Dive with a Learning-Goal in Mind, Get to Know your Reef!

This course was originally designed as a suppliment to the Divemaster training course and it is now open to the diving public as well. It's recommended for anyone who wants to know more about the reef they dive on and it's amazing diversity.
The general theme that runs through the course is how dependent each part of the reef is upon the others, and how a healthy reef is made up of many different parts.
The course is taught by Mickey Charteris, Roatan photographer and author of the popular reference book "Caribbean Reef Life".
Each topic starts with a presentation and discussion, followed by a dive with specific goals, where we look for examples of what we have learned, choosing dive sites and activities that will help bring the themes of the Reef Naturalist Course to life.
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Caribbean Reef Life by Mickey Charteris

Course Topics Include:

Marine Plants:

Often overlooked on regular dives, the marine plants form the base of the food-chain and are an essential part of the health of a coral reef eco-system. They are often found in some suprising places doing some very odd jobs for the reef. Ironically, without careful reef management they can also become the greatest threat to healthy coral reefs.

Corals and Sponges:

Corals are the building blocks of the reef ecosystem. Learn how corals grow and interact with their environment. Follow the different coral species and growth patterns from the sunlit shallows down to the deeper walls, where corals must adapt to the darkness. Learn how sponges can grow to be over 1000 years old and play host to numerous species.

Invertebrates and Symbiosis:

By far the most numerous and diverse of the reef's inhabitants are the invertebrates. From simple jellyfish to lobsters that can be decades old, these creatures often live in complex symbiotic relationships with the corals, other invertebrates and even some fishes in a unique web of interdependence. Learn where to find the hosts of many of the commensal species.

Reef Fish Behavior:

From the smallest blennies to the largest groupers, learn where and how each family of reef fish lives. We'll look into their homes, how they feed and how they try to pass on their genes in a competitive environment full of hazrds and opporunities. It's not all about competition for resources, you'll be suprised at how much co-operation we find among the different fish species.

The Reef at Night (Optional Extra Dive):

A whole new cast of characters comes into play on the reef after the sun goes down, from the reef cleaners to the larger nocturnal predators to the bizzare species that make their way up from the depths every night. The corals become more active, many fish hide while many others come out of hiding to begin their time on the reef. A night shore-dive is the perfect way to experience this dark world.
“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer."  "A good photograph is knowing where to stand.”: Ansel Adams