The Marine Ecology & Monitoring course is a partial fulfilment of the full Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP), for those students with either time constraints, those who want to test first whether they have the diving skills required in order to partake in underwater monitoring water or simply those wishing to get a taste of scientific diving and understand whether they want to pursue further research and monitoring training.
It is designed to give students an introduction to marine ecology and how to view the reef scientifically by assessing key biotic and abiotic components on the marine environment.
The course teaches students how to use real world scientific sampling and survey techniques and certifies them to conduct their own surveys and report data back to the online database.
Students receiving this certification are welcome to return at a later date and complete the remaining modules in order to achieve the full EMP certification.
Prerequisites
- Be 12 years of age or older
- Be certified as an Advanced diver under a leading diving organization (PADI, SSI, RAID, etc) or an Open Water diver who has satisfactorily completed a buoyancy appraisal with a professional diver
- Demonstrate proper diving ability at an advanced Level and be proficient in buoyancy and self-awareness
