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This two week expedition is spent at the Hoga Island Marine Research Centre in the Wakatobi National Park. Students can spend some of their time working towards a more in depth research project in addition to dive training, partaking in a reef ecology course and assisting with a range of research projects.
During their first week students will be completing one of the following options, if they are not yet dive trained:
If the students are qualified divers they will take part in the course below:
If the students have learnt to dive in their first week they will take part in the course below:
If they have completed the Indo-Pacific Reef Ecology and Survey Techniques Course during their first week the students will be able to complete mini research investigations and will also have various workshops and sessions with the science teams as follows:
There is a triangle of reefs that spans across Indonesia and some of its neighbouring countries known as the Coral Triangle. It is recognized for having the highest diversity of hard coral genera, the proxy commonly used to assess overall diversity of coral reefs, anywhere in the world. The Hoga Island Marine Station is located in the heart of the Wakatobi Marine National Park, which is right at the centre of the Coral Triangle. For over two decades, a series of scientists have been based at this site during the Opwall survey seasons and as a result, this is now the most published site in the Coral Triangle, with more than 200 papers having been published using data collected by the teams here. For the last 15 years a series of constant monitoring sites around Hoga and eastern Kaledupa have been monitored for macroinvertebrates, fish communities, coral cover and community structure. The 2024 season will continue this reef monitoring programme, and also be focusing on coral regeneration studies, plus some additional projects.
The costs of a school group expedition can be highly variable. There is a standard fee paid to Opwall for all expeditions but the location you are flying from, the size of your group, and how you wish to pay all impact the overall cost.
You can choose to book the expedition as a package (which includes your international flights) or you can organise your travel yourself and just pay us for the expedition related elements.
If you are booking your expedition as a package, you also have the option of being invoiced as a group, or on an individual basis.
Climate
At the marine sites during the day, the weather is normally sunny and warm (around 30 degrees Celsius), and the night temperatures drop to around 20-25 degrees Celsius. Being on the coast means there is often a pleasant breeze so it does not always feel this hot. It rains rarely, but when it does it tends to be very heavy for short periods of time.
Fitness level required
Low-Moderate. Some fitness is required for in water activities, but conditions are relatively easy.
Hoga – Creature comforts
The Hoga Island Marine Station is an established facility that lies within the Wakatobi Marine National Park in central Indonesia. The station was rebuilt in 2016 and supports a dive centre, lecture theatre, classroom spaces, as well as a large dining room and kitchen facility. Simple huts owned by members of the local fishing community surround the station and serve as guest accommodation. The island supports reliable phone signal that allows limited internet access, but there is no wifi onsite.
Find out more about students can fundraise, as a group or individually
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