July 25th, 2009
Reef Check – California
Stretching over 1,000 miles, California’s coastline is the gateway to a unique and often under-appreciated marine ecosystem. Offshore, just below the surface, kelp forests and rocky reefs play home to a vast array of marine life supporting a diverse array of consumptive and non-consumptive human uses. Unfortunately, similar to reefs around the world, the rapid growth of California’s population, coastal development, pollution, and overfishing have placed increasing demands on our nearshore resources. Many organisms that were previously common in high numbers, like abalone, are now almost gone.
Reef Check California aims to build a network of informed and involved citizens who support the sustainable use and conservation of our nearshore marine resources. To accomplish this, volunteers will be trained to carry out surveys of nearshore reefs providing data on the status of key indicator species.
Maldives is a garland- shaped chain of 26 atolls stretching 750 kilometres across the equator, in the Indian Ocean, southwest of India. The atolls girdle over 1190 emerald islands, most of them uninhabited, and countless reefs and shallows to form a complete echo system that acts as a magnet for a cornucopia of colourful marine life ranging from blooming corals to big pelagics. Perhaps nowhere else is fish life as rich as here. Encounters with large and small fish and schooling fish in the thousands are common experiences on the varied dive sites. The water temperature is almost uniform year-round, ranging from 83°F to 85°F (28°C to 29°C).
Maldives is a year-round dive destination with two distinct seasons, defined by the direction of the prevailing winds: the southwest lasting May to October and the northeast lasting December to April. November and April, by and large, are inter-season months with shifting winds. The southwest season is characterized by days of sunny weather, punctuated with short spells of rain and occasionally gusting winds. The northeast season is much drier. After a brief spell of gusting winds the weather subsides to calmer seas and clear blue skies. Visibility, which depends on current and sea conditions, in some dives is 100 foot plus while on others it ranges 80 to 60 foot. Again, this holds true for both seasons. The fish life is fabulous regardless of the season. The coincidence of the winter in the northern hemisphere, however, makes the northeast season the busiest months in a tropical island paradise that is the dream of many tourists from colder climes.
Divers aboard the 85 foot motor yacht 
Did you ever dream of becoming a marine biologist or do you just love snorkeling? The Reef Check EcoDiver program allows anyone with an interest in the ocean — from kids to adults – to learn more about tropical coral reefs. Reef Check combines education with action to give volunteers a unique experience while taking an active role in conserving the world’s reefs. The EcoDiver program allows participants the rare opportunity to work with teams of scientists throughout the world to combat the crises affecting our reefs today. The world’s reefs are changing fast, and it is up to us to ensure that reefs are around for future generations.
Using the globally standardized scientific protocol, the 
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