To be eligible for enrollment in this course you will need to:

1. A certified diver and preferably at a leadership level such as a divemaster or instructor. Non-leadership level certification that will be considered is a rescue or master scuba diver certification. For the latter, they will need to apply for acceptance into the training course. Ocean Quest Global also considers those highly experienced divers with many years of experience.

2. Have completed the Ocean Quest Global coral propagation course and the nursery development course. Field training instructors is also accepted.

3. Have worked/volunteered in any of the Ocean Quest affiliated coral nursery for at least 1 week.

Those wishing to enroll in this training course must:

1. Acquired the training materials for the course for pre-study

2. Obtain the training schedule and registered for the allocated training dates

3. Register to the training course complete with proof of trainings

4. Initiate tutoring with a designated Instructor Trainer

5. Have own diving equipment

Registration for this course will be open 6 months prior to the course to allow the students time to obtain materials and study.

This training course will take 2 weeks to complete. During the training, the students will attend classes and in-water work. The students are required to complete every session of the training. Classroom hours of this course is 22 hours and there will be 16 required training dives plus 5 hours of work on shore. This does not include preparatory times and breaks.

Training Fee: USD 1200

Training fees does not include:

1. Travelling expenses

2. Accommodation at training location

3. Meals

4. Dive equipment rental

Coral nursery development is a physically strenuous activity. Therefore, you are required to be physically fit for strenuous underwater activity. It is best to pay attention in getting physically conditioned for this course. Get enough rest and do light exercise to keep in shape. If you are going to be using any new piece of diving equipment, you may want to consider testing it in the pool or do a few recreational dives with them. If you have not been diving for prolong periods, you are required to do a SCUBA Refresher course. Ensure that you can attain good buoyancy.

Minimum class size for the training course is 4 students and maximum is 10.

The coral reef rehabilitation specialist training course content is as follows:

Introduction to Coral Reef Rehabilitation

Environmental ethics and work protocols

• Environmental ethics
• Impact of conservation works on the environment
• The sustainable approach to conservation

Design of coral propagation techniques and materials

• The Ocean Quest coral reef rehabilitation system
• Coral broodstock extraction and handling
• The substrates
• Coral Propagation techniques

Nursery development and management

• Nursery site assessment
• Shoreline profiling
• Seafloor profiling
• People and the Coral Nursery
• Types of coral nursery
• Coral nursery monitoring and management

Threats to corals and countermeasures

• Crown of Thorns Starfish
• Drupella Snails
• Bleaching events
• Coral Diseases

Reef rehabilitation system

• The rehabilitation plans
• Planting strategy
• Organization

Coral Transplantation

• Pre-transplantation assessments
• Extraction and handling
• Planting techniques

Post restoration management

• Monitoring
• Reef replenishment program
• Management strategy

Coastal communities in coral conservation

• Understanding socio-demography
• Public education
• Public participations

Volunteerism