Coral Reef Action Library

A centralized repository connecting scuba divers and ocean advocates with high-utility resources.

Access global datasets, standardized monitoring protocols, funding opportunities, and inspiring documentaries to accelerate your impact.

Ocean Resources

🌱 Education & Outreach

Resources to help you start and grow your journey in ocean conservation — learning the basics, finding scholarships, exploring careers, and staying inspired.

Learn & Train (Courses, certifications and scholarships)

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Courses & MOOCs
🌊 Reef Resilience Network Course Essential training for managers on bleaching, restoration, and fisheries management. ↗ Visit resource
📚 UNESCO Ocean Literacy Toolkits and courses designed to integrate ocean science into schools and communities. ↗ Visit resource
🐠 Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) Scientific articles, guides, and whitepapers on coral conservation, restoration best practices, watershed management, and climate adaptation. ↗ Visit resource
Certifications
🤿 Conservation Diver Training the next generation of marine conservationists. REEF Scuba co-founders met at their New Haven location in Thailand. ↗ Visit resource
🔬 Reef Check EcoDiver Become certified to conduct standardized scientific surveys on reef health globally. ↗ Visit resource
🌿 Green Fins Internationally recognized environmental standards for sustainable diving and snorkeling, protecting coral reefs from tourism impacts. ↗ Visit resource
🦈 PADI AWARE Diver-focused specialty courses on debris, shark conservation, and coral health. ↗ Visit resource
Scholarships
🎓 NOAA Hollings Scholarship Prestigious undergraduate scholarship including a paid summer internship at NOAA. ↗ Visit resource
🏅 Pew Marine Fellows Support for mid-career scientists and experts working on critical ocean challenges. ↗ Visit resource

Communicate (Outreach and storytelling tools)

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📸 Ocean Image Bank High-quality, free-to-use images to communicate ocean science. ↗ Visit resource
🌡️ Climate Visuals Evidence-based climate communication imagery. ↗ Visit resource
🌡️ Open Planet World-class footage for free use by NGOs and Education Institutions. ↗ Visit resource
🎬 WaterBear Network Free streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet. ↗ Visit resource
💪 Protect Blue Toolkits on strategy, storytelling, and activism. ↗ Visit resource
📰 Mongabay Ocean News Accurate, up-to-date news on marine conservation. ↗ Visit resource

Watch (Movies and documentaries)

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Activism & Impact
🐋 Blackfish Documentary about captive killer whales that shifted public perception. ↗ Visit resource
⛏️ Deep Rising Investigates geopolitics and risks of deep-sea mining. ↗ Visit resource
🐬 The Cove Oscar-winning film exposing dolphin hunting practices. ↗ Visit resource
🦜 Racing Extinction Exposes endangered species trade and emissions threats. ↗ Visit resource
🎣 Seaspiracy Explores environmental impact of global fishing industry. ↗ Visit resource
🦈 Sharkwater Films exposing shark finning and changing perceptions. ↗ Visit resource
Wonder & Ecosystems
🪸 Chasing Coral Documents the disappearance of coral reefs. ↗ Visit resource
🌍 The Blue Planet Iconic BBC series revealing ocean ecosystems. ↗ Visit resource
🐙 My Octopus Teacher Story of a unique human–octopus bond. ↗ Visit resource
🌊 Mission Blue Sylvia Earle's fight to protect the ocean. ↗ Visit resource
🎙️ Ocean with David Attenborough A hopeful vision for ocean recovery. ↗ Visit resource
🐟 Omnivore: Tuna Explores tuna's global journey and impact. ↗ Visit resource
History and How Far We Have Come
🎥 The Silent World One of the first underwater color films by Cousteau. ↗ Visit resource
📺 Sea Hunt Classic diving series that inspired ocean explorers. ↗ Visit resource

Read (Books and research papers)

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Books
💙 Blue Mind Science of how water improves well-being. ↗ Visit resource
🪸 Coral Whisperers Scientists navigating hope and crisis. ↗ Visit resource
⚓ The Only Flag Worth Flying Direct action in marine conservation law. ↗ Visit resource
💡 How Far the Light Reaches Marine biology meets memoir. ↗ Visit resource
🍄 Entangled Life Exploration of interconnected life systems. ↗ Visit resource
Scientific Papers
🗺️ How to Regionally Manage Reefs Importance of transboundary reef management. ↗ Visit resource
🏛️ How to Start an MPA Detailed guide to establishing marine protected areas. ↗ Visit resource

🏛️ Policy & Advocacy

Understand how ocean protection is shaped at a global level, and explore the policies, frameworks, and advocacy efforts that drive systemic change.

International Frameworks
🌐 ICRI Global partnership for coral reef protection and policy. ↗ Visit resource
🌿 UNEP Coral Reef Unit Coordinates global responses to reef degradation. ↗ Visit resource
👑 UNESCO Marine Programme Manages the World Heritage Marine Sites, protecting the "Crown Jewels" of the ocean. ↗ Visit resource
📜 High Seas Treaty The historic agreement to protect marine biodiversity in international waters beyond national jurisdiction. ↗ Visit resource
Policy and Economics
🦭 IUCN Marine Global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. ↗ Visit resource
📊 Global Ocean Accounts A partnership treating the ocean as a natural asset to be measured and managed in economic accounts. ↗ Visit resource

🔬 Scientific Tools

Discover the tools, technologies, and methodologies used to restore marine ecosystems, monitor ocean health, and drive innovation in conservation science.

