{"id":29156,"date":"2023-01-16T17:59:01","date_gmt":"2023-01-16T17:59:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/?p=29156"},"modified":"2023-01-18T14:31:04","modified_gmt":"2023-01-18T14:31:04","slug":"putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/","title":{"rendered":"Putting communities at the heart of coral reef monitoring in Timor-Leste"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\">Armindo Marques <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">joined Blue Ventures\u2019 Timor-Leste expedition programme in 2017 as a tank and compressor assistant. He quickly became a dive assistant and is now our Conservation Officer. After receiving his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tdisdi.com\/sdi\/get-certified\/divemaster-course\/#:~:text=The%20SDI%20Divemaster%20Course%20is,that%20inhabits%20those%20dives%20sites\">SDI Dive Master certification<\/a>, he led our first reef monitoring programme with Timorese volunteers for our conservation programme. Here he talks about his journey being the first-ever Timorese to train a team of Timorese reef monitoring volunteers.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_29157\" style=\"width: 2570px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-29157\" class=\"wp-image-29157 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-Marques-Timor-Leste-Conservation-Officer-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Armindo Marques; Timor-Leste; Conservation Officer\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-Marques-Timor-Leste-Conservation-Officer-scaled.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-Marques-Timor-Leste-Conservation-Officer-536x357.jpg 536w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-Marques-Timor-Leste-Conservation-Officer-725x483.jpg 725w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-Marques-Timor-Leste-Conservation-Officer-98x65.jpg 98w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-Marques-Timor-Leste-Conservation-Officer-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-Marques-Timor-Leste-Conservation-Officer-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-Marques-Timor-Leste-Conservation-Officer-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-Marques-Timor-Leste-Conservation-Officer-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-Marques-Timor-Leste-Conservation-Officer-1300x867.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-Marques-Timor-Leste-Conservation-Officer-300x200.jpg 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 2560px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 2560\/1707;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-29157\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Armindo Marques is\u00a0Blue Ventures\u2019 Conservation Officer in Timor-Leste.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I come from a long line of fishing families. The ocean is the source of life for us, so I was stunned to realise that we had never monitored our ocean before. When I first joined Blue Ventures, I witnessed people from abroad volunteer just to study the reef&#8217;s condition in the ocean that surrounds my home island of Atauro. I thought to myself that this was something unique that I could possibly do one day.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_29199\" style=\"width: 1189px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-29199\" class=\"wp-image-29199 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-leading-two-volunteers-underwater.jpg\" alt=\"Armindo Marques; Timor-Leste; underwater; scuba diving; monitoring\" width=\"1179\" height=\"590\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-leading-two-volunteers-underwater.jpg 1179w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-leading-two-volunteers-underwater-700x350.jpg 700w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-leading-two-volunteers-underwater-745x373.jpg 745w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-leading-two-volunteers-underwater-100x50.jpg 100w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Armindo-leading-two-volunteers-underwater-300x150.jpg 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1179px) 100vw, 1179px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1179px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1179\/590;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-29199\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Armindo leading two volunteers underwater, Patricio Ximenes Konservasaun from Flora no Fauna and Birgit Hermann our Timor-Leste Country Director.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fast forward to 2023, and I am now a conservation officer, certified Dive Master, and trained to do <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reefcheck.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reef Check<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which is a scuba-based reef monitoring programme. This is a role that was just a fleeting thought five years ago. When Blue Ventures changed its focus from expeditions during the pandemic, the opportunity for me to lead reef monitoring activities in Timor-Leste arose, and this time with just Timorese volunteers using the Reef Check methodology. This programme aims to support coastal communities in making informed ocean decisions by collecting data about their marine area and sharing the results with them. To put it simply: fishers and coastal communities want to understand how their livelihoods have impacted marine life and what decisions they should make for the sake of future generations.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_29163\" style=\"width: 1090px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-29163\" class=\"wp-image-29163 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Timorese-volunteers-and-BV-staff-doing-Reef-Check-training.jpeg\" alt=\"Timor Leste; Reef Check; Training; coral reef; scuba diving; staff; volunteers\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Timorese-volunteers-and-BV-staff-doing-Reef-Check-training.jpeg 1080w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Timorese-volunteers-and-BV-staff-doing-Reef-Check-training-476x357.jpeg 476w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Timorese-volunteers-and-BV-staff-doing-Reef-Check-training-644x483.jpeg 644w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Timorese-volunteers-and-BV-staff-doing-Reef-Check-training-87x65.jpeg 87w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Timorese-volunteers-and-BV-staff-doing-Reef-Check-training-300x225.jpeg 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1080px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1080\/810;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-29163\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Timorese volunteers and Blue Ventures staff doing Reef Check training with Dreamer\u2019s Dive Academy in safety and emergency response.