1. Get a few good books!!

For starters, REEF recommends:

• Coastal Fish ID - California to Alaska by Paul Humann (for fish). Note: this book is currently out of print and the 2nd edition should be out, Mid 2008.
• Whelks to Whales by Rick Harbo (for invertebrates).

These are available at many local dive shops as well as online bookstores and through REEF's online store.

2. Start learning online!

Photos of the fish and invertebrates that are taught in the beginning Fish and Invertebrate ID courses are found online, along with names and family or phylum (which you should learn):

Show me the fish

Show me the invertebrates

Study list of fish and invertebrates you'll need to know

3. Get a slate!

• Either use one you have currently, or get one from REEF's online store. Two versions are available, the yellow slate (smaller and neutrally buoyant) and the white slate (large and quite positively buoyant).
• You can attach special underwater paper (click to view a sample) to your slate to make surveying really easy and it's available for only $1 each from REEF's online store. Each sheet contains places for FOUR dives. If you're careful, you can erase data and reuse the uw paper.
• Customize your slate with a cheap mechanical, pop-a-point, or regular pencil, some rubber tubing, and maybe a wrist strap and carabiner, and you're ready to roll! The yellow slate is pictured on the left, with rubberbands holding the underwater paper on, and the white slate is on the right. Wingnuts attach the paper to this slate. Be forewarned - the 'cold water slate' on the right that REEF sells is positively buoyant, which can be annoying for some folks. I personally prefer the yellow (warm water) slate setup on the left.

click to enlarge

4. Get in the water!

• Go about your dive as you normally would. This is called the Roving Diver Technique. No need to sit on the bottom for 30 min in one place, no need to swim a straight line.
• Record only what you personally see. If your dive buddy spots a sixgill while you're busy checking your gauges, sorry! Only your buddy can record the sixgill sighting.
• If you see only one of a species on your entire dive, mark S for Single. If you see 2-10 of the critters, then mark F for Few. Sighting 11 - 100 of the critter bumps you into the M (many) category, and anything over 100 should be marked A for Abundant.
• Only record what you can positively identify. It's perfectly OK to not know the name of the critter while you're on your dive, but then look it up in a book afterwards and positively identify it. When in doubt, leave it out.
• Newer surveyors will find it easiest to survey for either fish OR invertebrates, but not both. You can indicate what type of survey you conduct when you submit your data online.

5. Submit your data!

• Go to www.reef.org and select Submit Data Online. Using your REEF Member number, login and get started!

6. View your data online!

• Allow about 3 weeks for your data to be processed.
• Go to REEF's website and access your data by logging in. You can access tons of info from your login page, like your survey log, your REEF experience level, dive info, and your account and orders.

7. Other Great Stuff!

• Take a test and advance up the ladder of REEF experience levels
• Join our Pacific NW Critterwatchers email list
• Take a class or view a presentation