Marine Conservation Course - 5 Days (18,000THB)
Deposit:
5000.00฿
Become a marine biologist for a week!
If you're passionate about the ocean, want to gain experience doing science underwater, or if you're interested in becoming a marine biologist, this course is for you! This course is for ocean enthusiasts that want a peak into what working with marine conservation on Koh Tao looks like. Step into the shoes of a marine biologist and learn what processes go on in coral reefs and how to help save them
Designed to give more experienced divers a chance to extend their underwater skills, we will go through important coral reef ecology topics and you will be given the opportunity to collect your own data on multiple monitoring surveys and citizen science programs! During this extensive conservation course, you will get to act as a marine biologist for a week and see what it is we do! You will learn what makes up healthy coral reefs and how to assess these on-site, during the dives.
Explore Koh Tao's beautiful reefs and the major animal groups we have here!. You will learn how to identify different species and will be given the tools and experience to collect your own data which will be used to monitor major species. Different survey techniques will be used to provide you with a variety of experience when it comes to scientific diving. This course is designed to give you the necessary experience needed to start your journey as a marine biologist, or simply to extend your diving skills.
The Marine Conservation Course is for divers with 20+ logged dives or Advanced Open Water divers who have completed the Peak Performance Buoyancy Adventure Dive. This course will bring us close to the coral reefs. In order to cause the least disturbance possible, we need to ensure that you have the necessary skills and buoyancy necessary to safely and sustainably conduct the course.
This course is designed for divers who:
Are looking into becoming marine biologists
Want to learn new skills, specifically in scientific diving
Have at least 5 days on Koh Tao and want to learn all about our beautiful reefs
Are dedicated to protecting the ocean and want to contribute to our monitoring program
If you do not meet the course requirements, you can complete your Open Water and/or Advanced Open Water course with us before joining this course!
The mornings will be composed on classroom sessions where we will dive into coral reef ecology where you will become familiar with the different major animal groups present on Koh Tao's reefs, as well as some of our common coral species. You will learn about the vital role of this beautiful ecosystem and its impact on the rest of our oceans. We will discuss threats on coral reefs and of course the solutions to these threats. This course also covers what it means to be an underwater scientist and how to accurately and reliably collect data underwater.
The afternoons will be composed of 2 dives, where apply what we learned during the classroom session! You will learn to identify and collect observational data on the major animal groups of the reefs using different survey methods for our monitoring program and citizen science projects. You will get the chance to master essential dive practices necessary for being a scientist underwater and learn how to dive safely in a fragile ecosystem.
The days of the course have the following themes:
Day 1: Coral Reef Ecology
Day 2: Scientific diving and different survey techniques
Day 3: Major animal groups and monitoring surveys
Day 4: Threats to coral reefs and water testing
Day 5: Solutions to coral reef degradation, what can you do?
Marine science experience: learn how to collect data underwater and what it means to be a scientist on the reefs on Koh Tao.
Contribute to long-term monitoring programs: you will help collect data to contribute to our monitoring program as well as data for citizen science programs.
Different reef sites: Koh Tao offers a wide variety of dive sites and reef structures. Become familiar with different dive sites and learn to identify what makes a reef healthy!
Learn what YOU can do to make a difference: we will discuss solutions to the threats coral reefs face and what you can do to help!
