Competition and Biofouling

Everything on our planet can essentially be classified as symbiosis or competition. This course dives into the dense world of competition on our coral reefs. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the different competitions between trophic levels, and learn how to categorize different types of competition. By decreasing the competition and biofouling that corals face on a daily basis, we can give them a leg up when we actively try to restore our reefs with resilience. This course is a partial fulfillment of the Advanced Ecological Monitoring Plan.

Prerequisites:

• Be certified under a globally recognized diving agency (PADI, SSI, NAUI etc.)

• Be at an advanced level of diving and demonstrate self-awareness underwater

• Achieved the Ecological Monitoring Plan certification

Knowledge Development:

• Attend the Advanced Marine Ecology Competition and Biofouling Lecture

• Gain a comprehensive understanding of competition, symbiosis, and predation

• Build up methodologies for monitoring competition and biofouling on an organism of your choice.

• Build an excel sheet to be able to collect the corresponding data

Performance Requirements:

• Perform a dive collecting data using your own independently built methodology

• Correctly identify at least 3 cases of epibiosis or competition on an organism of your choice

• Collect the corresponding data into your own independently built data sheet

• Pass the competition and biofouling exam

Price:

$150/day

Approximate time for course completion: ~1 day and 1 dive