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California Fisheries Regulations and Science (MLPA & MPA) Here is a dedicated forum for the extremely important MLPA & MPA process

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Old 03-20-2013, 07:28 PM   #1
Brandi
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Reef Check training

here is some information for those who are interested in the Reef Check project. Please feel free to pass along.
Thanks and safe diving,
Brandi

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Megan Wehrenberg <megan@reefcheck.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2013 5:59 PM
Subject: Fort Bragg Reef Check training announcement

Hello,
Reef Check is organizing a training in Fort Bragg in April and we'd appreciate if you could help to spread the word. We really hope to get more community members involved as citizen scientists in the monitoring of the new north coast MPAs. The details are below and also attached as a word doc. Thanks so much! Don't hesitate with any questions.

Warm regards,
Megan

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Become a Reef Check California diver!
The Reef Check Foundation invites experienced SCUBA divers to become trained in our California rocky reef monitoring program. Since 2006, Reef Check’s California (RCCA) Program has trained over 1000 experienced recreational SCUBA divers to scientifically monitor California’s rocky reef ecosystem at over 80 sites from Humboldt to San Diego counties.
There is Reef Check California training for community members coming up in April 2013 in Fort Bragg/Mendocino. This is an important time for reef monitoring in this region since the new northern California marine protected areas (MPAs) went into effect only a few months ago. Community members can play a significant role in collecting key information on how the MPAs are functioning. The training will be held on two consecutive weekends with classroom and pool training the first weekend followed by training and testing dives in the ocean the second weekend. The cost of the course is $200, which covers all fees and includes your own personal underwater survey slate and transect tape, the RCCA Training Manual, and species identification flash cards!
Taking action and becoming a trained Reef Check Diver allows you join a group of dedicated divers from all walks of life including commercial and recreational fishermen, university students, and teachers, who want healthy coastal ecosystems and support science-based decision making.

The dates and locations for our Fort Bragg training:
April 20-21 – classroom session at College of the Redwoods
April 27-28 – diving session at Van Damme State Park

Additional training dates and locations:

Monterey - June 1-2 & 8-9
Santa Rosa - June 29-30 & July 13-14
San Francisco - June 29-30 & July 13-14

Sign up online at this link www.reefcheck.org/rcca/training_schedule.php
Contact Megan at megan@reefcheck.org with any questions.

__________________________________

Megan Wehrenberg
Regional Manager- Northern/Central California

Reef Check Foundation
phone 831-345-0893
fax 831-425-4816
www.reefcheck.org
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"The ocean changes with every tide" ~ Kenny Tallman

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Old 03-21-2013, 09:42 AM   #2
SDDiver5
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Re: Reef Check training

Any idea what qualifies you to be an "experienced" scuba diver? Sounds like fun.

D
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Old 03-21-2013, 12:22 PM   #3
mbhalihunter
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Re: Reef Check training

Quote:
Originally Posted by SDDiver5 View Post
Any idea what qualifies you to be an "experienced" scuba diver? Sounds like fun.

D
Not a total newb.

Meghan is a great diver and awesome person. This is a great program.
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Old 04-03-2013, 09:52 PM   #4
unkabonka
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Re: Reef Check training

Isn't this reef check just a bunch of amateur pseudo-science that the enviros use to advocate for MPAs?
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Old 04-26-2013, 01:57 PM   #5
Kelsea
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Re: Reef Check training

Quote:
Originally Posted by unkabonka View Post
Isn't this reef check just a bunch of amateur pseudo-science that the enviros use to advocate for MPAs?
Their data collection methods could be improved. Their conclusions based on their data are not reflective of what WE see and understand in the water.

I will never, ever, forget the meeting at the Ocean Institute, Dana Point, a number of years back with Reef Check, and they reported no Opal Eye at certain transects in Laguna. They came to similar conclusions with other fish. They are also only sampling each of these areas, for like.. an hour, a few times a year.

We as hunters, understand that sometimes a reef is "ON" and sometimes, its not "ON". Currents, temps, and other factors are not well accounted for in the studies that are based on Reef Check Data.

The Reef Check folks we talked to, after discussion how this data could be improved, also flat out rejected Freediver involvement, when we reached out to them at the MLPA meetings. Dave Ploessel probably remembers this, he was there, as well as Paul Romanowski.

If a Similar program to Reef Check could be conducted with freedivers, with similar Training, data collection protocols, and blessing from the DFG (Wildlife department??), garanteed, we'd get completely different fish data for those same transects.
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Old 04-29-2013, 11:48 PM   #6
unkabonka
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Re: Reef Check training

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelsea View Post
Their data collection methods could be improved. Their conclusions based on their data are not reflective of what WE see and understand in the water.

I will never, ever, forget the meeting at the Ocean Institute, Dana Point, a number of years back with Reef Check, and they reported no Opal Eye at certain transects in Laguna. They came to similar conclusions with other fish. They are also only sampling each of these areas, for like.. an hour, a few times a year.

We as hunters, understand that sometimes a reef is "ON" and sometimes, its not "ON". Currents, temps, and other factors are not well accounted for in the studies that are based on Reef Check Data.

The Reef Check folks we talked to, after discussion how this data could be improved, also flat out rejected Freediver involvement, when we reached out to them at the MLPA meetings. Dave Ploessel probably remembers this, he was there, as well as Paul Romanowski.

If a Similar program to Reef Check could be conducted with freedivers, with similar Training, data collection protocols, and blessing from the DFG (Wildlife department??), garanteed, we'd get completely different fish data for those same transects.
Great, thanks Kelsey. Yeah, quite worrying if you ask me. Especially considering that the recent central coast MPA monitoring and assessment was completed with data from these "citizen scientists" groups.

I personally think the only people who should be giving scientific advice to policy makers are our professional staff at CA DFW. No universities, no NGOs, no weekend warriors.
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