Diver/sailor wanted for Vanuatu experience

11:21 PM Sun 31 May 2009 GMT

'Enjoy sailing and diving AND help the environment' ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies &copy Click Here to view large photo

If you are a diver/sailor and have some background in marine biology or similar, a dream experience awaits you in Vanuatu, AND you'll be helping the survival and health of coral reefs and the coastal communities that depend on them.

Oceans Watch is a New Zealand based organisation with many Australian members. It is dedicated to the preservation of the marine environment in the South Pacific, and to sustainable livelihoods for the coastal communities there. The current marine conservation project is reef surveying work, which involves recording of the health of reefs for the use of marine scientists.

2009 sees the first project of this specific nature undertaken by OceansWatch. It will give yacht-owning members an opportunity to join OceansWatch in the conservation work being done with remote communities in the Pacific. It also gives our non-yacht-owning members a chance to contribute and share their skills with the cruising members.

This trip is being organised by Marine Biology graduate Natalie Riddler, who has spent the last couple of months preparing for the trip at the OceansWatch office near Tutukaka, Northland, New Zealand.

This year three yachts have committed to hosting Natalie and her dive buddy for various sections of the Vanuatu project. Initially Natalie will have another Marine Biologist, Emily Duder from New Zealand supporting her and Natalie is still sorting through applicants for the latter part of the season.

Some reefs are becoming more brittle - recording is vital to forminng solutions - ARC Centre ofExcellence for Coral Reef Studies &copy

Host yachts this year are likely to be:

Nathanial and Betsy on Bahatai, Isabelle and Schelmi on the beautiful new Wharram 46 Waka Taitea and Reef Check trained members David and Gail on Fifth Season. Assisting the team will be Sam from Ramprasad, Ritchie from Ka Pai and Russell from Rustler if he can get his huge job list finished in time!

This will be the second visit to Vanuatu by OceansWatch, after their successful 2008 campaign aboard Magic Roundabout. Once again OceansWatch will be assisting the Vanuatu Fisheries department and working closely with Reef Check Vanuatu representative Katie Thomson.

Last year Magic Roundabout visited five communities. This year those communities will have repeat visits for more detailed survey work and some new surveys will be carried out on the reefs in other areas, mainly north of the capital, Port Vila and as far north as the Banks Islands.

Coral Oceans Watch - .. .

The first week in Vanuatu will be spent near Port Vila accompanied by the Magic Roundabout team, on route to the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. In Port Vila the OceansWatch teams will undertake more Reef Check training and Cleo Pandelaers, the 2009 SCUBA instructor will also be running a PADI Open Water training course for Vanuatu fisheries staff.

After the training week Magic Roundabout heads to the Solomon Islands whilst the Vanuatu team will move to Havanah Harbour, North Efate to repeat the surveys OceansWatch did in 2008.

Epi is likely to be the next stop, responding to a request for a visit in 2008. The team will then head north for repeat surveys in Pentacost and Maewo and new survey sites will be visited as the OceansWatch flotilla heads up to the Banks Islands.

If anyone is interested in being a part of this trip a vacancy still exists to assist Natalie in September/October. You need to be an experienced diver, preferably a sailor too and have marine biology or similar academic qualifications. Apply to julia@oceanswatch.orgor read more about OceansWatch at www.oceanswatch.org

by Sail-World Cruising