Reef Check
Encyclopedia
Reef Check is an international non-governmental organization
dedicated to the conservation of two reef ecosystems: tropical coral reef
s and California
n rocky reefs. The Foundation is headquartered in Los Angeles
, California
, United States
, but uses data
from volunteer scuba diver teams in over 80 countries, ranging from Australia
, Japan
, to even Germany
. It is the United Nations
’ official coral reef monitoring program.
, pollution
and other human
impacts. The published results in 1999 unsettled the coral biologist community, as the extent of impacts were not realized.
"The Global Coral Reef Crisis: Trends and Solutions (1997-2001)", a five-year report on coral reefs, was released in 2002 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg
, South Africa
. The report used data collected by thousands of volunteers worldwide, and was the first scientific document detailing the decline in coral reef health over a five year period.
In 2005, Reef Check launched its first temperate
reef program in California.
In 2006, Reef Check conducted 746 reef surveys, ranging from Indo-Pacific
areas, the Red Sea
and Caribbean Sea
.
In 2008, in a presentation made at the International Coral Reef Symposium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Reef Check Executive Director Gregor Hodgson announced that coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region have largely recovered from the devastating bleaching event that killed up to 90% of corals on some reefs in 1998. He reported that 10 years later, recovery has occurred more quickly and more completely than expected. Caribbean reefs, however, are losing about 3% living coral every four years due to a combination of human impacts.
Reef Check's goals are:
invertebrates (benthos
), along a 100 metres (328.1 ft) transect
line.
Four spatial replicate
s (spanning 20 m (65.6 ft)) are studied with three 5 m (16.4 ft) gaps between. The survey is sub-divided to allow paired divers to separately observe substrate
, photograph
macroinvertebrates and impacts, record video, and count fishes. A site-specific description is also documented.
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
dedicated to the conservation of two reef ecosystems: tropical coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
s and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n rocky reefs. The Foundation is headquartered in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but uses data
Data
The term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...
from volunteer scuba diver teams in over 80 countries, ranging from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, to even Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
’ official coral reef monitoring program.
History
Reef Check first conducted a global survey of coral reef health in 1997. The data confirmed that coral reefs were in crisis due to overfishingOverfishing
Overfishing occurs when fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level. This can occur in any body of water from a pond to the oceans....
, pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
and other human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
impacts. The published results in 1999 unsettled the coral biologist community, as the extent of impacts were not realized.
"The Global Coral Reef Crisis: Trends and Solutions (1997-2001)", a five-year report on coral reefs, was released in 2002 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The report used data collected by thousands of volunteers worldwide, and was the first scientific document detailing the decline in coral reef health over a five year period.
In 2005, Reef Check launched its first temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
reef program in California.
In 2006, Reef Check conducted 746 reef surveys, ranging from Indo-Pacific
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...
areas, the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
and Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
.
In 2008, in a presentation made at the International Coral Reef Symposium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Reef Check Executive Director Gregor Hodgson announced that coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region have largely recovered from the devastating bleaching event that killed up to 90% of corals on some reefs in 1998. He reported that 10 years later, recovery has occurred more quickly and more completely than expected. Caribbean reefs, however, are losing about 3% living coral every four years due to a combination of human impacts.
Mission and goals
Reef Check endeavors to create partnerships among communities, government agencies, businesses, universities and other non-profits. Reef Check's mission is "to protect and rehabilitate reefs worldwide".Reef Check's goals are:
- to educate the public about the value of reef ecosystems and the current crisis affecting marine life
- to create a global network of volunteer teams trained in Reef Check's scientific methods who regularly monitor and report on reef health
- to facilitate collaboration that produces ecologically sound and economically sustainable solutions
- to stimulate local community action to protect remaining pristine reefs and rehabilitate damaged reefs worldwide
Monitoring methods
Reef Check volunteer divers are trained to study a designated site annually or sometimes quarterly. Underwater surveyors focus chiefly on sessileSessility (zoology)
In zoology, sessility is a characteristic of animals which are not able to move about. They are usually permanently attached to a solid substrate of some kind, such as a part of a plant or dead tree trunk, a rock, or the hull of a ship in the case of barnacles. Corals lay down their own...
invertebrates (benthos
Benthos
Benthos is the community of organisms which live on, in, or near the seabed, also known as the benthic zone. This community lives in or near marine sedimentary environments, from tidal pools along the foreshore, out to the continental shelf, and then down to the abyssal depths.Many organisms...
), along a 100 metres (328.1 ft) transect
Transect
A transect is a path along which one records and counts occurrences of the phenomena of study .It requires an observer to move along a fixed path and to count occurrences along the path and, at the same time, obtain the distance of the object from the path...
line.
Four spatial replicate
Replicate
Replicate may refer to:* In biology, replication is a process by which genetic material, a cell, or an organism reproduces or makes an exact copy or copies...
s (spanning 20 m (65.6 ft)) are studied with three 5 m (16.4 ft) gaps between. The survey is sub-divided to allow paired divers to separately observe substrate
Substrate (marine biology)
Stream substrate is the material that rests at the bottom of a stream. There are several classification guides. One is:*Mud – silt and clay.*Sand – Particles between 0.06 and 2 mm in diameter.*Granule – Between 2 and 4 mm in diameter....
, photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
macroinvertebrates and impacts, record video, and count fishes. A site-specific description is also documented.
Programs
Reef Check carries out its work through three major programs:- EcoAction Program – an education and certification program for kids and adults who want to learn more about the oceanOceanAn ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
and take part in protecting reef ecosystems. - Coral Reef Management Program – a coral reef monitoring and management system that focuses on establishing Marine Protected Areas to conserve coral reefs while encouraging sustainable use of surrounding reefs by local residents.
- Reef Check California – a volunteer monitoring program for California rocky reefs designed to provide data for managers and to build a conservation constituency among California divers.
Organizations
- Project AWAREProject AWAREProject AWARE is a non-profit, worldwide, organization dedicated to "Conserving underwater environments through education, advocacy and action."...
- United Nations Commission on Sustainable DevelopmentCommission on Sustainable DevelopmentThe United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development was established in December 1992 by General Assembly Resolution as a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council, implementing a recommendation in of Agenda 21, the landmark global agreement reached at the June 1992 United...
(UNCSD) - Coral Reef AllianceCoral Reef AllianceThe Coral Reef Alliance is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California, that partners with local reef communities around the world to protect coral reefs...
(CORAL) - Rubicon FoundationRubicon FoundationRubicon Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization devoted to contributing to the interdependent dynamic between research, exploration, science and education. The foundation, started in 2002, is located in Durham, North Carolina and is primarily supported by donations and grants. Funding has...
Further reading
- Joyce, K.E., Phinn, SR, Roelfsema, CM, Neil, DT and WC Dennison. 2004. Combining Landsat ETM plus and Reef Check classifications for mapping coral reefs: A critical assessment from the southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Journal of Coral Reefs. Vol 23, Issue 1. pp 21–25. Springer Publ, New York, NY.
External links
- Official Website
- Reef Check Australia (Australian counterpart)
- Reef Check Dominican Republic (Dominican Republic counterpart)
- Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN)
- International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI)
- Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF)
- International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN)