Reefcheck Class Report - 12-13 May 07

Reefcheck Class Report- 12-13 May 07
Monterey CA

Day 1
This weekend I had a chance to spend some quality time with a real marine biologist... The class was a blast... with divers getting together with pretty much one goal... To learn a bit more about our local waters and be able to give back a little to the community

The class was held in the Monterey Bay Aquarium... No trip to Monterey is complete without visiting this jewel... The exhibits are outstanding and very well put together.


We gathered in a back classroom and got to work. We talked about the goals of Reefcheck and the science behind the program. The bottom line is we must gather data... if we don't know what's happening with our reefs we cannot do anything to help them....Are they healthy... are they hurting? Without the data there isn't much we can do...

Okey back to the report. The classroom was very nice... tucked in the back of the aquarium with a gorgeous view of Hopkins Marine lab... The bright sun and clear water was very distracting and it took alot to sit there and not stare out toward the water

Lecture went fast and after a quick lunch at Fish Mongers we went back and got some new toys to play with.

Don checking out survey tape


Then it was into the part I dreaded the most... Fish ID...

Mostly when I dive I see the fishies and can tell a rock fish from the others (perch, ling ect) but now trying to tell a Blue from a Black?)... That's why we have a Marine Biologist teaching us.

Oh and another thing that's great about having the Aquarium host this is that your classroom field trips rock!

Day 2
Morning came all too soon and we were off to the pool at CSUMB...








The pool was an interesting exercise in how to judge size and maintain formation... Task loading is also an issue that became apparent..

The stunning 100 ft vis and warm water were welcome and it was fun just goofing around in there...

I had brought my 3 mil... haven't used it since my last warm water vacation and obviously it had shrunk a little bit :lol:

Due to a stroke of luck and an early release for lunch Turtle Bay was not yet open (thank God) and we ended up at the French Bakery...
We had a last minute cramming session before getting back from lunch



Then back to the classroom for more lecture on Algae, bottom composition and other surveys...then it was game on with the final exam...



Boy talk about pressure... All the while the Jeopardy them is playing in my head as I try to ID the fishies... a bit harder than I expected... I can now tell the difference between a Blue and a Black... I just have to have them stand still for about 10 secs while I run it thru my head...


Overall I was really glad to have taken the class and better yet after the boat checkout dives next week have a chance to give back... to be able to look at the reef and know who's who...

I was wondering if you were in that class. I almost poked my head in Saturday.

You should have... I'll give you a heads up next time I'm down... which reminds me I'll see who's up for a big brother dive...

Reef Check sounds like a wonderful program to get involved in. I know Claudette has found it so.

I learned a lot from my visit to the Monterey Aquarium, even without a class. It really is a fantastic place.

Ben, you do the best reports . . .

TSandM:

Reef Check sounds like a wonderful program to get involved in. I know Claudette has found it so.

I learned a lot from my visit to the Monterey Aquarium, even without a class. It really is a fantastic place.

Ben, you do the best reports . . .

Click to expand...

I am unworthy of your praise... You have the best write ups... I just try to cover up my poor language skills with distracting photos

I do need to get Joe to do the captions he's the best at that.

I do need to get Joe to do the captions he's the best at that.

Click to expand...

Agreed. I'm still disappointed that we didn't get a road show for our Rec 2 class

TSandM:

Reef Check sounds like a wonderful program to get involved in. I know Claudette has found it so.

I learned a lot from my visit to the Monterey Aquarium, even without a class. It really is a fantastic place.

Ben, you do the best reports . . .

Click to expand...

Yes, it does sound cool.
Sadly, I am limited to

"Fish" "Rock" "Shar" "2 fish" "3 fish" -- heck, how many rocks was that again?

"Hey, is that a nice rusty old wreck over there -- forget the darned fish"

I actually went out to Mcabee today and did a reef check dive with a friend from work. Well, he did the reef checking and I tried out my new (used) drysuit. The good news is I got to go diving. The bad news is, it looks like my DS has a leak. After trying it in the pool, I thought I didn't have the neoprene neck seal seated right. Now I think it might be the inflate valve--hopefully its just a pinched o-ring and not something more serious.

Wonderful report, Ben!

I'm hearing your sense of good-humored overload and iI'm completely empathizing! As if all the normal stuff of diving well weren't enough, now you have to simultaneously:

• navigate,
• lay a measuring tape under controlled tension,
• ID fish AND estimate their size
• AND make sure you're only looking at fishies in the 2X2X2meter sampling box,
• look under rocks and in crevices for more indicator fish
• track elapsed time,
• find the correct spot on your slate to record the number of fish of each species you've ID'd and sized...
• and... oh yeah, track you buddy
• and your air
• and depth...

Then reel up the line, and do it all over again.

At least you won't have a scooter to manage at the same time. :no
And you get to do all this with your mask on and not sharing air.

Like everything else, it gets easier with practice.
The knowledge that the instructors won't check you off until you actually Do It Right... well, there's what makes it real.

Once again, this is a certification you can't buy. You have to demonstrate proficiency.

And then comes the real payoff : Your data will be scientifically valid, as recognized by the California Department of Fish and Game.
You data will be looked at by many involved agencies and interested parties for years to come. Trends may be found. Evaluations will be made. Decisions will be guided by what all of us record over the years to come.

Your data will be usable data for all interested parties who are invested in the state of California Marine Rocky reefs.

Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm in this new endeavor.

ReefCheck will forever change the way you see the reefs while you're diving.

Excellent report! Thanks, and good luck with the field training next weekend.
I can't wait to hear about it.

Claudette