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The call to apply for Reef Check training and surveying was published in Dili at a time when there were only a few Timorese professional divers. But in the end, Blue Ventures selected six young Timorese trainees that would conduct the country\u2019s first Timorese-led reef monitoring programme.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div data-carousel-extra='{\"blog_id\":1,\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\\\/\"}' class=\"tiled-gallery type-rectangular\" data-original-width=\"900\"><div class=\"gallery-row\" style=\"width: 895px; height: 403px;\"><div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 609px; height: 407px;\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Reef-Check-training-in-Timor-Leste-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"29169\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Reef-Check-training-in-Timor-Leste-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1600,1067\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;ILCE-6400&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1555783581&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;16&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.003125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Reef Check training in Timor-Leste\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Reef-Check-training-in-Timor-Leste-536x357.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Reef-Check-training-in-Timor-Leste-725x483.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Reef-Check-training-in-Timor-Leste-scaled-605x403.jpg\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\" align=\"left\" title=\"Reef Check training in Timor-Leste\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 605px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 605\/403;\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"gallery-group images-2\" style=\"width: 286px; height: 407px;\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Reef-Check-Training-in-class-2022-08-15-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"29181\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Reef-Check-Training-in-class-2022-08-15-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1600,1067\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;ILCE-6400&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1557598993&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;38&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;6400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Reef Check Training in-class 2022 08 15\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Reef-Check-Training-in-class-2022-08-15-536x357.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Reef-Check-Training-in-class-2022-08-15-725x483.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Reef-Check-Training-in-class-2022-08-15-scaled-282x188.jpg\" width=\"282\" height=\"188\" align=\"left\" title=\"Reef Check Training in-class 2022 08 15\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 282px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 282\/188;\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Reef-Check-Training-under-water-2022-08-25-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"29187\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Reef-Check-Training-under-water-2022-08-25-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1600,1200\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;TG-6&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1659962349&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.5&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.002&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Reef Check Training under water 2022 08 25\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Reef-Check-Training-under-water-2022-08-25-476x357.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Reef-Check-Training-under-water-2022-08-25-644x483.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Reef-Check-Training-under-water-2022-08-25-scaled-282x211.jpg\" width=\"282\" height=\"211\" align=\"left\" title=\"Reef Check Training under water 2022 08 25\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 282px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 282\/211;\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Reef Check training included in-class lectures and practice sessions underwater.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The volunteers first had to pass theory classes that covered topics such as fish, coral reefs, invertebrates, and impact identification. Then we did water activities to test our buoyancy and in-water skills. This part took more than two months, and then we moved to organising and planning survey activities. This phase taught me the importance of teamwork, discipline and leadership but, at the same time, remembering who we do it for: The people of this community &#8211; the guardians of the ocean.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_29205\" style=\"width: 1074px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-29205\" class=\"wp-image-29205 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Presenting-BV-and-Reef-Monitoring-activities-to-the-local-authorities-of-Atauro.jpg\" alt=\"Timor-Leste; Atauro\" width=\"1064\" height=\"561\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Presenting-BV-and-Reef-Monitoring-activities-to-the-local-authorities-of-Atauro.jpg 1064w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Presenting-BV-and-Reef-Monitoring-activities-to-the-local-authorities-of-Atauro-677x357.jpg 677w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Presenting-BV-and-Reef-Monitoring-activities-to-the-local-authorities-of-Atauro-745x393.jpg 745w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Presenting-BV-and-Reef-Monitoring-activities-to-the-local-authorities-of-Atauro-100x53.jpg 100w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Presenting-BV-and-Reef-Monitoring-activities-to-the-local-authorities-of-Atauro-300x158.jpg 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1064px) 100vw, 1064px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1064px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1064\/561;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-29205\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Presenting BV and reef monitoring activities to the local authorities of Atauro, including the sub-district administrator.