Have you ever wanted to learn more about coral reefs and the marine animals that live in them? Apart from marine biologists, most people are self-taught when it comes to these topics. Reading books and identifying fish and corals from photographs or even from memory after dives is the way many people learn.

If you’d like to level up your knowledge Papua Paradise is offering a unique opportunity to learn from renowned marine biologist Stephen Moldzio during a series of four 2-day workshops over 2 weeks. You are welcome to book any or all of the 4 workshops.

What will you learn during the workshops?

The first module is dedicated to learning about reef fish on the 27th and 28th of April. You will learn about family characteristics and how to describe and identify them. You will be introduced to utilizing scientific databases to obtain all kinds of information about fish and the group will create a species list. This workshop is €350 and includes 2 dives and a certificate of completion at the end.

The second workshop on the 30th of April and 1st of May is all about corals and will cost €525. This includes 4 dives, 1 florescence night dive and a certificate. You’ll take a look at the Indopacific Coral Finder to help you identify some of the 537 species of coral that have been recorded in Raja Ampat. Reef formation and erosion, zonation, and different reef types and coral groups are part of this module as well

If you stay for the second week there will be 2 further workshops that will cover invertebrates (May 4 & 5 – €425) and then more specific information to the Raja Ampat region (May 7 & 8 – €370). You’ll get a chance to study the seagrass beds and mangroves of the area while discussing coral reef ecology, including the food web, predator-prey relationships, parasitism and symbiosis, functional groups such as algae grazers, today’s threats to coral reefs and environmental protection.

Learning by doing

Why attend workshops when you’re in the perfect place for hands-on learning? You won’t just be sitting in lectures, 2- 4 dives will be included in each 2-day workshop and you can book up to 4 additional dives on your days off.

You will collect dead and broken coral to inspect, test your fish identification skills, and take samples of microrganisms in the reefs to look at under stereomicroscope. This mixture of hands on practical work and interesting lectures and entertaining quizzes is the perfect way to learn a lot in a small space of time.

This is the perfect combination of learning methodology from an expert during lectures and putting your new knowledge into practice in the field.

Who is Stephen Moldzio?

Stephen is a biologist specializing in underwater photography & microscopy, diving education, environmentalism & climate protection and green corals. He has been running marine biology workshops and reef check courses since 2009. He is also a PADI dive instructor qualified to teach a wide range of specialty PADI dive courses and AWARE conservation courses.

If you’re interested in joining any of these workshops please contact reservation@papuaparadise.com. Numbers will be limited, so don’t waste time, email us today!