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Volunteer SCUBA divers help survey marine resources

posted 06/29/04
Every July SCUBA divers around the country take to the water to count fish. Like the annual Christmas bird count, this annual fish count acts an index of how fish and invertebrate populations are doing. It also introduces recreational divers to the idea that they can help monitor and steward our living marine resources. By recording the fish and invertebrates seen while diving and submitting a free survey sheet to REEF Environmental Education Foundation, local divers can be our eyes underwater. To date over 175 volunteer surveys have been completed in the San Juan Islands and over 1500 have been done in Washington state. Anybody can see where these surveys were conducted and find out which species were seen by visiting the REEF Web site .

As part of his senior project Travis Parker, a student at Orcas High School, adopted the Bell Island Bottomfish Recovery Zone and dove the sight once monthly to survey fish and invertebrates. " Travis had a lot of fun diving and getting to know the site, but he also began to feel responsible for the fish and invertebrates there, just as people do for the plants and animals they see in their yard every day," says Joe Gaydos, regional director of the SeaDoc Society who helped sponsor the project. " The more people we have out surveying and taking ownership of these resources, the better we'll be in the long run," added Gaydos.

The SeaDoc Society is sponsoring two REEF sanctioned events to boost local participation in the Great Annual Fish Count. On July 2, 2004 REEF Instructor Janna Nichols will teach a fun class on how to identify some of the more common fish and invertebrates found in the San Juan Islands, and will introduce divers to REEF surveying. On Sunday July 11, 2004 they will host a thank you cook out for all SCUBA divers that have performed fish count surveys on this day. Survey sheets will be available for all divers. To find how you can help monitor local fish and invertebrate populations while diving or register for either of these free events, please contact the SeaDoc Society at 376-3910.

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