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Conservation volunteering | Wildlife Volunteer | Biosphere Expeditions
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1-week projects 
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Underwater pioneers: studying & protecting the unique coral reefs of the Musandam peninsula within Oman & UAE. SCUBA diving volunteer opportunities & conservation holidays on the coral reefs of the Musandam peninsula.
Price/dates/status
These SCUBA diving conservation volunteer holidays will take you to the United Arab Emirates and from there to the remote and mountainous Musandam peninsula of Oman. There you will study the diverse coral reefs fringing the areas where the mountains plunge into the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. This is a pioneering study to map this currently unprotected underwater environment. The reefs boast a rich mixture of beautiful corals and a multitude of fish and other animals. Data on the current biological status of the reefs and of population levels of key indicator species are therefore crucial for educational purposes and to be able to put forward ideas for future marine protection areas. Data collection follows an internationally recognised coral reef monitoring programme, called Reef Check, and will be used to make informed management and conservation decisions within the area. The expedition includes training as a Reef Check EcoDiver. With this you are also eligible to apply for PADI or NAUI Reef Check Speciality Course certification. Please note that you need to be a fully qualified diver to take part in this expedition (minimum PADI Open Water or equivalent).
DetailsDuring the expedition you will have the opportunity to become a fully certified Reef Check EcoDiver. With this certification you are also eligible to apply for PADI or NAUI Reef Check Speciality Course certification. All the course materials and the certification as a Reef Check EcoDiver are part of your expedition contribution.
Aims & objectives To monitor the health of the Musandam peninsula’s reefs, its fish and invertebrate communities so that informed management, education and conservation decisions can be made by the government and NGOs. Background
Although popular myth has Arabia down as a vast, flat and empty expanse of sand (and oil), Oman is quite different. In fact, there is a wide range of contrasting landscapes: high mountains, beaches, the desert landscapes of the Empty Quarter, coral reefs and even tropical habitats, where the monsoon touches Oman in the extreme south. The reefs are in excellent condition with percentage coral cover reaching the highest levels seen in the world (80-90%) with over 200 species present. They teem with large grouper, emperors, and schools of jacks, snapper and fusiliers. Turtles, lobster and sting rays can be seen with an occasional reef shark passing by. Colourful species endemic to the Indian Ocean and Oman are numerous. Blue and yellow Indian Ocean angelfish are so common that they form schools. The Arabian butterflyfish is everywhere and hard to miss due to its brilliant yellow-orange colour. The dives range from walls to gentle rocky slopes covered by hard corals, with black coral and blue gorgonians common. All of our survey dives are to a maximum 20 metre depth. Study species A coral reef is composed of a myriad of species and it is impossible to name them all here. However, during our Reef Check surveys (see below for more information on Reef Check methodologies), we will be concentrating on a number of indicator organisms such as:Grunts (a group of fish, belonging to a taxonomic family called the Haemulidae) Groupers (Sermulidae) Snappers (Lutjanidae) Parrotfish (Scaridae) Butterflyfish (Chaetodontidae) Lobsters (Palinuridae) Sea whips (Gorgonacea) Hard and soft corals Sea urchins Other landmark species present: Humpback, spinner & bottlenose dolphins Manta ray Hawksbill sea turtle Expedition work You will spend the first couple of days with training in and out of the water. The expedition leader and the local scientist will prepare you for your fieldwork tasks and explain the research methods and goals. Talks are organised to make you familiar with safety, the equipment, the research (and your part in it) and the area in which it will happen. Open water dives are organised so that everyone can get comfortable in the water again and put into action the fish, invertebrate and other ID skills taught before the actual survey work begins.Once you are trained up, your tasks will be predominantly dive-based and consist of several distinct underwater activities with the team split into buddy pairs. Depending on what your assignment is on the day, you and your buddy will, for example, be recording fish or invertebrates along the transect, or recording what kind of substrate (hard or soft coral, sand, rock, etc.) covers the bottom along the transect. Covering a transect will take you about one hour and you will dive up to four transects per day. During the course of the expedition, you will be laying transects in different locations all over the reef. Research area
The Musandam peninsula (sometimes also called the Norway of Arabia) is the northernmost part of Oman jutting out into the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Arabian Gulf. The province, or Governorate of Musandam as it is officially known, is separated from the rest of Oman by various parts of the United Arab Emirates including Ras al Khaimah and Fujairah. The Musandam more or less begins where the mountains rise from the plains of Ras al Khaimah. Partners On this project Biosphere Expeditions is working with Reef Check, the Emirates Diving Association, local dive centres, businesses & resorts, the local community, Sultan Qaboos University, the Oman Ministry for Environment and Climate Affairs, the Oman Tourism Board, as well as the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre and the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN). Further support comes from a Six Senses (Zighy Bay) environmental grant, as well as a grant from the Waterloo Foundation. View more Marine Conservation Projects
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Press
Feedback"We have been privileged to be on the expedition. This group has really worked well together and the boat crew have been really helpful and it has to be said that the food was the best I have ever had on a boat. You are in for a treat. Another great expedition – see you again." Steve Tredwell, 52, UK.
"Oh what an expedition! Are they all like this? I feel lucky to have it as my first. SCUBA diving is a fantastic experience, but diving for the environment is another thing. Doing it in such a well-organised, task-oriented, yet friendly and harmonious way wherever we go was a delight. I am pleased to have made this step and look forward to repeating it again."
"All credit to Matthias, Rita & crew. I have had a wonderful week, learnt so much. The expedition has helped me to understand the complex and frail reef environment and I hope to sign up again in the future."
"It was a great experience and I would like to come again. Thank youvery much for this week. I will recommend Biosphere Expeditions."
"Really enjoyable, good team, thank you!"
"Thankyou very much for providing me with the opportunity to join thisexpedition. I learnt so much and met great people I will stay in touchwith. Thanks again – I very much appreciate what Biosphere Expeditionsdoes."
"I had a great time and learned a lot. Hope to do the expedition again next year."
"Thank you for a great outing!" "Youhave created something big with Biosphere Expeditions and I wanted tothank you for letting me be part of it. My experience with you was notonly extraordinarily enriching and beautiful, but it has also put manywheels in motion in my life, amongst other things a new understandingof wildlife and nature, as well as a deep personal friendship. Myexpedition has been one of the most inspirational and formativeexperiences of my life. THANK YOU!”“This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to and itfelt like a real privilege to wake up here and go out diving with thescientists.”
“What a wonderful experience. One that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
“Congratulations for the Biosphere Expeditions idea and the way thestaff carries it through with their enthusiasm. I came across you onthe internet by chance and your information materials and the way myquestions were answered persuaded me to dare come on the expedition.Once in the field my expectations were more than fulfilled. The teamwas great, as was the food and I gained a real insight into howwildlife research and conservation works on the ground. I'll be back!”
BriefingThe expedition briefing contains very detailed information on this expedition, including instructions on how to get to the assembly point, what you will be doing whilst on expedition and who your expedition leader and scientists will be. You can access briefings via the Download Centre.
JoinJoin this SCUBA diving volunteer vacation / working holiday conserving the coral reefs of the Musandam pensinsula.
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