Seasearch Training

Whether you have taken part in marine recording project before or not you can add to your knowledge and experience by taking part in one of our training courses. Three types of Seasearch course are currently available:

Seasearch Observer - for divers new to marine recording in British and Irish waters

Seasearch Surveyor - for experienced recorders who want to increase the value of the results

Special Interest Courses - a range of ID and techniques courses for people who want to expand their knowledge 

 

Seasearch Observer

This is a one-day course aimed at giving divers new to the project and new to marine recording a basic grounding. At the end of the course you should be able to complete the Seasearch Observation Form and take part in Seasearch Dives either on your own, with your club or on dives organised by Seasearch Partners.

 

During the course you'll learn about Seasearch - its aims, history and achievements, a basic introduction to the variety of marine life in British and Irish waters, recognising and classifying marine habitats, position fixing, and how to fill in the Observation Form. The day concludes with a 'video dive' and an opportunity to fill in a form without even getting wet!

The course includes a course pack and identification guides and recording slates are available to purchase giving you everythng you'll need to go ahead and get started. The tutors are all divers themselves and keen Seasearchers.

A real dive isn't a part of the course but often one is arranged locally for you to practice your techniques with a tutor on hand. Where two days are shown in the list below the course usually takes place on the first day with diving on the second.

During the course you'll get a Seasearch Qualification booklet. Once you have completed 5 forms for real (two on dives with a tutor present) you can get signed up as a Seasearch Observer.

Here is what one participant thought of the course "Most enjoyable. Wish I had done something like this years ago!" (October 2009)

Around 30 Observer Courses are held each year. The first courses arranged for 2012 are shown below. There will be many more. Additional courses can also be arranged for clubs and dive centres if there is sufficient demand. Contact National Coordinator Chris Wood or your nearest Seasearch contact.

 

OBSERVER COURSES

 

date
location
contact
3rd March Bangor, North Wales North Wales Seasearch - Liz Morris
14th-15th April Marloes, Pembrokeshire West Wales Seasearch - Kate Lock
14th-15th April Hampshire (diving 15th from Lymington) Hants IOW Seasearch - Amy Dale
21st-22nd April Newcastle (diving 22nd Farne Islands) North East Seasearch – Paula Lightfoot
28th-29th April London (diving on 29th south coast) London No1 BSAC - Dan Klein
28th-29th April Plymouth Devon Seasearch - Sally Sharrock
28th-29th April Poole Dorset Seasearch - seasearch@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk
19th-20th May Bangor, Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Seasearch - Charmaine Beer
7th July Sheringham, Norfolk Seasearch East - Dawn Watson
     
     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seasearch Surveyor

The Surveyor Course is aimed at experienced Seasearch Observers and others with a good background knowledge of marine life and marine recording. The aim is to enable you to complete the Seasearch Survey Form which is used on most of the expeditionary Seasearch dives and which gives much more detailed information for future conservation purposes.

The course lasts two days and includes a dive on the second day. The Course content is an expansion of the Observer Course and covers a much wider range of marine life and habitat classification. Again we use video on the first day and you fill in practice forms both from the video and from the dive itself. The course is assessed and successful participants can carry on and become Seasearch Surveyors after completing a further five forms and an ID test.

The first Surveyor Course arranged for 2012 is listed below anbd oothers are in the planning stage. If you want to attend a course in 2012 please contact your local coordinator or let us know at info@seasearch.org.uk and we will try to arrange courses to meet demand.

 

 
SURVEYOR COURSES
 
date location contact
12th-13th May Marloes, Pembrokeshire West Wales Seasearch - Kate Lock
26th-27th May Poole Dorset Seasearch - seasearch@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk
26th-27th May Porthkerris (Cornwall) Cornwall Seasearch - Angie Gall

 

 

 

 

Special Interest Courses

In addition to the Observer or Surveyor Courses we arrange special interest courses including general marine life identification as well as courses in things like fishes, seaweeds, anemones/corals and sea slugs. We can also run survey skills weekends for people who want to join in specialist projects.

To give you an idea of the level of each course (as they do vary) each course is identified as A (Advanced), Intermediate (I) or E (Everyone):

Advanced courses assume some previous knowledge of the topic and concentrate on expanding that - most suitable for those already recording at Surveyor level.

Intermediate courses are for people with some existing knowledge which they want to improve on. They are most suitable for people wanting to become Seasearch Surveyors.

Everyone courses are designed for those just starting out on marine life ID and want to improve their knowledge or cover techniques and surveys that any competent diver can get involved with.

Most of the courses include diving but you can usually take part without diving if you wish. Courses currently planned for 2012 are listed below and more are in the planning stage.

date topic location tutor contact
2012
       
25th March Fish ID for Divers (E) The Deep, Hull Frances Dipper Seasearch North East - Paula Lightfoot
12th-13th May MCZ Survey Techniques (A) Aimed at Surveyors wanting to take part in MCZ survey dives. Torbay Chris Wood & Jean-Luc Solandt Devon Seasearch - Sally Sharrock 
2nd-3rd June Marine Life ID (E) Sheringham, Norfolk Frances Dipper Seasearch East - Dawn Watson
9th-10th June Sea Squirts (I-A) Falmouth Bernard Picton Cornwall Seasearch - Angie Gall
16th-17th June Marine Life ID (E) Swanage, Dorset Paul Biggin & Gerry Casey SEMCS - Gerry Casey
23rd-24th June Anemones and Coral Workshop (I) Plymouth Chris Wood Devon Seasearch - Sally Sharrock 
30th June-1st July Introduction to Nudibranchs (E) St Abbs/Eyemouth Jim Anderson St Abbs VMR - Georgia Conolly 
14th-15th July Marine Life ID (E) Swanage, Dorset Paul Biggin & Gerry Casey SEMCS - Gerry Casey
4th-5th August Marine Life ID (E) Swanage, Dorset Paul Biggin & Gerry Casey SEMCS - Gerry Casey
15th-16th September Marine Life ID (E) Swanage, Dorset Paul Biggin & Gerry Casey SEMCS - Gerry Casey
22nd-23rd September Underwater Photography (E) Swanage, Dorset Paul Naylor SEMCS - Gerry Casey
22nd-23rd September Underwater Photography (E) Portaferry, Northern Ireland Nigel Motyer Northern Ireland Seasearch - Charmaine Beer

6th-7th October

Marine Ecology (I) Swanage, Dorset Paul Biggin & Gerry Casey SEMCS - Gerry Casey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course Costs

The cost of the courses vary depending on venue, costs incurred and if there is any local subsidy or diving involved. As a rough guide one-day courses cost £35-£40 and weekend courses, including diving, £75-£90. Contact the organisers for more details.

What one participant thought:

"What a bargain for a great course" (Orkney Observer Course, Sept 2011)

 

 

 

 

 

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