Hantu Bloggers get in line!

Volunteers working hard along a transect line.

How do scientists know what's on our reefs? Well... with alot of effort that's for sure! But it's nothing you and I can't do!

Hantu Blog dive guides along with several SIF volunteers attended workshops by marine biologist Loh Tse-Lynn to learn all and more than you'd ever dare to ask about corals, coral reefs and coral reef ecology!

Not only did we learn to identify coral (which seemed pretty daunting at first but Tse-Lynn made it alot more comprehensive and fun! Which made learning SO much easier and entertaining!) we learnt about significant fish species and their role in our reefs. Of course, we didn't forget to pay attention to the elusive and sometimes bizarre invertebrates like sea cucumbers and shrimp!


The test: Tags along a transect line point at reef organisims and substrates that volunteers are to identify.

Volunteer divers also got to hone in on dive skills because a great deal of hovering and bouyancy control was necessary to survey the reefs. Moving slowly along the transect lines meant paying more attention to the nitty gritty, garnering greater appreciation of our reefs and their mind-blowing biodiversity!

Volunteers were preparing to survey reefs in Surin, Thailand, as part of the SIF's Youth Expedition Project (YEP), and the Hantu Blog guides plan to put their newly acquired skills to better understanding of our very own reefs at home!

For more details about how the NUS conducts its surveys, read Jani's blog The Blue Tempeh

More about Line Intersect Transects