I gave this presentation as an speaker at the 2009 International Marine Conservation Congress.

1. REEF CHECK
Reeling It In: Transferring
Citizen Science Knowledge
to Managers and Decision-
Makers
K. Kopp Divematrix.com
Cyndi Dawson
Director of Science
California Program
Reef Check Foundation R. Tavernetti

2. Implementing EBM

3. Reef Check California Goals
Research & Conservation
 Create network of citizen scientists to carry out
annual standardized monitoring of California
rocky reefs
 Provide reliable data on nearshore reefs to
marine managers as baseline & to evaluate
management measures
Education & Outreach
 Build awareness & stewardship of nearshore
rocky reef ecosystem issues
 Create educated local communities
supportive of science-based management

4. Reef Check California
Density of Top Five Fishes
Avg. # per transect (+SE)
50
40
30
20
10
0
Rugosity Index
Substrate Composition
3% 8%
3
2
1
89%
0
Bedrock Boulder Cobble
Other Sand

5. Reef Check CA Sites
2008  60 Sites and 76 surveys
Total Sites
80
60
NorCal
40 CenCal
SoCal
20
Islands
0
2006 2007 2008
COUNTS TO DATE:
Fishes = over 65,000
Invertebrates = over 198,000
Seaweed = over 57,000

6. Making Data Available
http://www.reefcheck.org/rcca/2yr.php
http://ned.reefcheck.org/

7. NED
Nearshore Ecosystem Database
Map
Viewer
http://ned.reefcheck.org/

8. Map Viewer = Easily View Data
Compare Species Abundance
http://ned.reefcheck.org

9. Map Viewer = Easily View Data
Detailed Site Information

10. Map Viewer = Easily View Data
Site Summary

11. Map Viewer = Easily View Data
Site Data

12. Map Viewer = Easily View Data
Changes Over Time

13. Data Download = Raw data

14. Diver Portal = Data Upload

15. Conclusions
 Innovative web based data dissemination
 User-friendly at various levels
 Data needs are increasing
What we need next…
 Developing metadata and web standards to
help ensure wide usage is needed

16. Acknowledgements
• California Coastal Marine Initiative of the David
and Lucille Packard Foundation, Richard and
Rhoda Goldman Fund, California Ocean
Protection Council/State Coastal Conservancy,
Quiksilver Foundation, Body Glove, SIMA,
UCSB Shoreline Preservation Fund, Patagonia,
Campbell Foundation, Code Blue
• Scientific Advisory Team
• Reef Check volunteers worldwide

17. http://ned.reefcheck.org