Who we are
The New Heaven Reef Conservation Program (NHRCP) has grown to become one of the highest quality and most respected marine conservation programs in Thailand, and the world. Started in 2007, the program has become the leader in marine resource management for the island of Koh Tao, and a hub of hands-on scientific training in research, restoration, and protection of coral reefs. The program offers all available Conservation Diver Courses, plus works along side the Thailand Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and the Thai Department of Fisheries. No matter your diving level, you can go and get involved in their activities, they even have a sea turtle nursery for non-divers to enjoy. With over 1,500 students trained, you can guarantee you will get the best of what marine conservation is all about.
Our Mission
Our mission at the New Heaven Reef Conservation Program has been to preserve, protect and restore the beautiful coral reef ecosystems around the island of Koh Tao, raising awareness and educating both tourists and locals about marine conservation and the plight of our planet’s most biodiverse and fragile spaces. As the marine conservation leader in Thailand, we also hope to transfer our knowledge and experience to the next generation of conservation divers.
What we offer
The NHRCP is able to offer all Conservation Diver Courses, with courses ranging from 1 day through to 4 weeks and internships of 8-12 weeks. We can customize training programs to fit the goals of groups and school trips that wish to travel to our location in Thailand. .
We offer most of the conservation diver courses, which you can find out more about on our course schedule page.
Our Courses
Week 1 – Ecological monitoring surveys
The first week of the course is spent learning about the ecosystem, and learning how to monitor the reef and understand its unique interactions and workings through our Ecological Monitoring Program. You will learn about everything from invertebrates through to the compromised health states of corals and even learn how to identify 23 different genera of corals.
Lectures include:
- Identification and assessment of Reef Invertebrates
- Identification and assessment of Reef Fish
- Identification and assessment of Reef Substrate s
- Coral Taxonomy and Identification
- Coral Disease/Compromised Health Surveys
One week course includes: 2 Conservation Diver Certifications
Week 2- Restoration Week
In week 2 you will learn about coral restoration, artificial reefs and the considerations for building and installing them, mineral accretion devices and how an electric current is doing great things for corals, a chance to practice the survey techniques from the first week and an opportunity to do some hands on design and build work
Lectures include:
- Coral Nursery Theory and Techniques
- Artificial Reef Theory and Techniques
- Mineral Accretion Devices Basics and Techniques
- Interactive Coral Taxonomy
- Giant Clam Nurseries and Population Studies
Two week course includes: 3 Conservation Diver Certifications & Ecological Program Monitoring Manual
Week 3 – Marine life Week
You will learn about different marine species and how they are important to the marine ecosystems, as well as learn about coral predators and the work we do to remove them from our oceans. You will round off the week with advanced coral taxonomy.
Lectures include:
- Coral Predator Population Monitoring and Management
- Shark Ecology and Population Studies
- Sea Turtle Ecology and Identification
- Seahorse Ecology and Monitoring
- Advanced Coral Taxonomy
Three week course includes: 4 additional Conservation Diver Certifications + the Ecological Monitoring Program Manual + our photosurvey card
Week 4 – Advanced Week
You will learn more in depth surveys techniques, learn how to set up and maintain mooring lines, and round off the course learning about some more marine species.
Lectures include:
- Advanced EMP
- Mooring Line Maintenance and Installation
- Plastics and Marine Debris
- Sea Slug Ecology and Identification
- Cephalopod Ecology
Four week course includes: 4 Conservation Diver Certifications
Internships
Ranging from 8-12 weeks, our internships cover everything from the 4 week course as well as allowing the intern to gain more experience with survey techniques and data collection. This course also provides an opportunity to work on projects and work as an assistant instructor. This option is great for anyone wishing to work on dissertation or thesis work.
12 weeks not enough? No problem there is also the option to extend once you have completed the first 4 weeks of the course and we are happy with your performance.
Internships include: Tshirt, Ecological Monitoring Program Manual, wristband, Conservation Diver Crew Pack
Daily schedule
Our week runs Mon-Fri with weekends free for any other activities, such as beach cleans, land clean ups or to allow students the time to explore the island itself. During the week we start our mornings at 9am when we prepare the gear for the day and at 9.30 we sit down for a lecture. For the most part the lecture will cover the topic of the day, but there are a few that do not have dives associated with them but are given to provide a better understanding and provide background knowledge. The lecture usually takes around 2 hours we have a short break before we head out for our dive. The dive itself is usually longer than a typical recreational dive and in some cases can be as long as 2 hours depending on depth and air consumption. After the dive we head back to the shop, debrief and go over anything that comes up during the day.
When to visit
Thailand is currently open but there are some rules and regulations in place to prevent the spread of Covid19. If you are looking at joining us for a course in 2021 please contact kirsty@conservationdiver.com to discuss availability.
2020/2021 Course Schedule
Note: the course start dates are set based upon entry dive level, as non-divers and Open-water certified divers will first have ti complete the required diver certification courses before beginning the conservation program.
| Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | |
| Non-diver | 14th | 11th | 8th | 8th | 5th | 3rd | 28th | 26th | 23rd | 20th |
| Open Water Diver | 17th | 14th | 11th | 11th | 8th | 6th | 1st July | 29th | 26th | 23rd |
| Advanced Diver | 21st | 18th | 15th | 15th | 12th | 10th | 5th July | 2nd Aug | 30th | 27th |
| Course end date | 15 jan | 12 Feb | 12 Mar | 9 Apr | 7 May | 28 May | 30 July | 27 Aug | 24 Sep | 15 Oct |
Book a Course
If you are interested in receiving more information about the programs on offer at the NHRCP please contact us at conservation-team@newheavendiveschool.com or Kirsty@conservationdiver.com