Coral Reef Eco Training & Consulting
Restoration Diver Certification
Reef Guru Diver Program
DIVERS / SNORKELLERS
JOIN THE FUN & BUILD REEFS FOR THE FUTURE
Are you a certified SCUBA diver? Do you care about the beautiful marine environment that you love to explore and wish that you could give back to the reefs in some way? Then you will LOVE our Restoration Diver and Conservation Diver certification courses! Explore this page to learn more about these fun and exciting courses and how and where you can participate!
STEP 1:
Choose your course from the 2 options listed below
STEP 2:
Head on over to learn.reefguru.uk to complete the online Reef Restoration Theory course & gain your theory certificate!
STEP 3:
Complete the practical component at one of our Partner Facility locations (check them out here!) and earn the full Diver Certification!
THE COURSES
CONSERVATION DIVER
Complete the 4 chapter Conservation Diver theory course online on our education site. After completing the theory, you can choose to take part in the practical component at any of our Partner Facilities! With less expansive theory and a shorter optional practical session, the Conservation Diver is perfect for the recreational diver or those who are short on time.
ONLINE THEORY
Complete online from the comfort of your home!
1. Coral Reefs Importance and Threats: An introduction to what corals are, their morphology and the local and global threats they face.
2. Coral Identification: Recognise the difference between hard and soft coral and the general hard coral growth forms.
3. Coral Reef Restoration: Introduction to the basic theory behind reef restoration methods, with a focus on the skills required to maintain a coral nursery and artificial reef.
5. Reduce your Impact on Reefs: How to reduce your carbon and environmental impact as well as minimising your diving impact and good buoyancy practices.
PRACTICAL
Participate in the practical dives at any of our Partner Facilities!
A 1 day, 2 dive practical course, the Conservation Diver allows the diver to become involved in the restoration project with a practical session focus on restoration maintenance skills.
1. Coral Identification: Throughout the in-water sessions, coral identification is practised independently and with the instructor.
2. Endangered Reefs: Dive one focuses on various methods to improve diver buoyancy skills.
3. Coral Restoration: Dive Two focuses on utilising the skills learnt in restoration maintenance, including cleaning the coral nursery and artificial reef, collecting growth data, and removing coral predators from the nursery.
RESTORATION DIVER
Complete the 5 chapter Restoration Diver theory course online on our education site. After completing the theory, you can choose to take part in the practical component at any of our Partner Facilities! With more in depth theory and a fuller practical experience, the Restoration Diver is great for those heading out on coral restoration volunteer trips, professional scuba divers, aspiring/current marine biologists or the recreational diver looking to truly get stuck in to coral restoration!
ONLINE THEORY
Complete online from the comfort of your home!
1. Coral Reefs Importance and Threats: An introduction to what corals are, their morphology and the local and global threats they face.
2. Coral Identification: Recognise the difference between hard & soft corals and identify hard corals down to Acropora and non-Acropora growth forms.
3. Reef Restoration Theory: An introduction to reef restoration, what it is, how it is conducted and background information about corals which helps determine restoration methods.
4. Reef Restoration Methodology: The methods behind coral nurseries, artificial structures & out-planting. Information on restoration tools, skills, techniques, monitoring and maintenance.
5. Reduce your Impact on Reefs: How to reduce your carbon and environmental impact as well as minimising your diving impact and good buoyancy practices.
PRACTICAL
Participate in the practical dives at any of our Partner Facilities!
A 2 day, 4 dive practical course, the Restoration Diver exposes the diver to the full array of restoration activities.
1. Coral Identification: Throughout the in-water sessions, coral identification is practiced independently and with the instructor.
2. Endangered Reefs: Dive one focuses on various methods to improve diver buoyancy skills.
3. Coral Restoration: Dives two, three and four involve utilising various restoration skills such as fragment collection, fragment attachment, data collection, nursery maintenance or out planting, depending on the current needs of the coral restoration project.
HOW?
Head on over to our online course site learn.reefguru.uk to jump right in and begin the exciting Restoration Diver or Conservation Diver online theory course. You can start and complete this course at home any time, so that all your precious vacation minutes are spent getting stuck in to the hands-on practical restoration sessions! When you sign up to start the online theory course, we will mail to you a Diver Pack, which contains a Diver Information Booklet recapping all the info (& more!) that you learn in the theory course, a set of coral growth form ID cards (for use on your dives!) and some Reef Guru merch. Upon completion of the theory course you will receive a digital theory completion certificate which you will need to show to the dive centre before starting the practical reef restoration course.
You can then head on over to our Course Locations page to decide which amazing location you will visit to complete the practical part of the course. We will be continuously recruiting new Partner Facilities, so keep checking back for more locations! If & when you complete the practical component of the course, you will receive a digital course completion certificate from us and can choose to order a certification card on our online education site!
Our online theory courses also serve as stand alone educational courses, so if you are interested in coral biology, the importance of coral reefs and want to learn more about coral restoration but not necessarily get stuck in with the practical aspect, our online theory courses are still a great choice for you!
LOCATIONS
Check out a full list of dive & snorkel centres (our Partner Facilities) that offer the practical component of the Restoration Diver and Conservation Diver courses. New facilities will always be coming on board so keep checking back!