Restore & Heal (Manuals, guides and innovators)

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Manuals & Guides
📖 CRC Resource Library Extensive database of best-practice guides, webinars, and papers from the Coral Restoration Consortium. ↗ Visit resource
📋 NOAA Monitoring Guide Standardized metrics to evaluate the success of restoration outplanting efforts. ↗ Visit resource
🇦🇺 RRAP (Australia) Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program – leading research on heat-tolerant corals. ↗ Visit resource
Innovators
🌱 SECORE International Leaders in coral seeding using sexual reproduction and scalable restoration methods. ↗ Visit resource
⭐ MARS Reef Stars Innovative hexagonal structures stabilizing reef rubble for rapid recovery and innovative seeding on land to bring it back to the ocean. ↗ Visit resource

Monitor & Map (Data, Satellites & AI)

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Global Databases
🌐 GCRMN Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network – primary system for reef status reporting. ↗ Visit resource
🤿 Reef Life Survey Citizen-science database of marine biodiversity surveys. ↗ Visit resource
🦋 iNaturalist Platform for recording and identifying biodiversity observations worldwide. ↗ Visit resource
🪸 Corals of the World Detailed coral species database with taxonomy and distribution. ↗ Visit resource
🐠 WoRMS Global authority for marine species classification and naming. ↗ Visit resource
🔴 IUCN Red List Conservation status, threats, and population trends for species. ↗ Visit resource
Real Time and Tools
🌡️ NOAA Coral Reef Watch Global system for bleaching alerts and thermal stress monitoring. ↗ Visit resource
🗺️ Allen Coral Atlas First global high-resolution map of shallow coral reefs. ↗ Visit resource
🌊 Living Oceans Mapping High-resolution reef habitat and bathymetric maps. ↗ Visit resource
🧜 MERMAID Platform to collect, analyze, and visualize reef field data. ↗ Visit resource
🛰️ Copernicus Marine Service Global ocean data for analysis and forecasting. ↗ Visit resource
🌍 Google Earth Engine Cloud-based geospatial analysis for environmental data. ↗ Visit resource

Tech & Innovation (Sensors and Robotics)

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Sensors & Acoustics
🎙️ HydroMoth Low-cost underwater acoustic recorder for reef soundscapes. ↗ Visit resource
🌊 Sofar Spotter Buoy Real-time wave, wind, and temperature data collection. ↗ Visit resource
💻 OpenCTD Open-source sensor for conductivity, temperature, and depth. ↗ Visit resource
📡 HOBO Data Loggers Industry-standard underwater environmental sensors. ↗ Visit resource
Robotics
🤖 Blue Robotics Open-source components for underwater robots and ROVs. ↗ Visit resource
⛵ Saildrone Autonomous surface vehicles for ocean data collection. ↗ Visit resource
🐡 FathomNet Open-source AI training database for underwater species recognition. ↗ Visit resource
🐟 Flying Fish Technologies AI-driven reef monitoring using imagery and environmental data. ↗ Visit resource

💰 Funding Ocean Work & Careers

Explore funding opportunities, financial mechanisms, and investment strategies that support conservation projects — or find your next job opportunity.

Funding

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🌍 Global Fund for Coral Reefs Blended finance vehicle supporting reef-positive businesses and conservation. ↗ Visit resource
🐠 NFWF Coral Fund Large-scale grants to reduce pollution and restore damaged reefs. ↗ Visit resource
💙 Blue Action Fund Grants for NGOs working on marine protected areas and coastal livelihoods. ↗ Visit resource
🚀 Schmidt Marine Venture philanthropy supporting high-impact ocean technologies. ↗ Visit resource
🌱 SOA Ecopreneur Network Accelerator and micro-grants for youth-led ocean startups. ↗ Visit resource
💼 Rufford Small Grants Accessible funding for small-scale conservation projects worldwide. ↗ Visit resource
🪸 SOS Corail Crowdfunding Platform supporting validated reef, mangrove, and seagrass projects in French territories. ↗ Visit resource

Work (Job boards and internships)

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Global Job Boards
💧 Josh's Water Jobs The most comprehensive daily listing for water and marine-related employment. ↗ Visit resource
🌊 Seven Seas Ocean Jobs Curated list of scientific, NGO, and communication roles in the blue sector. ↗ Visit resource
🦅 Conservation Careers Broad listing of wildlife and ecology jobs, often including marine biology roles. ↗ Visit resource
Internships
🏝️ REEF Conservation Internships Hands-on marine life survey and education internships based in Key Largo, FL. ↗ Visit resource
💻 REEF Scuba (Online) Contact us to conduct an internship in reef conservation online. ↗ Contact us

If we’re missing something, or if you find a broken link, please message info@reef-scuba.org. Thanks!

Our Blog

We write blog articles about relevant ocean topics and reports from the converences we attend.

Check It Out
Check It Out

“People still do not understand that a live fish is more valuable than a dead one, and that destructive fishing techniques are taking a wrecking ball to biodiversity.”

Fishes in the sea.

— Sylvia Earle

Do you use a Chrome browser? If so check out our free extension which opens each new tab with a beautiful ocean photo and a widget of the current ocean weather on your favorite beach!

Download Here
Download Here

Our Tools

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Our Tools •

Coral Species AI

A cluster of brown coral with small, vibrant green fish swimming around it in a dark underwater setting, creating a lively and natural scene.

Currently testing the accuracy of version 1.0 to help you identify coral species with the latest AI.

Try It Now
Try It Now

Coral Spawning

We made the Indo-Pacific Coral Spawning Database easier to use. Find coral spawning events around you and print a report to supercharge your work. Expanding to more locations soon.

Try It Now
Try It Now

Coral Shading

Helping you decide when, for how long, and with what method to shade coral.

Try It Now
Try It Now

Worth Checking Out…

Seaspiracy is a fantastic film about the health of the ocean and what it means to consume sustainable seafood - is it even possible?

Coral Photo Credit: Renata Romeo / Ocean Image Bank