AGRRA Monitoring

I finally finished my training with Healthy Reefs which I started in Punta Allen last year!! This means that I can assist Healthy Reefs when they monitor the Mesoamerican coral reef, going out with other trained people to count fish. Roughly the methodology is you lay a 30m transect and count all of the fish that you see from the reef to the surface in a 2m span, and record how big they are. When you get to 30m, turn around and count the maximum relief every 5m, which is the difference between the lowest and highest points on the reef in that specific 2m wide spot. The people we trained with came to Puerto Morelos this time, and I had two days with them to get the dives done. I was exhausted by the end, but so happy that finally I am qualified to monitor the reef! I have also finished my fish exams and fish spots on base so that I can teach fish to our volunteers. There is a process to go through with learning the fish or coral here, I had to get 100% in 6 exams and then 95% or above in three in water fish spots. The fish that we monitor are indicative of the health of the reef as a whole, and the data that we collect is used to determine the fishing quotas for the park. We have groupers here that have been over fished and so we rarely see the big adults. To help stocks recover, fishing is limited to specific seasons to not interrupt the breeding and to try and prevent the numbers reducing further.

Some of the fish are very distinctive, but others like the different Porgy are very similar and if you only see them quickly and from a distance it can be a challenge. I had consistently get 2 wrong out of 30 fish so had failed the spots. When I finally had three successful fish spots I was very happy, we also saw a queen trigger fish at a local dive site which is a super rare fish here so that felt like a blessing! Healthy Reefs are starting the monitoring of the reef now, so the skills I have learned will be used soon.

Below are just a few of the gorgeous fish that I have to count. A particular favorite is the Spanish Hogfish (yellow with a purple back) whose scientific name is Bodianus rufus!! Every time I see one I think of my friends son Rufus and it makes me smile!