MASTER CONSERVATIONIST PROGRAM

Morning – Giant Clam Ecology (Black Turtle Dive Certification)

You will explore giant clams as ecosystem engineers of coral reefs.

You will learn:

• Giant clam anatomy and species identification
• Symbiosis with zooxanthellae and energy production
• Filtration, nutrient cycling and reef productivity
• Hunting, harvesting and conservation threats
• Giant clam species found around Koh Tao
• Survey techniques: transects, size classes, health scoring and photo ID

This module builds on EMP knowledge and takes it into species-level ecological research.

Afternoon – Giant Clam Dives

Two field sessions focused on real population assessment:

Dive 1 – Giant Clam Safari

• Species recognition
• Habitat preferences
• Health and size estimation

Dive 2 – Giant Clam Survey Dive

• Apply structured surveys
• Students may also design and test their own survey formats
• Record abundance, distribution and condition

Evening – Data Review & Discussion

• Analyse size distributions and spatial patterns
• Discuss what clam populations tell us about reef health
• Link results to conservation and management strategies

Morning – Study & eLearning

Time to:

• Review EMP methodology
• Refresh taxonomy and ecological concepts
• Prepare for more complex monitoring dives

Afternoon – Advanced EMP Dives

Two dives focused on integrating everything learned so far:

• Fish, invertebrates and substrate
• Incorporating coral taxonomy, restoration and indicator species
• Applying multi-layered reef assessment

Students now operate at research diver level, not just protocol-following.

Morning – Data Review Workshop

• Analyse EMP and giant clam data
• Compare sites and reef conditions
• Identify emerging ecological patterns

Afternoon – Independent Project

• Work on personal research topic
• Begin building datasets, visuals or hypotheses
• One-to-one mentoring with instructors

A full project day dedicated to:

• Data collection or literature review
• Method refinement
• Designing surveys or analytical frameworks
• Preparing the research narrative

Rest, reflection and informal research thinking before moving into behavioral ecology.

Morning – Cleaning Station Ecology (Black Turtle Dive Certification)

This is a true research-level module.

You will explore:

• Cleaner fish and shrimp species
• Client species and hierarchy
• Mutualism, parasite control and stress reduction
• Why cleaning stations are indicators of reef health
• Why these systems are still poorly understood

Students will:

• Develop hypotheses
• Brainstorm research questions
• Learn how to design behavioral studies

Afternoon – Cleaning Station Research Dives

Two dives dedicated to:

• Locating and mapping cleaning stations
• Identifying cleaner and client species
• Recording interaction frequency and behavior
• Observing hierarchy, aggression and patterns

Morning – Data Review & Study

• Analyse cleaning station datasets
• Compare behavior patterns
• Integrate with EMP and giant clam findings

Afternoon – Directed Research Dives

Students may:

• Repeat Giant Clam surveys
• Continue Cleaning Station monitoring
• Collect data for their Independent Project
• Or design and test their own research protocol

This is where students move from trained conservation divers to independent field researchers.

Morning – Coral Predators Ecology & Management

You will explore coral predators not just as species — but as drivers of reef change.

You will learn:

• Major coral predators on Indo-Pacific reefs
• Crown-of-Thorns starfish (COTS), Drupella snails and feeding scars
• Ecological role vs destructive outbreaks
• Why outbreaks happen (nutrient input, overfishing, climate stress)
• Phase shifts from coral-dominated to algae-dominated reefs
• How predator imbalance accelerates reef collapse
• Black Turtle’s COTS monitoring and response methodology

This session connects species-level ecology with whole-reef resilience.

Afternoon – Coral Predator Field Dives

Dive 1 – Coral Predator Safari

• Identify predator species
• Recognize feeding damage on corals
• Learn to “read” the reef for hidden predation

Dive 2 – Black Turtle COTS Survey

• Apply the Black Turtle monitoring protocol
• Record size, location, density and impact
• Learn outbreak detection and response thresholds

Evening – Reef Health & Management Discussion

• Interpret predator data
• Discuss when intervention is ethical and effective
• Explore how local management decisions affect reef recovery

Rest, process field data and prepare for apex predator studies.

Morning – Shark Ecology & Conservation

You will move from reef-scale ecology to ocean-scale regulation.

You will learn:

• Shark anatomy and hunting adaptations
• Why sharks are apex predators
• Their role in maintaining reef stability
• Misconceptions driven by media and fear
• Overfishing, bycatch and finning
• Blacktip reef sharks and whale sharks in Koh Tao
• How shark declines trigger ecosystem collapse

Afternoon – Shark Survey Preparation

• Species ID and behaviour recognition
• Survey methods used by Black Turtle and regional partners
• Ethical and safe shark observation
• How shark data feeds into conservation management

Morning – Shark Monitoring Snorkel

• Observe blacktip reef sharks and whale sharks
• Record species, size, behaviour and habitat use
• Apply real conservation monitoring protocols

Afternoon – Data Entry & Analysis

• Upload sightings into conservation databases
• Identify patterns and trends
• Discuss what shark presence (or absence) tells us about reef health

Morning – Independent Project / Study

• Finalise methods
• Prepare research goals for fieldwork

Afternoon – Two Research Dives

Students may:

• Conduct predator surveys
• Repeat shark or cleaning station observations
• Collect data for their Independent Project
• Or support Black Turtle’s active research programs

This is fully independent scientific diving with instructor mentorship.

• Data processing
• Statistical or visual analysis
• Report writing or educational product development
• One-to-one mentoring with instructors

Morning – Independent Project Completion

Finalise:

• Analysis
• Visuals
• Conservation conclusions

Afternoon – Presentations, Exams & Career Development

Students will:

• Present their Independent Project
• Explain methods, data and conservation relevance
• Participate in a Q&A with instructors
• Receive career development advice
• Discuss next steps: Scientific Diver, Research Assistant, Instructor Track

Certificates are awarded and the Master Conservationist journey formally closes.