https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y94eAU_HwoQ

Please contact program leader for more information.

The ReefCI Check program is a comprehensive assessment of the health of coral reefs. It is a coral reef monitoring protocol that is more focused on the unique marine ecosystem of Southern Belize that employs simple techniques that non-scientific divers can easily master. The program aims are to collect scientifically robust data in order to monitor and report on coral reef ecosystem health. Purdue students will scuba dive and record “indicator species” that reflect both ecological and economical value and are sensitive to anthropogenic disturbances, specific to the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve.

Students will count the male and female Parrot fish, Groupers, Surgeon fish, Butterfly fish, Grunts, Snappers, and the invasive Lionfish. Invertebrates, coral bleaching/disease, trash and coral damage will be recorded and the substrate composition thoroughly mapped. Purdue students will also participate in the Belize Coral Watch Program, an organization that ECOMAR developed based on the goals and objectives of the Mesoamerican Reef Coral Watch Program. This is a simple, non-invasive method for the monitoring of coral bleaching, and assessment of coral health. Other attempts to monitor coral bleaching often involve costly satellite-born technologies, are restricted to locations researchers are working in and often require sampling of live tissue for physiological analysis. The Coral Watch coral reef monitoring approach using simple methodology is the first attempt to provide useful data on a relatively large scale with the help of an inexpensive, ‘user friendly’ and non-invasive device.

Purdue students will trained how to recognize the difference between coral bleaching and coral disease and how to identify paling, part bleached and whole bleached coral. All submitted data will be analyzed and made available on the project’s website meaning that data will be available for different regions of the world. This will make it possible to compare the condition of many different reefs at any one point in time, as well as the condition of a single reef over time. Purdue students will also tour and learn the history of a Mayan archeology sites: Tikal in Guatemala. Ancient Tikal was occupied as early as 1200 BC. Its greatest period of construction was in the Maya Classic period, between 600 and 900 AD. The town grew into one of the largest ancient Maya cities, covering some 65 square miles with an estimated peak population of about 120,000 or more.