Volunteer Aquarium divers use Reef Check monitoring protocols in California and Hawaii
Credit: Sean Eckley
As community scientists, Aquarium volunteer scientific divers regularly conduct underwater habitat surveys using Reef Check monitoring protocols to assess the health of our local kelp forest ecosystem by observing the abundance and distribution of a variety of species of fishes, invertebrates, and algae found in California. The information collected by our divers is added to a database that allows scientists to see how these populations are changing over time to make informed policy and management decisions about the conservation and restoration of these ecosystems. The Reef Check Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to the long-term monitoring of kelp forest and coral reef ecosystems across the globe.
In 2025, Aquarium field divers expanded their survey participation to Hawaii, joining surveys with Reef Check Hawaii which relaunched in 2024 in the Aloha State. Since then, the Aquarium has adopted a reef survey site in Kona, Hawaii to conduct annual surveys in partnership with Reef Check Hawaii. Our divers will conduct coral habitat surveys to monitor fish and invertebrate abundance and coral ecosystem health over time.
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