We would like to invite you to a Workshop on “Scientific Diving in Coral Reef Research: Advances & Future Opportunities” at the upcoming ICRS in New Zealand, hosted by Marleen Stuhr (Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen) & Sebastian Ferse (ZMT & IPB University, Bogor).
When: Wednesday, July 22, during Lunch break (exact time TBA)
Where: Room 513
You can pick up your lunch from the exhibition hall and bring it into the session.
Scientific diving plays an essential role in coral reef research, enabling detailed observations, precise data collection, and innovative experimentation. It also underpins cutting-edge methodologies such as autonomous monitoring stations, hyperspectral imaging, large-scale reef mapping, novel sampling techniques, and mesophotic explorations. Despite its importance, international collaboration remains constrained by varying national regulations, training standards, and methodologies.
This workshop will provide a forum to take stock of the current state of scientific diving in coral reef research and challenges perceived within the coral reef research community, to identify opportunities for collaboration, and outline future directions. We will address experiences with diver safety regulations, certification schemes, and crossover training opportunities, as promoted by initiatives like the European Scientific Diving Panel (ESDP). Case studies on mutual recognition of national certifications will be discussed, with coral reef research serving as a unifying field. A key focus will be identifying common ground across systems, both in terms of safety and data quality.
The workshop will also reflect on recent methodological advances and their implications for coral reef science, while concentrating on how scientific diving is practiced and organized internationally. To facilitate more inclusive access to fieldwork and research opportunities, participants may engage in co-designing training programs and standardization frameworks. We will precede the workshop with an online survey of practices and experiences in different countries, which will feed into the workshop and serve as basis for further discussion.
Expected outcomes include the development of a joint publication or white paper summarizing the state of scientific diving in coral reef research, highlighting achievements, identifying gaps, and distilling lessons learned. This collective effort aims to strengthen international collaboration and enhance the role of scientific diving in advancing coral reef research. We invite all researchers, dive officers and divers from diverse backgrounds, including those trained predominantly in recreational diving, interested to engage to contribute to develop such a roadmap towards unified international frameworks, enhancing diver safety and research comparability worldwide.
If you’re interested in attending, please register via this short form beforehand: https://forms.gle/rT9j2xGNSr1K1LEdA.