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When revising the safety procedures and updating the emergency contacts, I realised that I had great support behind me from the BV team. That\u2019s when my confidence became stronger than the nervousness I was trying so hard to hide. We presented the activity plan and our volunteers to the sub-district administrator and other local authorities and were well received. The local priests also held a prayer ceremony for us to ensure spiritual guidance and protection. I felt enormous love and support from my home for BV to safely and successfully complete this programme.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From watching from the outside to now leading these activities with Timorese volunteers, I felt a heart-warming full-circle moment when I piloted the Reef Check survey in my hometown of Beloi in Atauro. The communities in Usu-bemasu village were incredibly supportive and keen to receive the results of our survey, and members of the \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/taking-control-with-tara-bandu\/\">Tara Bandu<\/a>\u2019 &#8211; a local custom for locally managed marine areas (LMMA) &#8211; committee were particularly interested to know the condition of the coral reefs and marine biodiversity. Reef Check is excellent for this because we are able to add more fish and other species to the identification list to fit Timor-Leste\u2019s context.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>\u00a0<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-29247 size-full alignnone lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-8.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"941\" height=\"529\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-8.png 941w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-8-635x357.png 635w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-8-745x419.png 745w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-8-100x56.png 100w, https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-8-300x169.png 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 941px) 100vw, 941px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 941px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 941\/529;\" \/><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div data-carousel-extra='{\"blog_id\":1,\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\\\/\"}' class=\"tiled-gallery type-rectangular\" data-original-width=\"900\"><div class=\"gallery-row\" style=\"width: 895px; height: 395px;\"><div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 597px; height: 399px;\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-11.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"29217\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-11.png\" data-orig-size=\"941,627\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Surveying LMMA in Beloi Timor-Leste &#8211; 11\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-11-536x357.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-11-725x483.png\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-11-593x395.png\" width=\"593\" height=\"395\" align=\"left\" title=\"Surveying LMMA in Beloi Timor-Leste - 11\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 593px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 593\/395;\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"gallery-group images-2\" style=\"width: 298px; height: 399px;\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-12.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"29223\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-12.png\" data-orig-size=\"941,627\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Surveying LMMA in Beloi Timor-Leste -12\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-12-536x357.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-12-725x483.png\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-12-294x196.png\" width=\"294\" height=\"196\" align=\"left\" title=\"Surveying LMMA in Beloi Timor-Leste -12\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 294px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 294\/196;\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-13.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"29229\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-13.png\" data-orig-size=\"941,627\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Surveying LMMA in Beloi Timor-Leste &#8211; 13\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-13-536x357.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-13-725x483.png\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-13-294x195.png\" width=\"294\" height=\"195\" align=\"left\" title=\"Surveying LMMA in Beloi Timor-Leste - 13\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 294px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 294\/195;\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"gallery-row\" style=\"width: 895px; height: 403px;\"><div class=\"gallery-group images-2\" style=\"width: 286px; height: 407px;\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-14.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"29235\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-14.png\" data-orig-size=\"941,704\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Surveying LMMA in Beloi Timor-Leste &#8211; 14\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-14-477x357.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-14-646x483.png\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-14-282x211.png\" width=\"282\" height=\"211\" align=\"left\" title=\"Surveying LMMA in Beloi Timor-Leste - 14\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 282px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 282\/211;\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-15.