- Volunteers
Training
All ReefDoctor Volunteer Research Assistants will receive the necessary training to get ready for camp life, scuba diving, reef organism identification, data collection methods and project operations to get involved in hands on conservation, helping us expand essential data collection and facilitate further development of our core programs.
The duration of the core training usually covers the first week volunteers are with us though the level of ones diving certification will affect the schedule of this training. All volunteers MUST be certified to PADI Advanced Open Water (or equivalent) to undertake the coral reef surveys as part of our core Marine Research objectives.
If you have never dived before and/or have no diving certification please do not worry as we will provide all who join us for between 4 to 10 weeks with FREE dive training and certification from PADI Open water to PADI Advanced open water alongside PADI Emergency First Aid Responder.
And all those who stay with us for the full 12 weeks will be training and certified up to PADI Rescue diver.
All our expeditions start on the 1st of each month with this first week (first 7 days) being dedicated to dive training and the science training will start in the 2nd week of each expedition month.
To maximize ones time with us, for all volunteers whom are NOT dive certified (have no diving qualification and/or diving experience) are asked to arrive in this first week. For all those whom are dive certified to PADI Open Water (or equivalent) are asked to arrive in the 2nd week of the expedition month.
So in general all those who join the first week to undertake dive training from scratch, their training (up to the required PADI Advanced level) will cover the first two weeks of their expedition and all those who join in the second week, their training will cover the first week of their expedition. That’s in general as training is really always ongoing throughout your expedition.
Standard Training All undertake once with us
Upon arrival to the ReefDoctor camp site ALL volunteers will undergo the following training, camp introduction and orientation and introductory lectures in their first couple of days;
- Introduction/orientation to the ReefDoctor camp, its facilities and how to use them – sleeping areas, dinning area and food preparations, computers, internet, power sources, medicals, toilets, showers, dive shed, main office, kitchen, drinking water, showering water, cleaning/camp duties etc.,
- Introductory lecture to ReefDoctor – objectives, goals, achievements and its projects for 2011
- Lecture on Madagascar and the environment
- Lecture on the Vezo – fishing communities we work with, history, culture
- Lecture to Ifaty and Mangily villages – the two main villages we work with and live next to – history, culture, facilities and how to act towards the locals – involves a walk round the village and meeting the village president, village chief and our friends
- Lecture best practices to your health and hygiene
- Lecture in ReefDoctor emergency evacuation plan and procedures - learn how to use ReefDoctor’s safety and communications equipment
- Lecture in ReefDoctor safe diving procedures (rules and regulations)
- Malagasy language – simple phrases to say hello to your fellow Malagasy
Standard First Week Overview - Dive Training;
For all volunteers who start their expedition in the 1st week will also start the following dive training;
- Dive training in PADI Open Water according to the protocols of PADI International and ReefDoctors safe diving practices
NB - those who have done their open water in the first week depending on how quickly they have completed their skills and exams, open water dives alongside the weather, number of volunteers etc., the advanced course training will start at the end of this first week and usually continues into the 2nd week alongside other volunteers who arrive and need their advanced training.
Standard Second Week Overview - Science training lectures;
ReefDoctor studies the use of marine resources by the local community and its impact to their marine ecosystems through underwater and land-based surveys. The first half of the science training week will be a mixture of theoretical land based lessons in marine ecology, reef organism identification and marine survey techniques and orientation and point our snorkels and dives.
As the Advanced course is mainly practical these dives will be mixed in with the orientation dives and practice surveys dives which will occur by the end of this science training week.
All those who are already PADI Advanced certified or above will undergo refresher dives (so do not worry if you are a bit rusty) with dive skills review paying attention to buoyancy as we don’t want you to touch corals during your surveys!
Science Training summary;
- General lectures in oceanography, marine biology/ecology
- Lecture on the Bay of Ranobe marine, littoral and terrestrial environments, where we work – dive sites, mangroves, seagrass sites.
