australian damselfish losing their way/ random tangent

[julianp]

I came across this a little while ago and thought some people on here may find it interesting.

http://www.aims.gov.au/news/pages/media-release-20080307.html



And on a side note/tangent:

I began this hobby as just that. A hobby. However, the more I've grown to appreciate the beauty of reefs and reef fishes as a result (which I would not have been exposed to in any depth without the aid of said hobby), the more I've been seriously considering giving up my current career choice and going into biology or reef environmental protection work of some kind. I can't stand the thought of losing such a beautiful part of the planet to humankind's own unwillingness to change.

It is for this reason that I feel this hobby is an important one. Exposure to these natural beauties by keeping small slices of these environments (done responsibly) gives those who would otherwise not know enough to even care a second chance and a new outlook. In the past year, I've watched the interests of many of my family and friends grow tenfold -- not only in the hidden beauty they've discovered, but also in awareness of the changes we need to make worldwide to insure this beauty is always there for new generations to appreciate.

I'm eternally grateful that resources like reefcentral exist in which people with a common appreciation of these things can get together and share with people like myself who are unknowingly pulled into an entirely new direction in their awareness about the planet.


... That said, I would love to do whatever I can, but hardly know where to start. Have any of you ever come across any sort of volunteer program or awareness campaigns that people such as myself who have no scientific background can get involved in?

Regards,
Julian

 

[edr42]

Hey!
I know those guys! Some of my tutors and lecturers are involved in this study. It correlates with another study done by Dave Bellwood, one of my lecturers at JCU, on how juvenile damselfish recruit to a reef through sound, hence the importance of the ear development.

Reef check is an international volunteer based program that monitors the health of reef systems worldwide. They run training courses, which allow you to take part in the visual surveys out on the reef. Conservation groups depend heavily on volunteers, so any reefers keen to find out more of the scientific side of things would be welcomed. Volunteers are the lifeblood of many of these programs, for most of them, all you need is some spare time, a keen attitude, and an open mind.

Good luck!