DAY 1 - TUESDAY 8TH OCTOBER

Introduction/Orientation

The introduction of the course took place in one of the classrooms at Crystal Dive. A lot of people showed up, mostly DMT's, some instructors, a sweet girl named Kate, and there was Oli and I. This course is lead by Nathan, and this time he is assisted by his 11 year old son Kailash. We are about to learn how to monitor and do a Reef Check survey. This means monitoring important living and non-living organisms together with human impact on the environment. 

We talked about corals; their structure, how they developed, what they eat, what they look like, and where to find them. We went for a walk down to the beach where we found pieces of coral washed up on shore by the tides. The fragments we found had been dead for a while, but we could still see their structure and their inner skeleton where the polyps lived. Corals are related to jellyfish and anemones. Way back in history the organism developed a way to attach itself to the bottom of the sea and further on they also got a symbiotic relationship with algae. Through evolution the jellyfish found new creative ways to catch food and today our coral reef structures have got the most amazing shapes and colours. 

Most of the discussions we had today concerned the importance of coral reefs, the threats we are facing, and why this reef check program in the long term is a powerful tool to help scientists collect real data on the current health status of our coral reefs world wide. 

Why care?

A couple of facts from the book we are reading during this course; The Guide for Education and Awareness - Coral Reef and Climate Change: 

"40% of the reefs are already lost or severely degraded. 500 million people rely on healthy reefs every day. Reduced coral growth as a result of ocean acidification will transform our reefs beyond recognition. If corals are stressed with a one to two degree temperature change they bleach. Over 16000 plant and animal species are now threatened worldwide with extinction. Billions of people are at risk as a result of a changing climate. Without the ocean's influence all terrestrial live would cease".

Food for thought, that's for sure. Why investigate human impact on coral reefs? One of the answers is that those are the impacts that are preventable. If we act now we might have a chance to change the future. We have the knowledge and we have the technology. We all have to be more aware of our environment and how to sustain it. We are all part of the same ecosystem and without the ocean there would be no life. 

Here on Koh Tao there was a mass bleaching event in 2010 which wiped out large areas of the branching coral Acropora. Now in 2013 small parts of the reef have recovered, and most of what is left is classified as rock and rubble (dead corals covered with Coralline Crustose Algae). Luckily the Coralline algae functions as a kind of cement that binds the calcium carbonates (limestone), which are what the corals are made of, together. This is important to attract coral larvaes. It creates a solid base where new life can develop and flourish.

"Algae dominated reefs are likely to become more common. Healthy reefs are more resilient to climate change" (Coral Reef and Climate Change).

Reef Check Training Survey

In the afternoon it was time for our first training survey. Oli and I buddied up and went for our first "reef check look" out in the ocean. We went just outside Crystal Dive, more specifically to Mae Haad Reef. One slate and a pencil each, tanks full of air, and big smiles on our faces. Our task was to practice a survey along what is called a transect line. A hundred meter line is placed on the sea floor and the line is divided into four 20 meter sections with five meter intervals in between. All along the line each 50 cm is marked with a tag. These tags make it easier to follow the line and collect the right information within the right sections. Our job is to monitor the life along the line, which includes counting the fish and invertebrates within a 5 meter radius; five meters up and two and a half meters on either side. We did a shallow training survey at 5.5 meters. Normally you do a shallow (2-6 mt) and a deep (6-12 mt) survey. It took us about one hour to finish.

Overwhelming, that was my experience. You have to go real slow, watch your buoyancy, and you look under each rock, inside every crack and crevasse. I was monitoring the invertebrates and Oli was doing the fish. I have to be honest and say that I have never before had the time to study the sea bed that closely. Even Oli being  a much more experienced diver said that diving that slow really showed how much fish you normally miss. It clarified that you definitely see many more details and become more aware of animal behaviour and how the whole system is bound together. Some invertebrates are only to be found in the sand whilst others live on rocks or corals. 

DAY 2 - WEDNESDAY 9TH OCTOBER
Further ID & Survey Technique Development

Today we did another classroom session followed by a training survey out on Mae Haad Reef in the afternoon. Identifying families of fish, corals and the different substrate categories was on our menu. We also had a look at coral deceases. The discussions concerned each organism or animal's role or place within the ecosystem. They all have their part to play, and one cannot live without the other. Oli had a reversed block on his previous dive so unfortunately he couldn't join us on this survey. Sun was finally shining bright after days of clouds and rain. We got all our dive gear onto the classic Thai longtail boat, and we headed out to explore the reef once more. 

