs and assisting Reef Check in tracking the health of Australia s coral reefs. Proceeds from the sale of EcoAction products will be used to support local coral reef conservation efforts. Reef Check Underwater Reef Guide The Underwater Reef Guide will enhance your diving and snorkeling experience. It can be used by anyone with a desire to increase their knowledge and understanding of the fascinating coral reef fish, invertebrates, corals and algae that comprise the Indo-Pacific coral reef ecosystem. Developed by Reef Check scientists, the waterproof Reef Guide contains photographs and information on 50 organisms specifically chosen for their regional abundance as well as their important role in the ecosystem allowing you to identify them. The attached reusable slate allows you to record what you see and by submitting your data online you will be assisting the Reef Check scientists in tracking global coral reef health and contributing to our global coral reef status reports. Discover Reef Check This 2-hour course will allow you to gain firsthand experience in how marine biologists conduct coral reef research. The course includes a 1-hour presentation, where the methods used for monitoring coral reef health will be introduced. This will be followed by a 1 hour guided dive where you can try your hand at some of the sampling techniques. Reef Check EcoDiver By taking the EcoDiver Reef Monitoring course you will become certified to join Reef Check survey teams around the globe and take an active role in conserving the world s coral reefs. This course is designed to teach you everything you need to know to conduct full-scale reef surveys. In this program you will learn all about the globally standardised Reef Check methodology as well as how to identify key indicator fish, invertebrates and substrates selected by Reef Check for global monitoring and conservation of coral reefs. You will take away an EcoMonitoring Pack that include a waterproof field guide for indicator organisms, a Reef Check training manual on CD with global indicator species and full outline, and a 40 minute Reef Check training DVD with easy-to-follow protocols contained within a black pocketed folio. How does the EcoAction program fit in with coral reef tourism? Reef Check Facilities are operations that offer Reef Check s EcoAction programs. Reef Check Facilities stock and sell our Adventures children s book and/or Underwater Reef Guide:

8 The Reef Check Adventures activity book was designed to compliment our ecotourism partners products and our schools education program. The Underwater Reef Guide enhances dive or snorkeling experiences by providing a basic background on what you are looking at as well as an opportunity to record your observations in our global database. The Underwater Reef Guide can be incorporated into snorkel or dive tours or into dive training, e.g. the underwater naturalist course. Feedback from our partner operators indicates that the underwater reef guide is a popular product when introduced to tourists in this manner. Reef Check Training facilities are licensed to run our Discover Reef Check and EcoDiver programs: Discover Reef Check can be provided as an introduction to coral reef monitoring for those who express an interest but are short of time. Reef Check EcoDiver is Reef Check s international coral reef monitoring standard. Because we have established a higher level for our community coral reef monitoring program we promote EcoDiver courses as eco-tourism activities that can be used in resortstyle tourism outlets or through student education programs. EcoDivers collect less detailed data than Reef Check Australia-trained volunteers, however, with more frequently conducted surveys at key tourist sites the data will indicate any significant changes in coral reef health. The EcoDiver information can be integrated into our coral reef monitoring database for use by management. How will participation in Reef Check EcoAction benefit dive tourism business? Not only will partnership with the Reef Check Foundation Ltd symbolise a long-term commitment to community-based conservation of reef resources, it will also complement ecotourism business activities in many other ways: EcoAction will make a contribution to the Ecotourism & Advanced Ecotourism Accreditation requirements. EcoAction will provide unique new reef experience opportunities for your customers. EcoAction partner operators will get increased brand exposure through Reef Check marketing activities. EcoAction will give you extra revenue by providing add-on sales opportunities. Industry research has shown that educated and informed divers are frequent divers and travelers. Reef Check s scientifically tested and proven programs will help keep divers traveling and getting back in the water. Incorporating the EcoAction program into your business is simple as it is a ready-made ecotourism solution that can be readily integrated into your current reef activities. Reef Check EcoAction target audience: The EcoAction program enables engagement of any snorkeller or diver, experienced or non-experienced. The program also provides meaningful ecotourism opportunities for the dive tourism business. EcoAction is s great way to introduce both school-aged young people and adults to coral reef conservation and Reef Check. Reef IQ Reef IQ is a proactive program aimed at helping to prevent the symptoms of coral reef degradation by tackling the causes. Reef IQ will increase awareness of coral reef issues, engendering behavioural change towards more sustainable practices and providing young people with the skills, knowledge and capacity to partake in environmental monitoring, decision-making and conservation. One end product of Reef IQ is free, high-quality educational materials that are available on the internet for all educators of young people including parents and guardians. These materials will support users in educating young people on coral reefs in Australia and help them to motivate young people to become interested and involved in caring for their environment. There will also be a fun Kids section available on the website that will provide interactive games and educational activities on coral reefs for young people to be used at home or in the classroom. To attain these objectives, the Reef IQ materials are currently focusing on tackling the underlying salient belief that environmental responsibility is someone else s issue, by encouraging young people to

