Rapid Response & Emergency Reef Restoration Course – Virtual, 2020

Structural repair of brain coral in Mexico. Photo © Arcelia Romero

From August 13-14, 2020, 22 participants from Belize received online training to develop theoretical skills needed to become first responders to coral reefs after hurricanes cause reef damage. This training followed the guidelines outlined in the Early Warning and Rapid Response Protocol: Actions to Mitigate the Impact of Tropical Cyclones on Coral Reefs (Zepeda Centeno et al. 2020) and consisted of three, 2-hour modules on the following lessons:

- Module 1: Basic concepts on coral biology, ecology, and environmental services provided by the reef; Early Warning Step; Rapid Damage Assessment Methods

- Module 2: General information on Primary Response; Reef Clean-Up; Reef First Aid; Risk analysis for unstable substrates

- Module 3: General information on Secondary Response; Attention to structural fractures of coral colonies; Stabilization of fragments in coral nurseries, maintenance and monitoring.

This training was co-sponsored by MARFund and The Nature Conservancy with the accompaniment of the Belize Fisheries Department. Lessons were led by Calina Zepeda of The Nature Conservancy and Juan Carlos Huitrón. The Reef Resilience Network hosted the trainings.