Are you looking for a new, innovative way to protect your office? Then keep reading…

The Great Reef Census is a world-first citizen science project to test the effectiveness of mass-scale human engagement in underwater research. The project is designed to pilot new ways of capturing large-scale reconnaissance data from across the Great Barrier Reef, helping to support research and management.

*** Watch the Great Reef Census video here  ***

The project is divided into two stages. Stage 1 (which we discussed in this Torchbearer Q&A) was about working with divers and marine tourism operators to capture images of the Great Barrier Reef. Thanks to passionate PADI Professionals and ocean advocates like Russell Hosp (PADI Instructor and Environmental Manager at Passions of Paradise), this stage surpassed expectations and the team now have thousands of quality images to assess.

Stage 2 is about analyzing those images. Researchers from the University of Queensland have done a first pass at image analysis and now they need your help to ‘complete the picture’. If the analysis from both groups is complimentary, then the evidence will be considered accurate and the model deemed a viable method for capturing reef health on a mass scale. As those of us already working to protect our local reefs will know, this sort of information would be a hugely influential tool in establishing greater legal protections for all coral reefs.

Does this all sound quite exciting? Do you want to get a reef census going on your local reef? If that’s a yes, then here’s some great news… If successful, this model can be rolled out across the world, providing real-time status-updates for our most treasured reefs, including your local reef.

In order to roll this out globally, the team are hoping to evidence the diving community’s support for this method on a global scale. So, as a leader of the dive community (whether you’re in Cairns, Dahab, Bali or Bonaire) we’re calling on you to turn your passion into purpose by getting involved in this analysis!

Still not sure? Head to The PADI Torchbearer Facebook Group for the next Torchbearer Q&A discussing Stage 2 of the project and why your involvement matters.

Take Action: Head to greatreefcensus.org to learn more, and on the 16th February, get analyzing!

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