| PADI Project AWARE Coral Reef Conservation - Coralwatch Survey AWARE - Aquatic World Awareness, Responsibility, and Education Diving That Counts!
Adventure Dive & Travel is a PADI Project Aware Foundation member and CoralWatch Operator. This partnership enables us to train divers in coral identification and proper coral reef survey methods. What is CoralWatch?
Why monitor reefs? Monitoring is most effective over months and even years. CoralWatch surveys provide a valuable and constantly updated database that is used to monitor coral reef health at sites all over the world. With divers and snorklers regularly visiting sites, scientists at the University of Queensland, Australia, will be able to use the data to help gain understanding of coral health and coral bleaching events. What happens to my results?
After the classroom session it's off to complete the two open water dives during one of our many Caribbean adventures. Non-divers may take the classroom portion and, if they desire, go snorkeling. After the dives we'll submit the data we gathered to CoralWatch in Australia. After completion of the course you'll receive the PADI Project AWARE Coral Conservation certification, but more important, you'll be certified to conduct your own CoralWatch surveys and continue to add to the worldwide database. Provided by Student
Additional Suggested Materials
Homework and Class Preparation Before the classroom session, in Reef Coral ID, read pages 6-12, 14-15, 22-25, 86-88, and 176-177. Bring all of your course materials to class.
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Human activity threatens the health of nearly 60 percent of the world's coral reefs. Add to that the estimated 20 percent of all coral reefs that are already dead and it's easy to see that coral reefs are in desperate need of attention if they are to survive for future generations. PADI's Project Aware Coral Reef Conservation course is a fun way to learn about the coral reef and identify the different types of coral animals and colonies. More important, you'll take an active part in helping to protect the world's coral reefs by learning how to conduct a CoralWatch survey on your own.
CoralWatch is a simple, non-invasive way for volunteer diver-researchers like you to assess and monitor coral reef health. The CoralWatch method uses a Coral Health Chart with a series of colors that volunteers match with actual coral color to determine different stages of coral decline or recovery. 
Once your data is submitted, a graph is produced representing the overall health of your monitored dive site. All submitted data is analyzed and made available online in a graphic format that makes it easy to see the overall health of the site.
