Let's save the reef!

[Dive Bunnie]

Hi guys,

Well, it looks as though I am getting closer to my dream of doing some good for our reef.

I have approached a reef conservation project with the view of joining them for a few months in the new year.

I would love to hear from any of you guys who have been involved with projects such as these in the past. It would be great to have an insiders point of view, as well as hearing about the good that has been done over the years.

Share the good bits, the bad and even the ugly, (hopefully there aren't too many of the latter two!).

Anyone else interested in joining a project, add your names here, too, I have been researching a few ongoing projects one of which may be exactly what you are looking for. It would be fantastic to create our own network of caring divers.

Also any tips on fund-raising would be MUCH appreciated!!

Look forward to hearing some suggestions...

[waterbabe]

Respect DiveBunnie!!!
Is good 2 hear when people bother to do their bit. Read the stuff bout the dolphins too too sad for words
Let us know how the project goes. U doing a coral cay trip?
Don't no much bout fund raising- what bout a jumble sale and selling off all the stuff u won't be needing if u r living on a beach?

[Dive Bunnie]

Hello Waterbabe,

Thanks for the tips, I am doing just that, though not the church hall type of sale, I'm using the modern car boot sale… ie Ebay! My current total is around £14!!! Just a few more to go then!
No I'm not doing a Coral Cay trip. I have found a company who are currently involved in a project in Madagascar:
www.blueventures.org/
Whilst they are monitoring the reef, there is another project based nearby who are actually involved with reconstructing the reef:
www.reefdoctor.org/
Of course if you prefer to go down the long-established Coral Cay route, their site is as follows:
www.coralcay.org/

Let us know if you decide to get involved too, it'd be great to hear how it all goes.

[divadiva]

not sure if this post should be here or in the "promote a web-site" thread, but hey… here goes.

A good one to look at for those of us who actually give a ***t

www.shiftingbaselines.org/index_site.html

[Dive Bunnie]

Yeah it is all quite depressing news isn't it?

In some places we are doing the surveys a little late in the day now, so there are places where we will never know the true extent of damage we have done, just how much has happened since we started taking down the information.

It's a bit like examination grades isn't it? If everyone has a bad year, there will still be the same number of A passes, they will have just lowered the level required to reach that grade.

[DUCKnCOVER1]

Hi Dive Bunnie and everyone else.

In light of this last weekends events with the whale in the Thames I looked up the details of the rescue and came across this site

www.bdmlr.org.uk/pages/main.html

Its the British Divers Marine life rescue and they provide training for anyone with an interest in marine animal care divers and non divers alike and for £60 (cheaper than any dive course i know of) you can attend a one day marine mammal medic course which I believe could be invaluable not only to marine mammals in the UK but anywhere else in the world.

After living in Corfu on and off for many years and witnessing the growing number of Dolphins and Porpoises returning to the surrounding waters I don't think I know of anywhere on the island that would deal with an incident god forbid one should happen and I am sure there are many other places around the world that are in the same boat.

So if you are a diver thats really into conservation if PADI can get you do the underwater naturalist and project aware why not add this handy little course to your diving resume.

Right that was my daily rant out the way ha ha. Gonna book mine tomorrow for the 25th Feb in eastbourne

[Dive Bunnie]

Good move Duckn cover... hope the course goes well.

Really sad news to hear that the whale didn't make it in the end. How a novelty story can turn around and end up being a sorry tale.

[Beth Chapman]

Hi,
Again, maybe this should be on the 'Promote' section - but we have just launched a brand new Marine Megafauna Conservation Project in Mozambique. Quest has been running voluntary projects for nearly 10 years, but this is out first Marine project - working with our long term dive school partners in Tofu beach.

Dive Volunteers are needed to help build up a databse of information on the Whale Sharks, Manta Rays and other megafauna in the area, as well as carrying out general marine surveys, to assess what is actually in the bay so measures can be put in place to protect it. We're also going to be involved in community envrionmental education projects in the area, and of course allow time for some fun dives at the weekend, off the stunning Mozambique coastline. Check it out:
www.questoverseas.com and go to the 'Quest Underseas' tab on the left.