Our Ningaloo Project Officer volunteer, Gemma Francis, had the chance to present a poster on the evolution of the regional program at the Australian Coral Reef Society conference held in Exmouth in May 2018.
The poster gave a recap of our work in the region since 2013 and outlined proposed next steps. After 2 years of working with the amazing team at Cape Conservation Group, we have collectively decided that to provide sufficient support for volunteers and partners, a part-time paid coordinator role is critical to support a sustainable reef citizen science monitoring and outreach program for the Ningaloo Coast. At this stage we have currently submitted two grants and hoping to ready to share new plans later this year!
The conference presented the perfect chance to connect and discuss plans with the local Exmouth and broader marine science community. Gemma said "It was an incredible event to attend and represent Reef Check. It was inspiring to be part of this scientific community and and great to see ongoing support for this growing project."
The conference explored the effects of climate change, in particularly rising sea temperatures, and the monitoring, management strategies for existing coral ecosystems around Australia, with a focus on the Ningaloo region.