On the longtail there was Kate, Kailash, Nathan and me. A small team, a calm sea, and no currents created a very peaceful atmosphere. Again I felt very excited, the slates in our hands and our new "scientist eyes" wide open at the ready. It is almost like diving for the first time again when you got a mission to accomplish. The goal today was to get a little bit more familiar with the distinctive fish and invertebrates that we got on our slates. Yesterday the word was chaos, today I could finally relax a bit more and enjoy what was going on around me. Along the transect line I spotted loads of sea cucumbers, some rubbish, anchor damage, some bleached coral colonies, too many Drupella snails, red breasted wrasses, sea urchins, parrotfish and butterflyfish. Kailash found a blue spotted stingray and I found a masked porcupine fish. A very good day, the load of information finally start to sink in. 

DAY 3 - THURSDAY 10TH OCTOBER
Full Reef Check Survey

This morning we did our Reef Check Identification test. It consisted of hundreds of pictures of fish, invertebrates and substrates. We all did surprisingly good, and we all passed. The ones we got wrong was a good indicator for what we have to focus more on in the future. In the afternoon we went out diving. Kate got a cold and therefore she could not join us on this first proper survey. Again we were a small team, everyone in a good mood, heading north on the island to Mango Bay. Today there was Nathan, Oli and I joined by Suki who came along to finish her Reef Check course. 

Surveying Mango Bay

We split up in two buddy teams sharing roles, meaning Oli and I were looking on either side of the line. We monitored the fish, whilst Nathan and Suki did the invertebrates. One of the most challenging tasks for today was to keep track of the fish passing the line. At one point there was a massive school of rabbitfish and parrotfish crossing over section two. A school of nearly forty moving fish is not exactly easy to count. Also if the fish are registered on one side of the line you cannot count it again on the other. Communication between you and your buddy is the key. Sometimes if you have less people doing the survey each member will record their own topic; either fish, invertebrates or substrates. 

After finishing the four sections of fish we also got to try the plum line to collect data on substrates for each 50 cm tag along the line. The technic is quite simple; you drop the plum line (a weighted line) against the transect line at each 50 cm tag. You record the first substrate the weight hits. It could be rock, rubble, sponge, hard coral, soft coral, sand, recently killed coral, nutrient indicator algae (NIA) or 'other'. I found this monitoring method a lot of fun. As our tanks became lighter and lighter, this one tested our buoyancy the most. 

Registering our data

After we came back from the dive we collected all our information to fill in the Reef Check Registration forms on the computer. Here on Koh Tao we also have a Ecological Monitoring Program made by Marine Conservation Koh Tao where some indicator species are added to the standard global survey method. The reason why we also do a local survey is that we want to keep track of certain important marine life typical for this area. The filled in forms were then sent to a marine scientist in Bangkok. Long term monitoring like this will provide a synoptic view of the health of the world's reefs. What we all know is that governments and politicians want real facts and statistics on the table. They won't make big changes based on word of mouth or assumptions. This is where we can help out and make a change.

DAY 4 - FRIDAY 11TH OCTOBER 

Last day of the course. After a bit of classroom theory, Oli, Nathan and I went out for the last shallow reef check survey on Mae Haad Reef. Fish, invertebrates and substrates. Finally a feeling of understanding. I saw my first Bearded Scorpionfish on this dive, and of course she was added to the survey. Afterwards we collected all our data and filled in the registration forms. It has been such an interesting week. I have learned so much more about the fish I normally see on every single dive here around this little island. The boulders and rocks now boom with life. Even the sand has got a different character. 

I knew this course would open my eyes to a lot of different things, but it's like we have come closer in a way, me and the sea. I have become more familiar with the ecosystems surrounding Koh Tao. Being able to realise variations gives us a broader perspective. Taking photos to document what we see also helps with the training. This sort of training won't make you a coral disease specialist but it will definitely give you an idea for what you are looking for and which questions to ask. 

Project AWARE Speciality Course

I now know how to perform a reef check. Learnt to identify indicator fish and invertebrate species as well as substrate types, gained experience working with equipment underwater and also practiced my buoyancy and navigation skills. I am now qualified to assist Ecological Monitoring Programs here on Koh Tao and I can take this knowledge to other areas of the world. I recommend all divers and snorkelers from all corners of the globe to take this course. Experienced or inexperienced. You can never learn enough about the big blue. It is a great challenge and I can assure you there are so many things still to be discovered down there. For more information about this course check out Eco Koh Tao's website.

I am truly grateful for taking part of this experience. Nathan has been a great inspiration. Soon I will update with notes from my next mission as an eco intern at Crystal Dive; the Marine Resource Management Course. Stay tuned and dive against debris. Love & Light Kris