Our Coral Reef Educator on the Water (CREW) program is still running and we have the privilege of having Jim Evans on board with us. Jim is from the Washington D.C. area and works for School Without Walls; a high
One of our survey methods that we do while diving at each site is photo transecting. Photo transects involve taking evenly measured photos of the reef bottom. This not only gives us a permanent record of the reef condition, but
Cauliflower coral, in the genus Pocillopora, are among the most widely distributed and most abundant corals found on the fore reef. These branching corals are covered with small bumps (called verrucae), which contain corallites and help in the identification of
“Ocean acidification” is a term you may have heard in relation to coral reefs. As carbon dioxide increases in the air, the amount in the ocean goes up as well. The increased carbon dioxide makes the ocean water more acidic,
After two weeks, we’ve completed reef assessments around Rangiroa, Aratika, and Raraka and are now examining Fakarava. Tuamotu reefs are dramatically different from Society Islands. Besides the near absence of crown of thorns seastars (we’ve seen a handful in the
There are risks in every work environment, so working on and around boats brings with it unique safety concerns. We stress safety at the beginning of every mission, and give reminders of various risks throughout the mission. In order to
French Polynesia is a long way from my hometown of St. Albert in Alberta, Canada. For many of my students, coral reefs are an abstract concept. Fortunately, in my short time with the science team, I have acquired many amazing
One of the most exciting aspects of this expedition is that every morning we get in the water having no idea what we’re about to find. There’s always something interesting to see, but sometimes the reefs we find are a
Science Without Borders® is a registered trademark of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. When Walter Wyatt’s airplane went down in remote seas in the Western Bahamas, it sank almost immediately. The unfortunate pilot could not have imagined that
I’ve spent a lot of time talking about the corals, how they are faring, and what invertebrates are eating them. I’ve only briefly mentioned fish, even though they are the showcase of the Red Sea. From charismatic megafuana like the
