Reef Check

This is an urchin barren.⁠ ⁠ Imagine diving into a once-lush kelp forest… only to find a rocky seafloor stripped bare. That’s what happens when sea urchin populations explode and devour nearly all the kelp in their path. With no kelp canopy, the ecosystem collapses... fish lose habitat, biodiversity drops, and the reef becomes a very different place.⁠ ⁠ At Reef Check, we’re taking action by:⁠ 🌱 Monitoring rocky reefs to track kelp forest health.⁠ 🦀 Partnering with local groups to support urchin management.⁠ 🤿 Training and mobilizing divers to restore balance in areas hardest hit by urchin overpopulation.⁠ ⁠ We are working closely with local communities, government, academics, and NGOs to test the efficacy of diver interventions to support kelp forest rehabilitation, and applying lessons learned to urchin barrens along the west coast of the USA.⁠ ⁠ Want to be involved? You can donate to our cause or check out volunteer opportunities on our website.⁠ ⁠ #ReefCheck #KelpForest #UrchinBarren #ScubaDiving #OceanLover #OceanRestoration #CitizenScience #MarineConservation #SaveOurOceans #EcosystemHealth⁠

The whole food chain gets unbalanced. ⁠ ⁠ This is an urchin barren. Without sunflower sea stars and otters, purple sea urchin populations sky rocket, wiping out food for other creatures that typically fill a kelp forest.⁠ ⁠ Reef Check surveys help us track the changes, and our restoration projects are leading the way toward reestablishing equilibrium.⁠ ⁠ Learn more and help our work by donating today at our 🔗⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #kelp #kelpforest #oceanconservation #urchin #underwater #reefculture #reeffish #roamtheoceans #shores #shapedbythesea #reefrestoration #respectthesea #saltyadventures #saltysouls #savemarinelife #saveocean #HelpTheKelp #KelpForestChallenge #KelpForestAlliance

❗️SPOTTED❗️This is EXCITING news 🥹⁠ ⁠ Reef Check’s North Coast Regional Manager Ian Norton and Dive Into Science Program Manager Morgan Murphy-Cannella spotted a sunflower star (Pycnopodia Helianthoides) while conducting an MPA monitoring survey at Van Damme in Mendocino County on October 28th, 2023.⁠ ⁠ The populations of Pycnopodia along the North Coast have been decimated over the last decade by seastar wasting disease. The loss of this predator has played a key role in the explosion of purple urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus).⁠ ⁠ This is a huge find and great news for the prospect of species recovery!⁠ ⁠ PS. Want to support the work we do? We have a silent auction going on right now! Check out our bio.⁠ ⁠ #silentauction #fundraising #reefcheckfoundation #marineresearch #oceanaddict #sciencenerd #reefcheck #oceanconservation #diveintoscience #nonprofit #citizenscience #communityscience #scubadiving #marinebiology #adoptareef #ecodiver #divewithpurpose⁠

🚨How Malaysia is responding to stress signs in Sabah’s coral reefs.⁠ ⁠ Recent NOAA satellite bleaching alerts for Sabah have escalated from “Watch” to “Warning” level, signaling an increased risk of coral bleaching across the region. ⁠ ⁠ In response, @reefcheckmalaysia is working closely with partners, including Sabah Parks, the Sabah Fisheries Department, and the Sabah Biodiversity Centre, to monitor reef conditions and prepare local Community Marine Conservation Groups for rapid-response monitoring efforts.⁠ ⁠ Why monitoring is a key first response reaction:⁠ Continued reef monitoring and standardized data collection help scientists and conservation teams understand the severity and spread of bleaching events in real time. That information is critical for guiding management decisions, identifying vulnerable reef areas, and building long-term strategies to protect coral ecosystems as ocean temperatures continue to rise.⁠ ⁠ How you can help:⁠ • Support reef conservation organizations by donating, volunteering, and sharing their work⁠ • Educate others about coral bleaching⁠ • Advocate for climate action and policy change⁠ ⁠ Healthy reefs are not just beautiful; they directly support human life on Earth.⁠ ⁠ #CoralBleaching #Malaysia #CoralReef #ClimateAction #OceanConservation

