The health of marine ecosystems as a whole depends on the health of coral reefs. With the opening of a new Reef Check station, the EcoDivers teams will be able to step up their monitoring and data collection efforts regarding coral health. This is one way to improve and protect Martinique’s biodiversity.
Opening of a New Station
Carbet des Sciences and Asso-Mer announce the opening of a new Reef Check station in Martinique. Located on the underwater trail at Îlet Thierry, in the town of Le François, this new station will aim to strengthen monitoring efforts. «This station will make it possible to assess the health of the reefs in this area,» explains the Carbet des Sciences on social media.
The official launch of this new station took place on Saturday, May 2, and was accompanied by the training of five new EcoDivers, who will monitor the coral reefs. The morning was devoted to training the EcoDivers from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., followed by field surveys in the afternoon from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Preserving Coral Reefs
The Reef Check program is run by the international organization of the same name and aims to «bring together local initiatives in overseas territories.» What is the association’s goal? To strengthen the monitoring of coral reefs, under the leadership of Magali Combes, Reef Check coordinator and scientific director of Asso-Mer. «Coordinating Reef Check monitoring efforts allows us to support our members as they gain knowledge about Martinique’s marine environment and enables us to ensure more effective public awareness campaigns down the line,» she explains. The surveys and the information collected can then be analyzed to improve long-term monitoring of coral reef health.
During the training, the new EcoDivers had the opportunity to learn about the «three protocols of the citizen science program»: fish, invertebrates (starfish, sea urchins), and substrate (coral).Throughout the year, the Reef Check EcoDivers team conducts awareness campaigns, ecological monitoring, and training sessions—all in support of coral reefs and Martinique’s biodiversity.
