Coral identification workshops completed in Suva, Fiji

CICBP coral identification workshops preliminary results

The Coral Identification Capacity Building Programme (CICBP) in collaboration with the Fiji Locally Marine Managed Area (FLMMA) network, and the Institute of Applied Sciences (IAS) of the University of the South Pacific (USP), recently hosted a series Coral Identification Workshops at the School of Islands and Oceans, Marine Studies at USP.

Around 50 people were trained in the basics of Coral Identification using the newly published Indo Pacific Coral Finder – www.byoguides.com – a novel coral identification tool designed for use both underwater and topside. The workshops were conducted at a lab on the University of South Pacific using the University’s coral teaching and reference collections with underwater field sessions on reefs local to the Suva area.

The two USP based  workshops (beginner and intermediate) were very successful with participants improving their coral identification skills dramatically on day one and progressively throughout the workshop itself.

A third workshop held for the staff and associates of South Pacific Projects at Leleuvia Island in Kabuna Waters.  This workshop was predominately field based and combined with coral field surveys by expert tutors Dr Lyndon Devantier and Dr Emre Turak.  Preliminary analysis recorded over 300 species of hard coral from nine dives spread as a transect across the lagoon environments to the outer barrier.

More posts to follow.

Russell Kelley