Reef Watch Monitoring Programs

Monitoring reefs with Reef Watch

Temperate reefs are highly productive and highly diverse (much more so than the more famous tropical reefs like the Great Barrier Reef), yet until quite recently, very little attention has been paid to them.

Reef Watch uses several different reef survey techniques to gather information about reef condition. Each method has a different focus so that overall we are able to obtain a comprehensive snapshot of what is going on. These methods can easily be mastered by non-scientifically trained divers, yet are robust enough to be used by experts (and they are!). Indeed all our methods have been developed and continually refined by a team of scientists and dive instructors.

For this reason Reef Watch is one of the few community monitoring programs that produces high quality, scientifically credible information on reef ecosystem health.

Reef Watch supports the collection of such data through its in-water training program (PADI continuing education courses), online tutorials and quizzes and its interactive database.

Subtidal reef monitoring

To learn more about our subtidal reef monitoring program, including training aids and methodology, Click here

Intertidal reef monitoring

Click here

Feral or In peril

Click here

Resources for reef monitoring

Link to monitoring tools