UW PHOTOGRAPHY
THE SPONSORS AND PRIZES Digital Online’s 2022 Prize Sponsors will be offering this year’s 18 winners the following prizes to choose from: NOTE: Participants are only able to win one prize each. Entrants with multiple winning entries will be given priority in the points awarded.
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FREESTYLE DIVERS | www.freestyledivers.me The Local Hero Conservation Course 5 x 1 hour zoom sessions & 2 days of in water training at Freestyle in Dibba The Local Hero Conservation Course offers you a unique opportunity to learn all about the ocean environment in your own time. It includes 5 online webinars or downloadable videos that you can access when you have the time available. Once the 5 modules are complete, you can come to Freestyle Divers and gain some hands-on conservation diving experience as well as context for your newly acquired knowledge. This abridged version of the core course will give you a good foundation to build upon to help you understand how the underwater world works. TOPICS COVERED: The Blue Planet: Why are the oceans important and how do they help the whole planet to sustain life? What are the chemical and physical limitations of the oceans and how does this affect marine species? Marine Ecosystems: A look at how the previously identified physical factors affect distribution of marine life and an examination of the different ecosystems throughout the Earth’s oceans. Marine Biodiversity: An introduction to the range of species found throughout the planet’s ocean ecosystems and how the ocean environment drives speciation. The State of the Reefs: What are the threats posed to the earth’s marine ecosystems and particularly the coral reefs throughout the tropical regions? Whether caused naturally or by man, the health of the oceans is declining and we identify and examine the threats in this section. Marine Conservation: What techniques and actions can be taken to mitigate these threats? FOLLOWED BY 4 DIVES OVER TWO DAYS, COVERING: Coral Reef Ecosystems: Start learning about coral identification. Relationships on the Reef: Symbiosis examples; clownfish and anemone, cleaner shrimp and wrasse. Vertebrates & Invertebrates: 2nd day more advanced fish and invertebrate identification. Coral Reef Conservation: Coral nurseries, damaged coral, coral diseases & bleaching.
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DIVERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT | MARCH 2022
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EDA (6 Prizes) | www.emiratesdiving.com 1. Scuba up to 30m for Certified Divers in Deep Dive Dubai – 2 Dives Available Explore the different sections of Deep Dive Dubai’s underwater city up to the depths allowed by your certification. All experiences include one of their professional dive guides to show you around and make sure you get the most out of your experience. 2. Reef Check – 4 Courses Available If you are interested in knowing more about our marine environment, collecting data from our local reefs and getting more out of your dives, this may be what you are looking for. When you join a Reef Check EcoDiver training, you will learn about our local ecosystems and you will be able to participate in our regular survey dives which will help us to understand the threats our corals are facing by providing important data. This course is designed to teach you everything you need to know to conduct full-scale Reef Check surveys and collect high-quality data for our global database. In this programme, you will learn about marine conservation issues, the role of citizen science, as well as how to identify key indicator fish, invertebrates, and substrates selected by Reef Check for assessing coral reef health. Upon completion of this course, you will be able to join the EDA Reef Check team and assist in our regular underwater surveys in the UAE, as well as other underwater surveys in the Indo-Pacific region. This 4-day course includes both classroom and fieldwork, and an exam. The Training Takes Place over 4 Sessions/Days: • 3 sessions of classroom classes. You will become familiar with many of the Indo-Pacific’s marine species of fish, invertebrates and will be trained to identify different kinds of substrate, such as corals and sponges. • One day consists of an underwater exam and three classroom exams. QUALIFICATION To join the Reef Check training, the following is required: • 15+ years old • Open Water Diver certification (minimum) • At least 25 logged dives, including 2 dives in the past 12 months DATES AND SCHEDULE: To be confirmed • 2-3 evenings during the week • 1-2 days over a weekend
