Students in Cayman and around the world will get a chance to experience Little Cayman’s coral reefs from the comfort of their own classrooms in the latest series of live broadcasts from underneath the waves by the Central Caribbean Marine Institute.
CCMI will present four episodes of its ‘Reefs Go Live’, its flagship education programme that live-streams directly from underwater on the island’s reefs, to students in real time, starting on Friday, 31 March.
Last year’s episodes reached more than 107,000 viewers in 22 countries, CCMI said in a press release.
“Knowing we have an audience that spans the world, our team is energised as we plan and implement our Reefs Go Live season for 2023,” the institute’s science communications and development manager, Beth Chafin, said in the release.
“We feel that creating a connection to the ocean and sharing the beautiful coral reefs of Little Cayman with others, both locally and abroad, is one of the most important ways to increase support for critical, timely issues such as marine protection and sustainability.”
She added, “At CCMI, we are fortunate to have these stunning reefs at our doorstep; not everyone is so lucky to be this connected to coral reefs, but healthy coral reefs are vitally important to everyone on earth. Bringing the ocean into classrooms and homes through Reefs Go Live allows us to share the work we do at the Little Cayman Research Centre, facilitate real-time interactions between viewers around the world and our experts in the field, and inspire the diverse audience to take positive action for the future of coral reefs.”
The first episode of 2023, titled ‘Finding Hope on our Reefs’ will feature what has been learned from CCMI’s long-term monitoring of Little Cayman’s reefs.
The institute carries out annual surveys which reveal trends in reef health over time that reflect global threats and the benefits of strong local protection, CCMI said in the release.
During the broadcasts, Reefs Go Live hosts will explain why this annual monitoring is important and what the results reveal about the future of coral reefs.
Real-time questions
Viewers of each episode will be able to ask questions of a CCMI diver, who will be wearing a full-face mask equipped with a communications system, and who can answer in real time. Viewers will also be able to participate in polls through an online platform.
According to CCMI, “Reefs Go Live provides an opportunity for students from all over the world to engage with the stunning ocean environment in its most natural format. As coral reefs around the world face unprecedented pressure, generating increased engagement with these precious ecosystems creates an opportunity to promote marine sustainability in a positive and fun way.”
Reefs Go Live uses streaming technology with underwater video and audio equipment to enable real-time broadcasting from the coral reefs.
Little Cayman, a Mission Blue Hope Spot, hosts one of the healthiest reef ecosystems in the Caribbean, which overall remains healthy and shows resiliency to climate-change impacts, CCMI said.
“The broadcasts and education materials draw connections from CCMI’s current research conducted in Little Cayman to the national science curriculum and key ocean literacy principles, making CCMI’s work relevant and accessible to students and viewers of all ages, and emphasizing the relationship that we all have to coral reefs, no matter where we are,” the institute noted.
All four episodes will be live-streamed at 10am, Cayman time, on the following dates:
- Friday, 31 March: Finding Hope on our Reefs
- Thursday, 11 May: Adaptation on Coral Reefs
- Wednesday, 24 May: Reef Resiliency and Restoration
- Thursday, 8 June: World Ocean Day – 25 Years of Coral Reef Research
Registration for Reefs Go Live is free and is only required once to receive access to all episodes. Click here to register.
For more information, visit Reefs Go Live on the CCMI website.
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