Sail Caribbean Divers continues to support the welfare of BVI ecosystems by participating annually in Reef Check. Reef Check was established in 1996 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of aquatic ecosystems. It is recognized as the United Nations official community based reef-monitoring program.
The Reef Check program works by volunteers laying transect lines at specific sites and surveying the indicator species on the site each year.
Earlier this month SCD staff and volunteers travelled to Norman Island to survey the dive site know as Spyglass Wall. Divers headed underwater to record, amongst other things, invertebrates, substrate types, fish, as well as instances of reef damage or disease.
The quantity, size and distribution of each indicator species were noted so that the information can be compared to previous years records. The data not only gives a snap shot of how the reef is doing currently but also provides a long-term overview of the site to help with future planning.
The final analysis of data collected on our survey is yet to come, but early indications suggest that while fish size and numbers are down parts of the actual reef that were damaged during the bleaching event several years ago are showing signs of re-growth. For more information on Reef Check visit: www.reefcheck.org
For more info about SCD’s participation in Reef Check read the BVI Beacons article at: http://www.bvibeacon.com/1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2001.
