Advanced Ecological Monitoring Program

For those students wishing to stay with us to complete an internship, long period of study or a gradual achievement of certification, they are able to partake in an Advanced Ecological Monitoring program. To achieve this status there are no minimum hours or diveS, as in order to achieve this accreditation, students must have completed all of the Conservation Diver research courses and be able to complete scientific surveys, producing precise and useable, real data. This is the highest certification available to students and demonstrates a complete understanding of the scientific protocols used to assess the reef.

In order to start the course, students must:

Hold an advanced diver certification from a leading diving organization such as PADI or SSI.
Be self-aware in the water and demonstrate proficient in buoyancy
Hold a Conservation Diver: Ecological Monitoring Program certificate

What the course involves

Upon completion of the EMP course, students must demonstrate the ability to produce full EMP data across all fields. This requires some further in-depth study of the Substrate, including understanding how to identify coral species, how to conduct health and mortality studies of corals and analyse marine plants and microorganisms.

Student will also need to have completed to two population study courses for sharks and sea turtles

Diving

The course includes multiple dives until mastering in the following fields:

Coral Taxonomy and Identification
Marine Plants and Microorganisms
Coral Health and Mortality
Sea Turtle Ecology and Population Studies
Shark Ecology and Population Studies

Classroom

Students will need to attend all of the knowledge development presentations in the course listed above and pass each of the exams

There will also be a number of classroom exercises and study sessions to review taxonomy and identification techniques as well as reviews and debriefings of survey work

Students must pass all the exams for the courses listed above and show proficiency in data collation in all areas.

For full details on the course please visit the Conservation Diver website to view the Standards and Requirements

Expected Course Time: Student completing the Advanced Ecological Monitoring Program course will usually do so over a number of weeks or part of a internship or volunteer program.

Minimum of 12 dives

Price: POA (price on application). This course will be tailored to the individuals needs and will require a varying amount of dives and tuition time. Average price of c.$775.00