The Kosrae Village Reef Protection Projects began in 1996 to monitor and protect coral reefs near Kosrae, Micronesia. Volunteers conduct annual coral surveys in October to track reef health. Partnering with OceanEarth allows volunteers to potentially deduct expenses from US taxes. Surveys involve assessing coral type and health, underwater photos, and collecting data to share with local managers.

1. Tax Deductible
Diving
Kosrae Village Ecolodge & Dive Resort
Reef Protection Projects
Kosrae, Micronesia

2. The Kosrae Village
Reef Protection
Projects began in 1996.
During the first year
we tested survey
protocols and
identified locations for
mooring buoys.
The first group of
volunteer divers were
from the Northern
California Underwater
Photographic Society.
Kosrae Village, Kosrae Micronesia
kosraevillage.com

3. Partnership with
OceanEarth
Dr. Steve Smith and
OceanEarth, a 501(c)3
corporation, have been
essential partners since
the first coral monitoring
session in 1996. Because
OceanEarth has 501(c)3
status, volunteers for
projects organized through
OceanEarth can usually
deduct all related expenses
from their US taxes.
Kosrae Village, Kosrae Micronesia
kosraevillage.com

4. In 1997 the
Mooring Buoys and
the first permanent
transects using the
buoys were
installed.
Kosrae Village, Kosrae Micronesia
kosraevillage.com

5. Collected Data
A Microsoft programmer
volunteered to set up a data
base for storing and reporting
the coral monitoring data in
1998. The collected data is
shared between the three
organizations on the island
conducting coral monitoring
and international and regional
bodies. Local resource
managers regularly refer to
our data to manage the
essential reef resource.
Kosrae Village, Kosrae Micronesia
kosraevillage.com

6. U. S. Tax Regulations
You can find the current
IRS regulations and other
related information at
irs.gov/charities/contribut
ors/index.html
We recommend consulting
your financial advisor or
tax preparer to make sure
that you are in compliance
with IRS rules. To our
knowledge none of our
volunteers have had
difficulty taking the
deduction.
Kosrae Village, Kosrae Micronesia
kosraevillage.com

7. To join one of the
monitoring teams, you
need to be a certified
diver with good
buoyancy skills.
We have an annual
survey period set for
October, but it is not
possible to survey all of
the sites in a single two
week period. Four to six
volunteers are needed
to set up a project team.
Kosrae Village, Kosrae Micronesia
kosraevillage.com

8. We are happy to work
with dive shops or clubs to
set up a survey project for
their divers.
Based on
recommendations from
our 2010 team we
changed the invertebrate
and coral damage surveys
to include photography.
This makes it much easier
for sport divers to collect
valuable data and fully
participate in the surveys.
Kosrae Village, Kosrae Micronesia
kosraevillage.com

9. A sample day goes like this:
• Leave for the boats about 9 am.
• That day’s survey sites will be selected based on
ocean conditions.
• The boat will anchor at the mooring buoy and the
people laying out the transect and conducting the
fish count go in the water first.
• People collecting environmental data and taking
photos of coral, invertebrates and over all coral
health follow about 15 – 20 minutes later.
• After the first dive, a scrumptious lunch including
our famous brownies!
Kosrae Village, Kosrae Micronesia
kosraevillage.com

10. Sample day continued
• The second dive of the day is considered an
environmental “overview”. It is usually deeper and
we travel further along the reef, keeping a sharp
eye out for big guys like mantas and whale sharks.
• There is a 1 – 2 hour debriefing every evening,
where we review photos, identify critters, talk
about reef ecology and enter the day’s data.
• We also work on the mooring buoys while we are
out there, replacing lines and buoys as needed.
Kosrae Village, Kosrae Micronesia
kosraevillage.com

11. For more information
Check
kosraevillage.com/coral.shtml
for details on this year’s
October monitoring session.
Video from the 2010 survey
team is available on this page.
The OceanEarth site,
www.oceanearth.org/, has
more information on past and
present teams.
Email me with any questions
at katrina@kosraevillage.com
Kosrae Village, Kosrae Micronesia
kosraevillage.com

12. Join Us!
Have a great time diving on
one of the best hard coral
reefs in the Pacific.
Contribute to the ongoing
health and management of
our rich and diverse reef
resource.
Learn more about tropical
coral reef ecology and
share your knowledge with
the rest of the team.
Kosrae Village, Kosrae Micronesia
kosraevillage.com