The Montego Bay Marine Park tries to  take part in the REEF Fish Count event every summer.  The data collected in this event is serving as baseline data for our further fish fauna investigations, including population structures, biodiversity and habitat/fish distributions through the Park area. It's also a whole lot of fun.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Friday

Friday evening is the educational training / get to know each other session. Data collection methods are discussed, such as how to fill in data sheets, methods within a random swim assessment and basic safety for the event. Then we present the fish to be counted based on the REEF fish identification course within this programme.

We start you out with a simple test of your initial knowledge: ten slides, and you name the fish that you see. Then we have a good laugh as we mark the sheets. This is followed by the REEF, beefed-up by the Montego Bay photographs of fish to be counted, with a few indicator tricks in fish species identification.

We have modified the original REEF course for Montego Bay, as some fish are very rare in this area, and yet are forever being seen by our novice fish counters. thus we are trying to reduce confusion. We also have far more juvenile fish in the Park area then we do adults, so we have put greater emphasis on identification photographs for juveniles then was in the original REEF curriculum, particularly amongst the wrasses and parrotfish. The evening is topped off with a post-test to see improvement in fish identification. Food and drink are welcome to this training event, particularly as the Pier 1 Pub and Restaurant is right down stairs.

Diving is done at three sites: two on Saturday and Sunday each, with a fun dive on Sunday as the second swim.

Saturday

1. Hannie's Reef (Formerly "The Classroom") at Reading/Unity Hall area at the Western end of the Park. This site begins at 7 metres depth, but is close enough to the wall that we set a maximum depth of 18 metres for counting. Counters are encouraged to visit the shallow and deep reef areas in their random swim assessments.
2. Sergeant Major Reef. Off the "Hip Strip", Montego Bay's tourism sector, this area begins at 8 metres. A diver can make the wall from here, but the spur and groove coral formations in this area is where the excitement is. Maximum depth on this dive is 15 metres.

Sunday

1. Basket Reef. Is a wall dive, and a spectacular wall dive at that. Currents may be "lively" and fish are always abundant, particularly creole wrasse, durgeon and boga, with a few cero, barracuda and jacks thrown in for drama. The wall begins at between 12 and 16 metres, and divers are encouraged to stay at the wall crest for this exercise.
2. Fun Dive!!! Good for taking pictures, video, doing handstands, showing off your bubble rings and generally not having to carry a slate and pencil. Site to be chosen according to conditions and what folks want to see.

REQUIREMENTS

We ask that any diver wishing to take part in this event have at least ten logged dives outside of their initial O/W course, as the sites visited may be somewhat advanced and the focus of this event is fish and data collection, not on buoyancy and the act of diving.

To have a look at our data for past events, or to join us this year, contact us!