Coastal Environment Monitoring
Protocol
OVERVIEW
The management of the environment, both terrestrial and marine, requires a detailed knowledge of species distribution in a specific area. Knowledge of the most suitable environment and geographical distribution of a species is fundamental to plan its suitable safeguard and preservation. Unfortunately, as far as the marine environment is concerned, knowledge is still extremely fragmentary. Species distribution is well known only in some areas of the Italian shoreline.
The Coastal Environment Monitoring protocol (CEM) wish to contribute to the protection of our sea bottoms both with the popularization of marine biology and with the co-operation among scuba divers, researchers, and managers of the coasts.
The purpose is to involve recreational scuba divers in the monitoring activity. Volunteers will have to participate to an EcoDiver CEM Course, they will be trained by Reef Check Italia Trainers, usually marine biologist, scuba instructors, dive master or expert scuba divers.
CEM is a national project targeting volunteer scuba divers who wish to safeguard the marine environment.
It is articulated into three sub-projects,
Reef Check Italia onlus, by means of the CEM protocol, has established a national network in order to i) obtain underwater observations useful to widen the knowledge about the distribution of some target species, ii) monitor permanent sites, to follow seasonally, in order to analyze the variations in medium and long period (possibly using them also as training for the courses of Marine Biology) iii) register data of water temperature.
Joining is easy and enjoyable, but especially
useful!
Everybody, with a minimum of experience and enthusiasm can offer their own contribution.
Attending a Reef Check Italia Onlus Course is an opportunity to dive and, at the same time, taking part in an ambitious scientific research project, able to value every single observation provided. To join the programme is sufficient to attend an EcoDiver CEM course of Reef Check Italia Onlus. Courses are usually held in Marine Protected Areas or Diving Centres more sensitive to environmental issues; dates of the courses will be scheduled on our website. Volunteers will register themselves (or being registered) in the website, indicating the ID number of their personal trainer, afterwards they will receive a personal identification number. At this point during each dive in the Mediterranean Sea they will be able to collect data useful for the project. Trainers will involve volunteers in seasonal dives for the monitoring of fixed stations.
Every year will be scheduled, in a fixed date, a weekend during which everyone will enjoy the CEM protocol having the opportunity to dive with RCI Trainers.
The event is called CEM Weekend, abbreviated as "CEM WE " it will be held on 5 and 6 of June in the places mentioned in the program CEM WE 2010.
IDEAVIDEO by Manfred
Bortoli
English
version is still under construction
Guide to
Mediterranean Marine Biology (in Italian):
