Overview of why this site and the coral camera project was developed and supported by the Richard & Rhoda Goldman Fund.
Highlighting Bermuda coral reefs, but bringing awareness of coral reef issues worldwide!
Coral reefs are threatened worldwide. Activities in 1997 to recognize the International Year of the Reef, and in 1998 for the International Year of the Ocean, have highlighted that the need for protection of coral reefs will only grow in future years. Such an effort will be difficult without widespread understanding of these complex and fragile ecosystems and the important role that they play.
Implementation of science education programs in grades 6-12 that include study of coral reefs is an important step in achieving widespread knowledge about coral reefs needed for their protection. For most students, however, coral reefs remain a distant and inaccessible environment for study.
To meet this need, the Richard & Rhoda Goldman Fund provided a grant to the Bermuda Biological Station for Research to work with the College of Exploration to develop Web-based curriculum resources on coral reefs. These resources provide information in conjunction with a Web-based camera that will be placed on the coral reefs of Bermuda. The camera is the keystone of a reef education program that emphasizes the importance of corals on a global scale through interactive, Web-based learning.