[Coral-List] Indonesia 2016: 5th course on hard corals identification and coral reefs monitoring approaches

[Massimo Ponti]

5th course on hard corals identification and coral reefs monitoring approaches

Bangka, north Sulawesi, Indonesia
10-17 October 2016

Reef Check Italia onlus and Coral Eye organise an 
international field course on hard corals 
identification and coral reefs monitoring 
approaches opened to both marine biology students 
and diver volunteers from around the world.
The course, taught in English, aims to:
·       provide the basic knowledge for the 
identification of hard corals and their diseases
·       present an overview on the 
well-established coral reefs monitoring approaches
·       learn and apply different methods 
underwater, including Reef Check and Coral Watch protocols
·       contribute to the monitoring and 
conservation of the coral reefs at the Bangka outpost

Lectures and seminars will be alternated with day 
and night dives, as well as practical sessions in 
the lab. At the end of the course it is expected 
that the participants demonstrate what they 
learned and discuss the results achieved.

The number of participants is limited to 12. 
Although it is not required any scientific 
qualification, participants should be confident 
with the main groups of marine invertebrates and 
possibly have some experience in tropical dives. 
They should hold at least a 2nd level 
international dive certificate (allowing diving 
to 30 m depth), a minimum of documented 30 dives, 
a medical certificate allowing to dive (written 
in Italian, English or Bahasa Indonesia) and an 
international dive insurance (e.g. DAN).

Costs
Accommodation (8 days/7 night), meals and dives 
are offered by Coral Eye at the reduced price of € 650.00
Course fee, including teaching materials and Reef 
Check certificate, is € 150.00

The organization and the costs of travel to / 
from Manado are in charge to individual 
participants. Transfer between Manado and Bangka 
will be organised by Coral Eye according to 
Manado arrival/departure schedules communicated 
in advance by each participant. Longer stays in 
Bangka have to be booked to Coral Eye in advance 
at extra costs. Each participant must carry 
his/her own diving equipment, except scuba tanks 
and weights, provided on site. Drinks and 
excursions not scheduled have additional costs.

Fellowships
Reef check Italia onlus offers 3 grants to cover 
the costs of accommodation, meals and scheduled 
dives (€ 650.00) to the most deserving 
undergraduate students and young (<28 yrs.) 
graduate marine biologists on the basis of their 
CV, including diver qualifications and previous 
volunteer experiences. Grant applications must be 
submitted within the 16th of May 2016 by sending 
the application form (available at 
<file:///www.reefcheckitalia.it>www.reefcheckitalia.it), 
CV and copy of diving certificate to 
<mailto:postmaster at reefcheckitalia.it>postmaster at reefcheckitalia.it 
(PDF or JPG are welcome). Grant selection results 
will be communicated within the 1st of June 2016 
and acceptance has to be confirmed in a week.

Booking
Participants without grant will be selected in 
the order of application submission and they will 
be informed from 13rd of June. All participants 
should confirm their participation as soon as 
possible by paying a non-refundable deposit of € 
150.00 either by PayPal (to 
postmaster at reefcheckitalia.it) or by bank 
transfer (to Reef Check Italia onlus, IBAN: 
IT24F0605513319000000010004 BIC: BAMAIT3AXXX).
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Massimo Ponti, PhD
President of the Italian Association of Scientific Divers
Vice-President of the Reef Check Italy association

BiGeA - Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali
CIRSA - Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per le Scienze 
Ambientali in Ravenna
Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna
Via S. Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna (Italy)

Direct Phone +39 0544 937400
Reception +39 0544 937311
Fax +39 0544 937411
Mobile +39 347 4533513
Skype: massimo.ponti
http://www.ecology.unibo.it http://www.aioss.info/ 
http://www.mmmpa.eu http://www.reefcheckitalia.it/