- Identification techniques in coral reef fishes (from family to species level), reef invertebrates (generic names or to family level) and benthos (corals to family level all else to generic names) with special attention to commercially important reef fish species and indicator species (accompanied by a test where volunteers need to attain an 80% pass rate).
- Rapid coral reef survey methods for general biodiversity and abundance data collection (according to the internationally recognized protocols of COREMO3/ReefCheck) using SCUBA and snorkel based techniques – PIT Point Intercept Transects (mainly for benthic life, corals, sponges etc.), LIT Line intercept transects (for fish and invertebrates), Fish Belts, visual fish counts etc.,
- Rapid coral reef survey methods for coral bleaching and diseases according to the protocols of Dr. Tim McClanahan WCS (Wildflie Conservation Society)
- Training in survey methods for seagrasses according to SeagrassNet (global monitoring centre for seagrasses lead by Dr. Fred Short)(seagrass surveys are only done quarterly throughout the year)
- Snorkel/scuba based benthic survey techniques for specific predatory and herbivory projects
- Data recording and data input protocols for all surveys
All volunteers will be given study guides in the identification and survey methods side a month before you leave home so that you have time to start learning the fish etc., which really helps you and us maximize your training time and overall experience with us.
NB – how in-depth (level) the coral reef survey methods training is depends on the volunteer’s expedition duration. All data collected is given to the COREMO database, Madagascar’s national Science ministry, the Madagascan marine institute (IHSM), other international organizations (WIOMSA, CORDIO), external researchers and anyone who wishes it.
Third Week onwards;
Once you have undertaken your training then you will mainly be involved in the marine research side, scuba diving and monitoring the reef.
However becoming a ReefDoctor volunteer means we want you and thus want you to use your enthusiasm, experiences and qualifications to become involved in other projects, not just the diving based research but also the Management side (you can help with the monitoring of octopus/fish catches from local fishermen and our new no take octopus zones, for example) or education side (e.g. work with our kids club on environmental education) or community development side (e.g. working with our women’s association with new business initiatives, health and hygiene practices, family planning and HIV awareness).
So as a volunteer you can concentrate you time on a particular aspect like the research side or you can get involved in all during your time with us, it is really up to you, what you are looking for by joining our expeditions and the duration of expedition you join, with the longer you stay for the more you can achieve. Staff will help you focus your time with us once you have settled in and after your training.
In addition volunteers will also undertake the following training;
- PADI Emergency First Aid Responder (EFR) – this is their main first aid course covering standard first aid to CPR however you will need to bring the PADI EFR manual to get fully certified on this course. Or if you do not wish to do the full course and save money (as the manual which is an extra cost not cover by us) do not worry as you will be taught standard first aid with some CPR as part of our emergency evacuation plan training which all volunteers undertake anyway. All those undertaking Rescue diver MUST do this course to complete their PADI Rescue certification
- Practice First Aid and emergency scenarios as part of ReefDoctor’s emergency evacuation plan and procedures
- PADI Rescue Diver course – for all those staying the full 12 weeks will start the required reading for this course which will progress throughout the remaining time of their expedition with theoretical lessons, practices, exams etc mixed in with other project work
IMPORTANT NOTE: - While we are happy to complete your training free of charge, it is a teaching requirement of PADI International that students MUST have their own copies of manuals and certain learning materials. Unfortunately we are unable to bear this cost, and it is difficult for us to obtain manuals in Madagascar so all volunteers undertaking any PADI course MUST buy and bring the required manuals before leaving home. In addition when buying these manuals do try and order the manual to come with the temporary certification card! These cards also known as ‘PIC cards’ and do not normally come with the manuals so please make it clear you wish the manual and temporary certification cards, and there is one PIC card for each course. If you are having problems with this please let us know so that we can arrange this for you as you can buy the cards off us through the PADI online system used by our Dive Officer. Unfortunately these cards do come at an extra cost (which goes to PADI) of £25 (29Euros) for each PADI certification course (open water to Rescue Diver) and £15 (17Euros) for the EFR (emergency first aid responder) course.
Visit our Resource Centre for more detailed information on PADI requirements and courses available with us.
