[Coral-List] Coral restoration training opportunities in Fiji

[Victor Bonito]

The Coral Coast Conservation Center in conjunctionwith Reef Explorer Fiji is offering training opportunities from May - September2019 for students, recent graduates, and others interested in building theirskills, knowledge, and experience with coral restoration. 

 Our coral restoration program is based along Fiji’sbeautiful Coral Coast area and aims to enhance reef ecosystem function byrestoring coral populations while building coral community resilience anddiversity. Currently, we maintain five nursery sites where we generate ~7000new coral colonies per year. On-going since 2005, the program is part of alarger community-based coral reef management effort being undertaken inconjunction with traditional fishing rights owners to address the threatsfacing local reefs. 

 Participants will have the opportunity to learn moreabout coral reefs, coral restoration strategies and techniques, as well ascommunity-based marine conservation efforts in Fiji while working alongside ourFijian team to:

·        Outplant our nursery-reared corals atrestoration sites,

·        Reattach wild coral colonies and large fragmentsfound detached from the reef,

·        Restock our nurseries with newly propagate coralcolonies, and

·        Conduct maintenance on our coral nurseries and coralpredator control at our restoration sites.

 No prior experience is required, but participants mustbe aged 18 or older, comfortable swimmers, and excited about spending severalhours a day in the water working on the project. All water-based activitieswill be conducted at snorkeling depths in the sheltered lagoon - we will not beusing SCUBA gear during this program. Participants may be assigned additionaltasks to support our marine conservation activities based on their background,skills, and abilities. Project activities run from Monday to Friday with,weather permitting, roughly three to a maximum of four hours in the water. Weekendsoffer free time to explore the beautiful surrounding area or simply relax and soak in the local culture and naturalbeauty of the surroundings.

Participants will be accommodated at our comfortable beach-sidefield station where they will have access to kitchen and laundry facilities,wireless internet, as well as use of our kayaks. With two bedrooms at our fieldstation, we normally only accommodate two volunteers at a time, however we cancater to a maximum of three if two friends are willing to share a room with a bunkbed.

Cost: FJ$1400/week or FJ$2500 for two weeks. Discountsgiven for participants a) coming for three or more weeks, b) sharing a bedroomwith a bunk bed, or c) that have alternative accommodations.

Cost includes: 1) Accommodations at our field station(own bedroom) and use of shared bathroom, kitchen and laundry facilities, 2)wireless internet access (up to 2GB/day), 3) all tools, snorkeling gear, andmaterials for our project activities, 4) transportation with our team to/fromour field  work sites, and 5) logisticalsupport and all related training for restoration activities. All fees collectedare used to support our coral restoration program and other marine conservationinitiatives.

To apply, please send a brief CV along with a short (~one page) letter of intent outlining 1) your motivation, interest, andexpectations, 2) prior work or travel, or any skills/experience, that may berelevant, 3) challenges you might face and how you expect to adapt and adjust,and 4) the dates that you are interested to participate (fixed or flexible) toReef Explorer's Director, Victor Bonito at staghorncoral at hotmail.com. Allquestions or enquiries about the volunteering opportunity can be directedsimilarly.

The Coral Coast Conservation Center (CCCC) is a charitabletrust established in Fiji to promotethe management, conservation and sustainable development of Fiji’s naturalresources through integrated research, education, and capacity buildinginitiatives. CCCC operates with the support ofReef Explorers Fiji Ltd, a research and development company established tosupport community-based resource management, sustainable community development,and the conservation and sustainable use of Fijian marine resources.



Below I've also pasted some linksto further information about our community-based coral restoration program:

http://www.reefresilience.org/case-studies/fiji-ecological-restoration/

http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/elist/eListRead/it_takes_a_village/

https://mission-blue.org/2016/08/coral-reef-recovery-in-fiji/

https://mission-blue.org/2015/12/restoring-coral-gardens-in-fiji/

Kind regards,
Victor Bonito 
Director, Reef Explorer Fiji

Box 183, Korolevu, Fiji Islands

(679) 937-8939 / 653-0093



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committed citizens can change the world; 
indeed it's the only thing that ever has."

-Margaret Mead