Marine conservation volunteering

[Sebastian746]

Hi all
I am interested to volunteer at some marine conservation project but having difficulty planning it out so need some help from you. I am in full time employment in the UK so this will be taken out of my annual leave. I am looking for something ideally upto 2 weeks but looks like most places require you to spend a month (understandably). I would also like this to pan out into something long term - for instance i go back to this same place/project every year. Ideally I would like the airfare to not be crippling, so something in the Med or Africa/India ocean would be ideal, but I am open to other regions as well. Obviously I want to be able to do lots of diving in this project.
Any feedback from anyone is most welcome.

Thanks for your time!

 

[Doc]

To adjust your expectations a bit...

These experiences are mostly an income generating program that parallels the actual research. This program is operated usually as any multiple week tour. The money you pay for the "program" is designed to more than cover your accommodations and food.

"Lots of diving", is that what you wanted? Consider the nature of field research. For every hour you're out there doing cool stuff like diving, what do they spend in lab environments analyzing the result....20 hours? The most diving you can log would be with an archeological excavation, but they are usually treasure hunters and good luck with that...another thread, similar advice.

It might be enjoyable for those with an adventurous streak and ready for less than resort conditions. Water for showering might be in short supply, similar things as well.

Will you save the world? No, not at all. You'd do more good if you sent the facility the $ instead of burning fuel, eating their baloney sandwiches, etc. The "guest visitors" are often true believers, sometimes to remarkable extremes.

If you're thinking of future work? Just note well that you'll be surrounded by grad students and young adult scientist types who aren't completely imaciated but gaunt. They may ask you if you brought any cigarettes...possibly a side of beef? I've seen it.

It can be interesting, but go in with open eyes.

 

[Eleanor Estrada]

Glad to know that, you are interested in volunteering. My sister was also facing the same problem, she was also searching for the volunteering option, where she can go on a solidarity leave, which lasts for around 2 weeks. Thus, one of her friends suggested to discover this and participate in solidarity travel.

 

[_Ralph]

projectbaseline.org


_R

 

[Edward3c]

I’ve done these in the past and can testify they are little more than tourist companies hiding under the conservation banner. There are a few exceptions, like Raleigh International (who no longer do maritime projects).

One company of note is ReefCI operating in Belize. They are a tourist company offering conservation diving. What I like is they’re up front about you pay to dive on their projects.

It takes at least 2 weeks to be good enough to gather scientific data, hence the 4 week requirement.

PM me if you want specific information.

 

[charlier]

Excellent thread. Scientific diving requires excellent buoyancy and trim. Such diving skills are needed for WU note taking, photographs, and observations. Assuming one has such diving skills (e.g., fundies or equivalent skills), training takes about two days of classroom and pool time, following by a two or three days of training to learn key indicator species (fish, coral, or invertebrates) or health of corals using color charts. For each of the modules, expect a classroom .ppt ID test and field ID test (> 90%).

 

[IsaUnderwater]

Hi Sebastian, have you considered Utila in Honduras? They have just started a coral restoration program, you can learn more on it there: What's A Coral Nursery? The Utila Coral Restoration Project Explains
Plus they are part of an excellent dive center... if not one of the best training in the world!
if you already did one, let me know where and if you liked it! I always look for this type of volunteering, went to East Timor too with Blue Ventures it was fantastic!!