Coral Reef Conservation & Diving Project, Thailand
Highlights
- Gain diving experience and develop your marine conservation and scientific research skills
- 2-week dive and conservation skills training at the beginning of your stay
- Help to conserve the coral reefs and marine biodiversity of South East Asia
- Meet and work alongside a team of motivated volunteers from around the world
- Experience the stunning tropical beauty of Koh Phangan island
Overview
Join a marine and coral reef conservation project on Koh Phangan island in Thailand’s Samui archipelago. A great opportunity for students looking to gain diving and scientific research experience in a stunning tropical setting and kickstart a career in marine conservation. This project is located in the lower Gulf of Thailand, on the stunning tropical island of Koh Phangan, fringed by coral reefs and juvenile mangroves. Part of the Samui archipelago, with easy access to Koh Samui, Koh Tao, and to the Ang Thong and Chumphon National Marine Parks.
We currently offer 2 different options for this project; the marine conservation programme and the marine research programme. Both projects are open to everyone with an interest and motivation to protect marine life, but are particularly suitable for university students and graduates who are looking to gain skills or explore a career in reef conservation. Both programmes include a 2-week dive and conservation skills training period at the beginning of your stay to get your skills ready, followed by the conservation or research work. To join either programme you need to be an open water qualified diver or above, but don’t worry if you are not, we can arrange for you to take a 4-day PADI course at the start of your stay before you begin your 2-week training!
Typical project tasks can include, but are not limited to the list below. You should not expect to do all of these tasks and please remember that bad weather can and does affect activities:
• Diving interns underwater in Thailand
• Taking samples and measurements of the coral mass
• Marvelling at the diverse species of fish up and close, counting, and observing natural behaviour
• Taking photographs of the coral and creatures to help record any changes that occur
• Helping to gather data contributing to governmental surveys and research projects
• Investigating how much live coral there is and the effects of coral bleaching
• Completing fish surveys to know which fish inhabit this area
• Growing “nubbins” (small coral fragments) in aquariums and planting them on the reef
• Measuring water temperature
• Coral reef clean up programmes including helping to remove fishing lines and debris
Important Information
We accept participants throughout the year, except for the monsoon season break from mid-November to mid-January. Most nationalities need a visa to stay longer than 30 days in Thailand. Staying longer than 60 days would require you to obtain a non-tourist type visa in advance. We can assist with arranging visas, but only have limited space for long-term interns.