Congratulations to the May 2013 REEF class, you are now successfully REEF trained and can start diving and collecting data that will help conserve our oceans!

The next REEF ID class is Wed, June 19.

Send us an email here to sign up.

Reef Monitoring Project

So many divers see something while underwater and ask each other “Did you see that?” or “What do you think that was?” To help educate divers about our local marine life, the San Diego Oceans Foundation has teamed up with REEF(Reef Environmental Education Foundation). By serving as a REEF Field Station, SDOF trains local divers and snorkelers in the identification of a variety of fish and invertebrate species that call Southern California ‘home’.

The search begins as soon as the diver or snorkeler enters the water. And the goal? To find as many species as possible! At the end of each dive/snorkeling event, volunteers submit a survey with each species found, along with their relative abundance [Single (1), Few (2-10), Many (11-100), Abundant (>100) or ‘Present’]. The information you gain is then entered into a publicly accessible database on www.reef.org. Here, data can be used by the general public, fisheries management agencies and may even help in maintaining Marine Protected Areas in Southern California.

Information gathered through this program not only contributes to an international database used by scientists and government agencies, but also helps divers better understand their underwater world as well as find great dive spots with lots of life!

 

Volunteering

Dive with a purpose!
The Reef Monitoring Project gives you a chance to get involved in local conservation efforts by studying and reporting marine life off San Diego’s coast! By taking our training courses and becoming a ‘citizen scientist’, you will be contributing to the data collection required for fisheries management, the implementation of Marine Protected Areas and much more!

Just imagine YOUR survey helping to protect the ocean you love!!!

• Surveys are completed on YOUR schedule. We reward our top surveyors with prizes like free boat dives and air fills each quarter…so get out there and get started!

 

Training

In order to participate in our program, you must have completed a minimum of 20 dives.

1. The first step in becoming a ‘Reefer’ is to complete our Volunteer Application.
2. Then register for FREE at Reef.org
3. Then, send us an email here to sign up to attend one of our fish or invertebrate training courses, where we will show you how to conduct an underwater survey as well as identify many of the marine species commonly seen in Southern California. Come, check out the marine diversity that the tourists travel from miles around to see!

Upcoming Classes:

Wed, Jun 19, 2013 at 6PM – Invertebrate/Algae ID

Wed, Jul 17, 2013 at 6PM – Fish ID

Wed, Aug 21, 2013 at 6PM – Invertebrate/Algae ID

Wed, Sep 18, 2013 at 6PM – Fish ID

Wed, Oct 16, 2013 at 6PM – Invertebrate/Algae ID

Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 6PM – Fish ID

Wed, Dec 18, 2013 at 6PM – Invertebrate/Algae ID

All classes take place at:

Ocean Enterprises

7710 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA
(858)565-6054

Underwater identification may seem a little intimidating at first, but we’re here to help! Send us an email to sign up.

SDOF Dive Waiver
SDOF Snorkeling Waiver

Great Annual Fish Count

The Great Annual Fish Count (GAFC) serves to raise awareness about marine conservation efforts, introduce new volunteers to the program and give existing volunteers a chance to meet others and refine their skills.

Out of the area or can’t attend our event? Do more by surveying on your own schedule!

Continuing Education

Learning never ends! On the last Wednesday of every month, SDOF hosts a continuing education event called ‘AquaTalk’. These events include exciting lectures by local scientists, talks from professional conservationists, exhibits by renowned photographers and behind the scenes tours of local marine facilities and collections. Please check out our Calendar of Events for more information.

Reef Monitoring Project Partners

	Reef Environmental Education Foundation, also known as REEF, is a grass-roots organization that seeks to conserve marine ecosystems by educating, enlisting and enabling divers and other marine enthusiasts to become active ocean stewards and citizen scientists. SDOF is San Diego’s official REEF Field Station and is responsible for training local divers and snorkelers on our local marine ecology as well as proper survey methods.
	Horizon Charters is made up of divers, photographers and marine naturalists that have years of experience in local waters. All of their crew members have extensive dive safety training including Paramedic and EMT certifications. Marissa Dive Charters generously donates local boat tickets to our top Reef Monitoring Volunteers every quarter as well as for the Great Annual Fish Count event every July.
	Ocean Enterprises provides the use of their classrooms for our monthly training sessions as well as a variety of donations for REEF events.