Coral reefs around the world are changing faster than ever, under pressure from a range of factors including climate change, pollution, overfishing, and coastal development. To protect these ecosystems effectively, managers and communities need more than observations - they need reliable data, strong monitoring practices, and the skills to turn accurate information into effective action.

Coral Reefs: Data and Monitoring (CRRI102x) is a free, self-paced online course designed to build practical monitoring knowledge. The course is designed to support practitioners, researchers, students, community members, and decision-makers who use coral reef data to inform conservation, management, and policy decisions.

The course focuses on strengthening the full monitoring cycle - from defining clear objectives, to selecting appropriate methods, collecting and analysing data, and communicating findings in ways that support informed decision-making. Learners will engage with applied examples and realistic scenarios that reflect the complex environmental and social contexts in which reef monitoring takes place.

CRRI102x also emphasises the value of integrating scientific and traditional knowledge, and encourages inclusive and context-sensitive approaches to monitoring. Gender, inclusion, and community perspectives are embedded throughout the course, recognising that different groups experience and influence reef systems in different ways.

What You'll Learn

• Define clear monitoring goals aligned with coral reef management and conservation needs.
• Select appropriate data types and collection methods to meet monitoring objectives.
• Collect data using practical methodologies and approaches introduced in the course.
• Interpret and communicate monitoring findings to relevant stakeholders.
• Integrate scientific and traditional knowledge to strengthen reef monitoring and conservation outcomes.
• Apply a gender and inclusion lens, where appropriate, when planning data collection and interpreting and communicating results.

After completing the course you will be eligible to receive a Certificate of Completion.

Enroll Now! 

This course is offered in English and Indonesian, with with French launching early 2026.

Cost: Free

This course has been funded by the GEF 7 CRR Project, and led by the University of Queensland and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), with contributions from the University of Tasmania (UTAS) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).