Did you figure it out?⁠ ⁠ BABY KELP!!!!⁠ ⁠ Kelp forest restoration efforts at Nellie’s Cove in Oregon are proving to be effective, and we couldn’t be happier about it.⁠ ⁠ This work is supported by @oregonkelp under @noaafisheries grant.⁠ ⁠ Want to get involved? Check out volunteer opportunities or donate at our website.⁠ ⁠ #scubadiving #kelpforest #oceanconservation #reefrestoration #marinebiology

Victory at Caspar Cove!⁠ ⁠ The reports are in - the @caspar_cove_project community's kelp restoration efforts have resulted in a massive uptick in kelp cover. After marine heat waves and purple sea urchins decimated this Northern California bull kelp habitat, the community sprang into action, taking matters into their own hands (literally) and hammering out the exploding urchin population. ⁠ ⁠ 5 years later, and the kelp has made a dramatic comeback. This success shows what's possible when a dedicated community bands together to solve issues on our blue planet, and that hope remains for many of us who care about the kelp forests!⁠ ⁠ Learn more using the link in our bio 🌿

Reef Check staff and north coast volunteers gathered for the opening day of the Caspar Cove culling events. Following removal efforts, we celebrated Josh Russo in a beautiful memorial, the heart and soul of the Caspar Cove project. ⁠ ⁠ Thank you to Pete and @blue_harmony_ocean for organizing such a meaningful and moving tribute. The sense of community and togetherness was truly humbling.⁠ ⁠ The Reef Check team will continue to support the community in this project and conduct seasonal subtidal surveys to monitor restoration efforts. If you want to hear about last year’s results, we have a full webinar on our YouTube channel.⁠ ⁠ Monthly removal efforts will continue this year. Follow @caspar_cove_project for more information.⁠ ⁠ #ScubaDiving #OceanConservation #MarineBiology #ReefRestoration #CaliforniaDiver⁠

In March, Reef Check Baja teamed up with COBI (Comunidad y Biodiversidad, A.C.) to train two fishing cooperatives in kelp forest monitoring across Bahía Asunción and Bahía Tortugas. Together, 30 participants, including divers and snorkelers, learned how to collect critical data on fish, algae, invertebrates, and habitat health.⁠ ⁠ What makes this work powerful?⁠ Local fishers are already stewards of these ecosystems. By combining their generational knowledge with Reef Check’s scientific methods, we’re building a monitoring network that is both deeply rooted and future-focused.⁠ ⁠ Highlights from the training:⁠ • Youth engagement, with participants as young as 14 stepping into conservation leadership⁠ • Hands-on training in species ID, survey techniques, and safety protocols⁠ • Collaboration across organizations, scientists, and fishing communities⁠ • A growing network of community scientists generating real data to guide sustainable fisheries⁠ ⁠ This is what community-based conservation looks like: science + local knowledge + shared responsibility.⁠ ⁠ 👉 Follow @reefcheck_baja to stay connected with their team and get the latest news from the area.⁠ ⁠ #KelpForest #OceanConservation #CitizenScience #BajaCalifornia #ScubaDiving⁠

Across the globe, we celebrate the GOAT, @davidattenborough for his impactful 100 years on this planet.⁠ ⁠ 📸: @azul.unlimited We are forever inspired by the leaders in ocean conservation. Their messages got us started in this work, and we will continue to carry the torch into the future.⁠ ⁠ #ScubaDiving #OceanConservation #DavidAttenborough #ClimateAction #ReefRestoration⁠