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"29241\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-15.png\" data-orig-size=\"941,627\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Picture 15 Timor-Leste Reef Check in 2022\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-15-536x357.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-15-725x483.png\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-15-282x188.png\" width=\"282\" height=\"188\" align=\"left\" title=\"Picture 15 Timor-Leste Reef Check in 2022\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 282px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 282\/188;\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 609px; height: 407px;\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-9.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"29253\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-9.png\" data-orig-size=\"941,627\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Surveying LMMA in Beloi Timor-Leste -9\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-9-536x357.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-9-725x483.png\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-9-605x403.png\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\" align=\"left\" title=\"Surveying LMMA in Beloi Timor-Leste -9\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 605px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 605\/403;\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"gallery-row\" style=\"width: 895px; height: 594px;\"><div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 895px; height: 598px;\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-10.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"29259\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-10.png\" data-orig-size=\"941,627\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Surveying LMMA in Beloi Timor-Leste &#8211; 10\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-10-536x357.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-10-725x483.png\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-10-891x594.png\" width=\"891\" height=\"594\" align=\"left\" title=\"Surveying LMMA in Beloi Timor-Leste - 10\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 891px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 891\/594;\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Surveying one of the Tara Bandu in Beloi, <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Atauro.<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The survey was done in seven locally-managed marine areas in Atauro. I was very happy to see the commitment of the volunteers as they did not lose their enthusiasm and persevered despite the delays caused by the pandemic. More than that, I feel very proud of the volunteers because of their patience in seeking to understand life underwater. Some of them are also pursuing university studies in marine science, and the skills and insights they have acquired will provide a strong foundation of knowledge. More than anything, this is a one-of-a-kind experience in Timor-Leste, especially for marine science students. I know that they are the leaders of the future who can support our coastal communities to live in harmony with the ocean.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We must continue this work for the future. Currently, in Timor-Leste, only BV can provide Reef Check surveys and training. We must continue to inspire the younger generations to see and understand our marine resources and why they are so valuable to protect. There are a lot of young students who are interested in enrolling in reef monitoring training, and this tells me that we are already on the right track.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Find out more about Blue Ventures&#8217; work in <a href=\"https:\/\/blueventures.org\/where-we-work\/#timor-leste\">Timor-Leste<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our Conservation Officer in Timor-Leste, Armindo Marques, talks about his journey with BV and training a team of Timorese reef monitoring volunteers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":29235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[338,587],"tags":[499,608,1196,488],"class_list":["post-29156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lmma","category-timor-leste","tag-coral-reef","tag-monitoring","tag-reef-check","tag-training"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Putting communities at the heart of coral reef monitoring in Timor-Leste - Blue Ventures - Beyond Conservation blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Our Conservation Officer in Timor-Leste, Armindo Marques, talks about his journey with BV and training a team of Timorese reef monitoring volunteers.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Putting communities at the heart of coral reef monitoring in Timor-Leste - Blue Ventures - Beyond Conservation blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Our Conservation Officer in Timor-Leste, Armindo Marques, talks about his journey with BV and training a team of Timorese reef monitoring volunteers.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blue Ventures - Beyond Conservation blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-01-16T17:59:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-01-18T14:31:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-14.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"941\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"704\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Blue Ventures\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@blueventures\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@blueventures\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Blue Ventures\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Blue Ventures\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/46395a949d7d2e45ec64f013d1a518f4\"},\"headline\":\"Putting communities at the heart of coral reef monitoring in Timor-Leste\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-01-16T17:59:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-01-18T14:31:04+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":945,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/media\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/Picture-14.png\",\"keywords\":[\"coral reef\",\"monitoring\",\"Reef Check\",\"training\"],\"articleSection\":[\"LMMA\",\"Timor-Leste\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\\\/\",\"name\":\"Putting communities at the heart of coral reef monitoring in Timor-Leste - Blue Ventures - Beyond Conservation blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/media\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/Picture-14.