The Deep Aquarium in Hull is hosting a Coral Identification Workshop over the weekend of October 3–4, 2015.
The workshop is being run by Australian scientist Russell Kelley, author of the Reef Finder (the world’s first searchable underwater ID smart guide to reef life) and the Indo Pacific Coral Finder (the world’s first searchable underwater ID smart guide to corals).
His workshop includes two full days of lab tuition and will run at The Deep's Learning Centre. The program is based around the Coral Finder Toolkit, a suite of proven, practical resources for coral identification. The Coral Finder uses a visual approach that makes it possible for beginners to advance rapidly with little prior knowledge.
The workshop uses audio-visual and hands-on training, tutorials and instruction and includes a take home Coral Finder Toolkit: Coral Finder, accessories and complete audiovisual training on a USB flash drive.
Participants learn how to use the Coral Finder to identify corals to genus regardless of growth form and how to cross reference field results back to formal knowledge for species ID. Special emphasis is placed on techniques for field identification, self directed learning and problem solving.
For non-coral specialists, the workshop rapidly develops basic coral identification skills.
For current or future coral specialists, it improves the reliability and consistency of coral identification and develops a mature understanding of how to approach species identification.
The training applies equally topside or underwater. Even people with extensive prior knowledge of corals benefit significantly from the problem solving training built into the workshop. It also summarises the changes and implications of new molecular taxonomy findings while providing an easy-to-grasp, practical, field focussed approach to coral identification.
The cost of the worskhop is £210 (this does not include accommodation). Lunch and snacks can be purchased from the cafe.
To book a place contact Russell Kelley at [email protected] or visit the BYO Guides website.
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