April 29, 2019

New EcoDivers to Assist Egyptian Authorities in Monitoring Red Sea Reefs

 

By Prof. Mohammed M. A. Kotb, Reef Check Egypt Coordinator & EcoDiver Course Director

A Reef Check EcoDiver Training was held in Dahab, Egypt from March 20-24 2019. The training was organized by Mr. Ismail Abdel Azim, Dahab Protectorate Manager (Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency-EEAA), with a generous contribution from Mirage Divers Diving Centre and the participation of 12 divers from i-Dive Tribe, a group of volunteers from different professional backgrounds who dedicate time and effort to conserving the Red Sea coral reefs in cooperation with Dahab Protectorates Authority. The training was designed and supervised by myself and covered other marine environmental aspects in addition to the Reef Check EcoDiver Training.

This training is considered a milestone in the formulation of a network of volunteer divers who are willing to participate in different activities with EEAA rangers all around the Egyptian Red Sea to conserve and monitor reefs. This was the culmination of a dream for me; I’m proud to see the i-Dive Tribe group and marine science students ready to participate with the EEAA rangers in conserving their local reefs.