Hidden corners of the ocean still exist… and historical Reef Check data has revealed one: North Halmahera.⁠ ⁠ Tucked within the heart of the Coral Triangle, this remote region of Indonesia is emerging as a true underwater frontier. With vibrant coral reefs, thriving fish populations, and very little dive traffic, it offers something that’s becoming increasingly rare: a sense of pure discovery.⁠ ⁠ What makes this even more exciting? Recent explorations suggest the reefs are still remarkably healthy and diverse, as represented by the old Reef Check data, which showed it had some of the highest coral cover in Indonesia. ⁠ ⁠ This is exactly why long-term monitoring matters. Without consistent data collection, we wouldn’t know how reefs have changed over time, which ecosystems are thriving, or where conservation efforts are working.⁠ ⁠ Reef Check’s global network of trained citizen scientists helps provide that critical baseline, allowing researchers, communities, and conservationists to better understand and protect these ecosystems before it’s too late.⁠ ⁠ Once the data are collected, the next steps are to engage local efforts to create protections for these remote and vulnerable ecosystems.⁠ ⁠ #ReefCheck #CoralTriangle #MarineConservation #CitizenScience #ScubaDiving

Disappearing in plain sight...⁠ ⁠ Giant clams are reef builders, provide food and shelter for marine life, and can live for over 100 years. Some even help nourish reef ecosystems through the nutrients they release.⁠ ⁠ But across Southeast Asia, their future is uncertain.⁠ ⁠ Here’s what we know:⁠ • The region is home to 8 of the world’s 12 giant clam species⁠ • Populations are declining due to poaching, habitat loss, and coastal development⁠ • In some areas, numbers are so low that clams can’t reproduce effectively⁠ • Restoration efforts face challenges like low survival rates and limited funding⁠ ⁠ There is hope.⁠ 🐚 Scientists are breeding and reintroducing clams⁠ 🤝 Communities are stepping up to protect local reefs⁠ 💡 New conservation strategies are being developed to improve survival and recovery⁠ ⁠ Mr. Alvin Chelliah, marine scientist at @reefcheckmalaysia says: “Many projects fail because of short-term funding. Malaysia could prioritize long-term financing models, perhaps linking marine farming and ecotourism revenues to conservation funds.”⁠ ⁠ The future of these “jewels of the sea” depends on stronger protection, smarter restoration, and continued investment in conservation. ⁠ ⁠ Support the work happening worldwide and donate to your favorite ocean conservation organization today!⁠ ⁠ #OceanConservation #CoralReefs #MarineScience #ScubaDiver #ReefRestoration

Seguimos creciendo! En marzo, dos cooperativas pesqueras de BCS (California San Ignacio y Emancipación) se sumaron a la familia de monitores de bosques de kelp 🌊. Buzos y pescadores de Bahía Asunción y Bahía Tortugas se capacitaron con Reef Check Baja y COBI para monitorear y cuidar sus bosques de kelp 🌿. @california.sanignacio @emancipacion.mx Esta iniciativa representa y fortalece las redes comunitarias de monitoreo. Al colaborar con pescadores que tienen un fuerte vínculo con su entorno 🚣🏽, muchos de ellos de familias pesqueras multigeneracionales 🏡, estamos fomentando una red de monitoreo a largo plazo que combina la investigación científica con el conocimiento local 👏🏽. Este esfuerzo busca mejorar las habilidades locales y promover el futuro de los ecosistemas de bosques de kelp de Baja California 🌿 Al contribuir a la ciencia ciudadana, se unen a una red existente de buzos en la región del Pacífico Norte 🤝🏽 , donde las cooperativas de FEDECOOP (Federación Regional de Sociedades Cooperativas Pesqueras de Baja California) ahora están comprometidas a entender sus recursos pesqueros 🦞🫰🏽 para tomar decisiones basadas en datos 👩🏽‍💻 y ciencia generados por la propia comunidad 🤿 Gracias a @cobi_mx por la invitación, @akuchov , @ecocimati.ac @mexcal.science , a las cooperativas pesqueras, y a cada persona que suma y hace posible esta red de ciencia comunitaria 🤜🏽🤛🏽 🔗 Link de la nota completa en la Bio: /expanding-the-community-of-kelp-forest-monitors-the-integration-of-fishing-communities-into-reef-check-baja-california/ 📷 @cobi_mx @akuchov