Make your dives count
Help us monitor the coral reefs of Jordan
According to World Resources Institute, human activity threatens the health of nearly 60 percent of the
world's coral reefs. Add to that the estimated 30 percent of all coral reefs that are already dead or severely
damaged and it's easy to see that coral reefs are in desperate need of attention if they are to survive for
future generations.
Now you can quickly and easily get involved with Project AWARE's CoralWatch monitoring activities to make a difference and protect coral reef ecosystems.
Random Survey - select corals randomly, such as choosing the coral closest to you every second fin kick. Make sure your selection is truly random.
Quadrant or Transect Survey - select your corals by marking a square area (quadrant) or following a line (transect). Make sure that marking your boundary has no effect on marine life in that area. Then assess the corals within the quadrant or on the transect line.
Easily Identified Corals - select corals that you can easily identify and return to on each dive.
Now you can quickly and easily get involved with Project AWARE's CoralWatch monitoring activities to make a difference and protect coral reef ecosystems.
What is CoralWatch?
CoralWatch is a simple, non-invasive method to assess and monitor coral reef health with respect to coral bleaching. The CoralWatch method uses a Coral Health Chart with a series of colours that volunteers match with actual coral colour to determine different stages of coral bleaching and recovery.What is coral bleaching?
Coral bleaching is the whitening of coral due to a loss of symbiotic algae living within the coral tissue. In healthy coral, algae supplies energy and provides colour. During bleaching events, coral expels the algae from their tissue which changes the colour of the coral. As coral expels more algae the coral becomes lighter in colour.Why monitor reefs?
Monitoring is most effective over months and even years. With divers and snorkelers regularly visiting sites, scientists at the University of Queensland, Australia, will be able to answer questions such as how long it takes for reefs to recover from bleaching and if the health of the reef declines over a certain number of bleaching events?What happens to my results?
Once your data is submitted a graph is produced representing the overall health of your monitored dive site. All submitted data is analysed and made available on www.coralwatch.org in a graphic format that makes it easy to see the overall health of the site. With multiple monitoring regions around the world scientists will not only be able to compare the condition of a single reef over time, they'll be able to compare the condition of many different reefs at any single time.How do I get involved?
Dive aqaba is a registered Project AWARE CoralWatch Operator. Ask our staff if you want to help. We will select a monitoring site and prepare your waterproof slate. You will make a note of the date, water temperature, depth, name of the reef and location. Also make note of anything else you think might be important like rubbish found, visibility and conditions,environmental damage seen, etc.Survey Methods:
We will help you choose one of three monitoring methods depending upon your skills, experience and location:Random Survey - select corals randomly, such as choosing the coral closest to you every second fin kick. Make sure your selection is truly random.
Quadrant or Transect Survey - select your corals by marking a square area (quadrant) or following a line (transect). Make sure that marking your boundary has no effect on marine life in that area. Then assess the corals within the quadrant or on the transect line.
Easily Identified Corals - select corals that you can easily identify and return to on each dive.
