Friday 16th July, 2004
Venue Dive Dominica, 1730 hrs


Lad Atkins the Executive Director of Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) has brought the first ever REEF team down to survey the reefs of
Dominica. Thus far they are impressed with the fish life we have here and have added a few new ones to the list for the region. Having caught up with Izzy the country coordinator for REEF he is presenting a short talk on "fishwatching" the methodologies and their findings for those interested at Dive Dominica from 5:30 pm onwards. It is hoped that those who have already participated in a fishwatching dive and any others interested will attend.

REEF methodologies may also be used whilst snorkeling. Weather permitting it will be downstairs in the bar area, if not, upstairs on the balcony. There will be another team on island immediately afterwards. www.reef.org Dominica has sent approximately 50 completed forms to the database since last summer, it is hoped that interested divers will return to the water with new enthusiasm and a mission to catalog the fish life of the island. Forms may be collected from Izzy at the Fisheries Division with prior notice.
Thanks to all who have participated already.

Saturday 24th July, 2004
Venue Nature Island Dive 0900 hrs

Andre Miller from Barbados the Eastern Caribbean coordinator for Reefcheck will be on island to officially launch Dominica's ReefCheck monitoring activities, several dives have already been done using ReefCheck methodologies but no official launch and full hands on application has been presented other than the seminar given by Izzy last summer. Again it is hoped that all interested parties will attend, and that some will participate in the full scale monitoring to be undertaken after the seminar on a site deemed suitable according to ReefCheck criteria (mainly depth, no slope or dropoff etc.). Reef monitoring is a vital role in gauging stresses and the health of the reef, over time a picture of the effect of fishing, diving, snorkeling, storms, and or pollutants on a particular tract can be assessed and measures taken to stop or prevent further degradation occurring.

As country coordinator, Izzy has, through the Fisheries division already begun monitoring several sites at frequently used reefs in the south of the island, although these are out of the ReefCheck depth range they will provide a valuable tool in monitoring stress to the environment. REEFCHECK