You’ll learn how to read an entire reef system by combining three key components:
Substrate & Reef Structure
Coral types, benthic categories, and what reef structure reveals about ecosystem condition
Fish Communities
Key indicator species and what their presence, absence, or size tells us about reef health
Invertebrates
Urchins, lobsters, and other critical species used to detect reef imbalance and stress
Instead of studying these separately, you learn how they connect — the same way reefs function in real life.
This course is built for people who want to learn in a limited time.
Complete in one week or less
Daily diving on monitored Caribbean reef sites
Focused theory sessions with immediate in-water application
Small groups for strong buoyancy control and accurate observation
Compared to Ankay’s Conservation Programs (2+ weeks), this course delivers maximum learning efficiency.
Reef Check is one of the world’s largest volunteer-based reef monitoring programs, used by scientists, NGOs, and governments to assess coral reef condition and trends over time. Data collected by trained EcoDivers feeds directly into global and regional reef management and protection strategies.
EcoDivers are the volunteers who help Reef Check to deliver its citizen science program and collect data necessary for coral reef management and conservation.
This course is designed to teach you everything you need to know to conduct full-scale Reef Check surveys and collect high-quality data for our global database. In this program, you will learn about marine conservation issues, the role of citizen science, as well as how to identify key indicator fish, invertebrates, and substrates selected by Reef Check for assessing coral reef health. Upon completion of this course, you will join the Reef Check monitoring team and assist in underwater surveys around the world. This 4 day course includes both classroom and fieldwork.
Day 1: The Main Characters (Vertebrates & Invertebrates)
Classroom: Theory on identifying key fish and invertebrate species for the region.
Dive 1: Identification practice on the reef.
Dive 2: Underwater ID testing.
Day 2: The Foundation (Substrate)
Classroom: Learning to classify the seafloor (hard coral, rock, sand, sponges, etc.).
Dive 1: Substrate ID practice.
Dive 2: Underwater substrate testing.
Day 3: Health & Diagnosis (Impacts + Review)
Classroom: Identifying human impacts and coral health. Comprehensive ID review.
Dive 1: Impact survey simulation.
Dive 2: Final knowledge evaluation.
Day 4: Science in Action (Methods & Full Survey)
Classroom: Mastering transect deployment and data management.
Dive 1: Practice surveys (the full methodology).
Dive 2: The Full Survey. Conduct an official Reef Check survey to be uploaded to the global database.
Course Only (4 days): $537 – International certification, EcoDiver E-Kit, 8 training dives, and use of scientific equipment.
Full Experience (6 days, 5 nights): $795 – Everything above + accommodation and all meals included.
Full Week Experience (7 days, 6 nights): $940 – Everything above + one more day with a two tank dive to either survey or fundive.
To all prices the ITMB (7%) must be added.