With its rich coastal waters and diverse coral reef habitats, the Henchun Peninsula in southern Taiwan proved the perfect backdrop for the 2026 Asia CoralWatch Ambassador Workshops held earlier this year in May.
Founded in 2002 at The University of Queensland, CoralWatch is a marine citizen science program working with volunteers worldwide to increase understanding of coral reefs and climate change.
The 4-day ambassador workshop was hosted in collaboration with CoralWatch and the Marine Affairs Research Center of National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology with support from Taiwan’s Ocean Conservation Administration under the Ocean Affairs Council.
The workshop also collaborated with the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques on scientific snorkelling field practices.
CoralWatch Program Leader, Diana Kleine and Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr Wen-Sung Chung both from the School of the Environment were invited to participate as distinguished international experts.
Kleine said the program reflects growing international collaboration in coral reef conservation and ocean sustainability.
“The workshops sought not only to strengthen scientific capacity, but also to empower participants to transform scientific knowledge into meaningful conservation action and public engagement,” she said.
Participants came from Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, the United States, and Finland, encompassing marine educators, researchers, conservation practitioners, and diving instructors.
Designed as an intensive professional training program, the workshop combined classroom lectures with field-based marine exercises.
Kleine and Dr Chung delivered lectures in coral reef ecology, climate change impacts on marine ecosystems, standardized coral health monitoring methodologies, scientific data interpretation, and citizen science applications.
Participants also got hands-on experience in reef assessment and underwater monitoring techniques using internationally standardised CoralWatch methods like the Coral Health Chart.
The biggest takeaway from the program was seeing how people with a shared passion for ocean conservation came together.
“The impact of individuals with their own skills, networks and circle of influence is powerful, together we can make a difference for reefs,” said Kleine.
CoralWatch ambassadors are making a big impact in Australia and around the world.
In 2025, CoralWatch ambassadors collectively contributed 2,240 volunteer hours across 91 events, directly engaging more than 6,850 individuals in Australia alone.
While globally, CoralWatch surveys were carried out in 29 countries, from Indonesia and Thailand to the Maldives, Honduras and Taiwan.
Long before the ambassador initiative took shape, CoralWatch's global database had already reached more than 80 countries.
"We have always worked closely with dive centres around the world on reef monitoring," said Kleine.
"The difference now is that through these ambassador workshops, the impact of the overall program will be much bigger, not only in monitoring, but in awareness and education too."