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-01-16T17:59:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-01-18T14:31:04+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/46395a949d7d2e45ec64f013d1a518f4\"},\"description\":\"Our Conservation Officer in Timor-Leste, Armindo Marques, talks about his journey with BV and training a team of Timorese reef monitoring volunteers.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/media\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/Picture-14.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/media\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/Picture-14.png\",\"width\":941,\"height\":704},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Putting communities at the heart of coral reef monitoring in Timor-Leste\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Blue Ventures - Beyond Conservation blog\",\"description\":\"Voices from the front line of marine conversation\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/46395a949d7d2e45ec64f013d1a518f4\",\"name\":\"Blue Ventures\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/99072653ed4e1f204616d77356585e0f411fa627415743152caeb90fceef3bf1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/99072653ed4e1f204616d77356585e0f411fa627415743152caeb90fceef3bf1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/99072653ed4e1f204616d77356585e0f411fa627415743152caeb90fceef3bf1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Blue Ventures\"},\"description\":\"Blue Ventures is an award winning marine conservation charity. We rebuild tropical fisheries with coastal communities. On our Beyond Conservation blog you can hear voices from the front line of marine conservation written by our staff and volunteers.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blueventures.org\",\"http:\\\/\\\/instagram.com\\\/beyondconservation\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.blueventures.org\\\/en\\\/author\\\/bv\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Putting communities at the heart of coral reef monitoring in Timor-Leste - Blue Ventures - Beyond Conservation blog","description":"Our Conservation Officer in Timor-Leste, Armindo Marques, talks about his journey with BV and training a team of Timorese reef monitoring volunteers.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Putting communities at the heart of coral reef monitoring in Timor-Leste - Blue Ventures - Beyond Conservation blog","og_description":"Our Conservation Officer in Timor-Leste, Armindo Marques, talks about his journey with BV and training a team of Timorese reef monitoring volunteers.","og_url":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/","og_site_name":"Blue Ventures - Beyond Conservation blog","article_published_time":"2023-01-16T17:59:01+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-01-18T14:31:04+00:00","og_image":[{"width":941,"height":704,"url":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-14.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Blue Ventures","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@blueventures","twitter_site":"@blueventures","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Blue Ventures","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/"},"author":{"name":"Blue Ventures","@id":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/46395a949d7d2e45ec64f013d1a518f4"},"headline":"Putting communities at the heart of coral reef monitoring in Timor-Leste","datePublished":"2023-01-16T17:59:01+00:00","dateModified":"2023-01-18T14:31:04+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/"},"wordCount":945,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-14.png","keywords":["coral reef","monitoring","Reef Check","training"],"articleSection":["LMMA","Timor-Leste"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/","url":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/","name":"Putting communities at the heart of coral reef monitoring in Timor-Leste - Blue Ventures - Beyond Conservation blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-14.png","datePublished":"2023-01-16T17:59:01+00:00","dateModified":"2023-01-18T14:31:04+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/46395a949d7d2e45ec64f013d1a518f4"},"description":"Our Conservation Officer in Timor-Leste, Armindo Marques, talks about his journey with BV and training a team of Timorese reef monitoring volunteers.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-14.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/media\/2023\/01\/Picture-14.png","width":941,"height":704},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/putting-communities-at-the-heart-of-coral-reef-monitoring-in-timor-leste\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Putting communities at the heart of coral reef monitoring in Timor-Leste"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/","name":"Blue Ventures - Beyond Conservation blog","description":"Voices from the front line of marine conversation","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/46395a949d7d2e45ec64f013d1a518f4","name":"Blue Ventures","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/99072653ed4e1f204616d77356585e0f411fa627415743152caeb90fceef3bf1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/99072653ed4e1f204616d77356585e0f411fa627415743152caeb90fceef3bf1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/99072653ed4e1f204616d77356585e0f411fa627415743152caeb90fceef3bf1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Blue Ventures"},"description":"Blue Ventures is an award winning marine conservation charity. We rebuild tropical fisheries with coastal communities. On our Beyond Conservation blog you can hear voices from the front line of marine conservation written by our staff and volunteers.","sameAs":["https:\/\/blueventures.org","http:\/\/instagram.com\/beyondconservation"],"url":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/author\/bv\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29156"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29156\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.blueventures.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}