OceansWatch: Exciting New Projects for 2011

OceansWatch is an international not-for-profit organisation that works with sailors, divers and scientists worldwide to help coastal communities conserve their marine environments, develop sustainable livelihoods and access primary education.

The brand new office is now officially up and running! And we’re working on lots of exciting new projects for 2011.

Our office is in New Zealand but luckily a long way from the Quake in Christchurch however we are thinking of the people there and we send our love to them .

*Pacific Expedition Opportunities * OceansWatch is expanding fast and we have many opportunities for OceansWatch members to get involved in 2011. We are looking for: • Marine biologists • Divers • Conservation experts • Skipper • Engineer

Our policy is to offer opportunities to our paid up members first and then to the general public. All these volunteer positions are for expeditions to the South West Pacific and are yacht based on - Moksha (54'), Magic Roundabout (34') and Rowena (41'). Please note that one person can cover more than one job. In addition to the appropriate skills for each position, the following skills are very advantageous: diving, sailing, filming, photography, first aid, good report writing. For more information visit -http://www.oceanswatch.org/international/pages/volunteer

*Opportunities for Yacht Owners*

In 2011 The South Pacific Whale Research Consortium is again looking for boats to host scientists to carry out whale monitoring around Niue. Another whale monitoring project out of Fiji is also looking for 8-10 yachts and interested persons to help spotting and photographing the Whales.

We will be hosting a Reef Check training course (coral reef monitoring) around the end of May in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Any members, especially those with cruising yachts, would be welcome to come and do this course. Other yachts can then support the Vanuatu expeditions or act as follow-up boats in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

*New Trustee * We are delighted to welcome Cedric Allan on board as a new trustee. Cedric is a seasoned sailor and highly experienced in Communications and Public Relations.

*International News*

*Cape Verde Islands* Over in the northern hemisphere winter, Benoit Larielle, our European representative has been on a reconnaissance trip to the Cape Verde Islands. His report will be available to read on our website soon.

*Caribbean *An OceansWatch team lead by Andy Clarkson was leant a member’s yacht for 6 weeks, during which time they carried out an in depth reconnaissance and networking trip around the Caribbean. This means that any yacht-owning members that will be cruising in the Caribbean next season can be given details and contacts for project ideas that they can assist with. To follow what they did you can read the blog here - http://blogs.oceanswatch.org/caribbean

*Australia *The legal formalities for setting up the trust in Australia are progressing and the team over there has been working hard to set up an OceansWatch presence. They have just held a party for member, Lisa Blair, OW International Education Ambassador, on Saturday 12th March at the Sunshine Coast Yacht Club, Mooloolaba. Special guests were Suzanne and Bruce Arms, project managers for the re-fit of Jessica Watson’s Ella’s Pink Lady. OceansWatch founder Chris Bone was there to give a talk, as was representatives from our partner organisations Reef Check and CoralWatch. More news at the OceansWatch Australia Blog http://blogs.oceanswatch.org/australia.

ENDS

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