Simple Life X ALotMeant Coral Conservation - Intro to Coral

Minimum age: 10
Minimum certification: PADI OW

During this course you will learn the fundamentals of coral ecology, identification and monitoring. Throughout your guided lecture one of our marine conservation staff will guide you through the essential details of a coral's physiology and the unique ways this organism lives.

Highlights include:

• Learning how an animal (which a coral is – just like you and I) can both consume other organisms but also produce energy through photosynthesis like a plant.
• Understanding the way in which many coral species can reproduce sexually and asexually – cloning themselves to grow our beautiful reefs.
• Looking at the benefits coral reefs provide to the humans and the world ecosystem
• Gaining the skills to identify coral families and conduct basic coral monitoring

After the lecture your instructor will take you on a guided tour of our underwater coral rehabilitation site to see the success we have had in rescuing coral fragments and contributing to local reef growth. You will then use your newly gained knowledge to survey and identify corals living and growing in our natural house reef. Survey data you collect will be submitted to the global Coral Watch initiative contributing to international research and conservation initiatives. You will also test your knowledge with your instructor identifying prominent coral groupings and types of coral reproduction occurring before your eyes.

After the dive your survey data will be logged with Coral Watch. To finish the course your instructor will help you select a location for a fragment of coral to be saved and rehabilitated on the site you have just visited in your name. You can find it registered on ALotMeant.com and anytime you come back you will be able to dive the site and with your fragment's unique ID number be able to see the progress your contribution has made to rebuilding our reefs.

Duration: 1 Day / 6 hours (approx)