Acropora ID Coral Diver

Acropora is the biggest genus of Hard Corals with at least 143 species. They dominated shallow reefs all around the world, and are right now under a lot of threat. It’s also the main coral used in coral reef restoration projects worldwide. Unfortunately, their taxonomy and biology are very confusing. And to successfully use them for coral reef restoration, we need to understand what species to plant where? During this course, you will learn to identify 82 different species of Acropora and observe most of them in their natural habitat. A must-have course for any Coral Reef Restoration Indo-Pacific Practitioner. The course is divided into 17 classes and 18 scuba/free dive sessions over 9 days, in 2 different locations: Nusa Penida and Amed/Tulamben area.

Prerequisites

A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Marine Science, Biology, Environmental Science, Conservation Biology, or a related discipline
Minimum Advanced Diver certification, with at least 50 dives)
Good buoyancy skills are a must

Includes

Ocean Gardener certified coral instructor
40+ dives in Tulamben and Nusa Penida.

Excludes

Flights to/from Bali or Raja Ampat
Dive equipment, food, accommodation and transportation to the course location are not provided

If you need help arranging food, accommodations, or transportation, please indicate in the booking comments, and we can arrange them for you.

Cancellation Policy

Full refund if cancelled 7 days before the event.

Day 1-4: Nusa Ceningan The reefs of Nusa Penida have the best Acropora cover and diversity in the area. The powerful and rich current, on top of cooling upwelling, offers the best environmental conditions for Acropora colonies to reach monumental size. The diversity of species is just mindblowing. Day 5-9: Nusa Ceningan The reefs around Tulamben and Amed offer very easy conditions, high recruitment, and very different, but complementary diversity of Acropora than that in Nusa Penida. Both locations are very complementary to each other.