9 understand that they must all take responsibility and claim stewardship of the environment upon which they are all dependent. Classroom Programs There are two separate courses: 1. Coral Reefs & Sustainability This course links the sustainability of coral reefs to the sustainability of our cities. The development of this course has been supported by Townsville City Council s Creek to Coral Program. 2. Classroom Monitoring for Management This course teaches young people how to conduct simulated surveys of real coral reefs in the classroom using Reef Check s survey methods. As future caretakers of the natural environment we believe it is essential to give young people the skills and knowledge to manage the environment sustainably and claim stewardship over their local natural resources. Get Involved! Pilot workshops are now underway for courses aimed at Years 4-7 with the actual school program being launched in the new 2009 school year. Reef Check Adventures Another Reef IQ product is the Reef Check Adventures activity book. In this exciting and challenging book, Reef Check brings to children aged 7-12 the dazzling and diverse world of coral reefs. With over 40 pages of engaging activities and fun coral reef facts, children will discover the mysterious and magical undersea world of colour and light. Young readers will also be exposed to the importance of conservation and what they can do to ensure the survival of these ecological wonders. This book promises hours of fun and enjoyment with educational lessons to last a lifetime! Get Wet! We have been working with St Leonards School in Melbourne who take students to Fiji each year to monitor the health of some of their coral reefs. If your school is interested in teaching your students to monitor the health of their coral reefs please contact us at education@reefcheckaustralia org. Reef IQ target audience: The Reef IQ program is targeted at young people to introduce Australia s future on how they can participate in coral reef conservation from home or from the reef. The activities have been developed to be run at non-school community events as well as through school-based curricula. The programs aim to build skills as well as knowledge. The aim is to make Reef IQ programs available throughout Australia to increase our population s general awareness, understanding and support for issues that affect our coral reefs. Financial sponsors of Reef IQ are: Creek to Coral $5 000 towards the set up of our Coral Reefs & Sustainability course Envirofund $ towards the development of a kids web portal which we aim to commence during and $ towards printing educational materials and running feedback workshops This program has minimal funding and has largely been set up on a volunteer basis because we believe it is essential to ensure exciting participatory educational opportunities are available to our young people. Volunteer contribution To date we estimate our volunteers have contributed $ of in-kind time to the development of our Reef IQ programs.

10 Communications Reef Check communication outputs include: Photography Competition 2007 & 2008 Website Development Community Service Announcement 2008 Contacts database development GIS monitoring database development Communications target audience: Reef Check communications are aimed at the wider Australian public to provide opportunities for Australians to learn about and get involved in coral reef conservation from their homes or on coral reefs. We aim to increase the Australian general public s awareness and support for coral reef issues and to increase actions taken to protect them. Financial sponsors of Reef Check Communications are: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority $ overheads & project development and management each year Reef and Rainforest Research Centre $ project development and management each year