Coral Predators Monitoring & Management

The Coral Predators Monitoring and Management Course is designed to give students an introduction to the impacts of over-populations or outbreaks of coral predators such as the Crown of Thorns starfish and Drupella Snails. The course teaches students about the causes and effects of imbalances in the reef ecosystem, and gives them the knowledge and skills to monitor and assess coral predator populations. In addition to learning about ways to address the root of the problem, students will also learn how to safely and effectively manage populations of coral predators to increase reef resilience, decrease mortality following bleaching events, and be proactive in managing coral reef areas for future sustainability .

Prerequisites

  • Be 12 years of age or older
  • Be certified as an Advanced diver under a leading diving organization (PADI, SSI, RAID, etc) or an Open Water diver who has satisfactorily completed a buoyancy appraisal with a professional diver
  • Demonstrate proper diving ability at an advanced Level and be proficient in buoyancy and self-awareness
  • Be certified in our Ecological Monitoring Program

Standards

  • Understand the role coral predators play in the ecosystem
  • Understand current theory on population dynamics of coral predators in stressed reef ecosystems
  • Learn about the root causes of coral predator population outbreaks
  • Understand the life-history and reproductive strategies of organisms such as Drupella Snails and Crown of Thorns Starfish
  • Learn how to safely and effectively manage populations of coral predators
  • Practice assessing coral predator abundance and managing populations

Requirements

  • Attend the lecture on coral predators
  • Perform a coral predator population survey
  • If research suggests a local outbreak then perform a predator management and removal dive

Expected course time about 6 hours

Certification Card

Training Centers

Published Papers and reports Related to this course