Wild Wednesday's: Memories of Madagascar Part 6

Hello Steemians!

Hope everyone is well, and having a good day so far. It's Becca writing again this week for today's Wild Wednesday's. Sam and I have had a long day, he has been at uni and I have been working, we are finally winding down for the day.

For today's post, I will continue to write about my time spent in Madagascar with ReefDoctor. In last weeks post I shared about the day out to the Spiny Forest and the Baobab Forest not that far from base camp. Today I will write a bit more about another project that ReefDoctor organises and monitors.

A school of fish passing by, I cannot remember the species of these guys!

Coral Reef Fish Identification Survey and Monitoring

This project takes you way down low into the sea and amongst the coral reefs and coral reef fish. ReefDoctor has been monitoring the coral reef ecosystem in the Bay of Ranobe since 2004. All staff and volunteers were trained, and we (volunteers) had to go through a few tests to pass in order to participate in this project. The surveys involved visual census while in Scuba Diving gear, as in, we had to identify the species and count the numbers of each species we saw in each spot. This was really good fun, as we could get up close to some of the fish and really see the details in their colours and markings, while other groups of fish could move in complete sync the moment you got a little bit closer to them. It was actually amazing, such a great feeling to be amongst the marine environment and all its awe.

Myself and two other volunteers, we have just dived into the water about to start our fish identification surveys

We volunteers had to go through coral reef fish identification tests regularly to ensure that not only we knew them but also to ensure that the data collected would be accurate and of high quality. Some of these species I still remember their names, it's not just Nemo and Dory!

Below are some of the pictures from our time under the sea amongst the coral reef fish.

A sea anemone ecosystem, you could often find clown fish amongst them

The African Sea star

Part of the coral reef ecosystem

Scrawled Butterflyfish (the white, black and yellow fish in the center)

False Moorish Idol

The amazingly detailed Emperor Angelfish

Razorfish, hanging suspended upside down in the water, drifting back and forth with the current

Another view of the coral reef in the Bay of Ranobe

After finishing up with the surveys, it felt good taking off the dive gear and hanging the flippers out to dry, putting our feet up for the rest of the day

Hope you have enjoyed reading this post and learning the names of some of the coral reef fish species! I loved it, and I often still think about these days spent under the sea counting and recording the names of species we saw!

Stay Classy Steemians!

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