Reef Check Malaysia's First Graduates

Over the last week (7-9th March 2007), both Nathrah Johar Salim & Vignes Balasingam became Reef Check Malaysia's first graduates after successfully passing the Reef Check EcoDiver exams. To be recognised as a Reef Checker, all previous Marine Conservation Project volunteers will also need to sit for the EcoDiver exam. This is in line with Reef Check Malaysia's plight to keep the standards of Reef Checkers and the consistency of the Reef Check survey data.



The curiculum includes tutorial and exam sessions in the classroom as well as on the coral reefs. For those of you who have previously done the Reef Check training with Karenne Tun, Saras Kumar or Badrul, this course is no different. Reef Check has recently made some necessary changes to the indicator species as well as caterories for some species for the Malaysian region however everything is essentially the same.

The passing mark is pretty steep, a crazy 80%. The reason is obvious as Reef Check needs to ensure that those they qualify are proficient with the auditing method and familiar with the various organisms. There are two status levels upon completing the course. A Complete status means that you have completed the course but have not passed the exams. A Pass status means that you have completed the course AND passed the exams. You will need to pass in order to be recognised as a Reef Checker.

There is a partial pass as well. This happens when you for example pass the Invertibrate and Substrate tests but fail the Fish tests. This means you will be only authorised to do the Inverts & Substrate surveys but NOT the fish. All you will need to do then is to just sit for the Fish tests and score 80% or more. You will then be recognised as a full fledged Reef Checker.

But that's not all that's happened. Reef Check is now the United Nation's official reef monitoring authority. With this comes big grants from UNEP and other organisations. DEFRA is the principal funder for Reef Check Malaysia. And to top that, a whole list of ambassadors have joined the Reef Check cause. Personalities include Kelly Hu, Cameron Diaz and Jessica Alba. Leonardo DiCaprio is an Honourary Chairman of Reef Check. Yes folks, Reef Check is taking off big time.

Marine Conservation Project will be working with Reef Check Malaysia to organise:
1) Reef Check Training refresher course (for those of you who have previously done the Reef Check training)
2) Reef Check Training (for those of you who have never done the Reef Check training)

Please look out for more posts on the above trainings on this blog.