MM005 Southern Indian Ocean Reef Ecology Course (Weeks 3 - 9: Training - need to be dive qualified or have completed MM004 if doing the practicals by diving)
This course is designed to teach participants how to identify the main species of fish, macro-invertebrates and corals likely to be encountered and concentrates particularly in giving skills in data analysis of the video and photographic footage. The course comprises 8 lectures and practicals each day either by diving or snorkelling or in the computer lab. At the end of the course you should be able to identify hard and soft corals and sponges to genera level, identify coral growth forms, common macro-invertebrates, most of the common species of reef fish and to complete video and photographic data analysis with a reasonable level of accuracy. In addition if you are diving for the practicals then your buoyancy skills should have improved to a level where you should be able to participate in dive based biological surveys.