The Transect Line: July/August 2020

Reef Check’s New Look!

Today, we are proud to present Reef Check’s new logo and website! Our new logo features the key elements of a diver, fish, coral reef and kelp forest and we feel that it is a cohesive representation of what Reef Check stands for: leading citizen scientists to promote stewardship of sustainable reef communities worldwide.

Since the launch of our California program in 2005, Reef Check has been dedicated to the conservation of both tropical coral reefs and temperate kelp forests. We are training and leading citizen scientists to study reefs around the globe and develop conservation and restoration solutions to improve the health of reefs and the human communities that depend on them.

We invite you to check out our new website and online store. Click here to find out more about our programs or to pick up some new logo swag!

Reef Check California’s North Coast Kelp Forest Restoration Project Begins

Since 2014, bull kelp in northern California has declined more than 90% due to a combination of extreme warm water events and multiple ecological stressors. This month, Reef Check and partners began to remove the native purple urchin from a targeted restoration area in North Noyo Harbor, Fort Bragg with the goal of catalyzing a phase shift from urchin barren back to kelp forest.

Reef Check Malaysia: Playing Our Part to Keep Malaysia’s Beaches Clean

Reef Check Malaysia has been conducting annual beach clean-ups in conjunction with the International Coastal Clean-up for several years now, and the effort will continue this year on September 19th amidst the ongoing pandemic. If you’d like to be a part of this effort, you can sign up here.

Video Spotlight:
Something’s Fishy at Heisler Park

In July, Reef Check California Volunteers surveyed Heisler Park in Laguna Beach, CA. This video was captured by our Southern California Regional Manager, Dr. Selena McMillan after she observed a female California Sheephead swim by with a red urchin between its teeth, bringing lots of fish in to try and share the Sheephead’s meal!

Reef Check Australia’s 2019-2020 South East Queensland Season Summary Report is Out

Despite delays caused by unfavorable weather conditions and the pandemic, Reef Check Australia’s awesome volunteers still managed to wrap up the 2019-2020 South East Queensland survey season on time. Click here for an overview of what they found.