Team One 6-13 May

Graeme Lindstedt, Teacher - Rockingham Senior High School
Matthew Radburnd, Science Teacher - Padbury Senior High School
Mark Lehmann, Teacher in Residence - SPICE Program / Padbury Senior High School
Peter Lewington, Science Teacher - Carine Senior High School

Team Two 8-15 June

Candice Lynn, Primary Teacher - Currambune Primary School
Cathy Levett, Librarian Teacher - Exmouth District High School
Steven Reeves, Teacher - Safety Bay Senior High School

Teachers will spend half their days at Ningaloo Reef accompanying commercial whale shark-watching charters, and distributing surveys to passengers.

When you find whale sharks, you will jump in the water to snorkel near them, take identifying photographs of their spot patterns, measure them, and record their behaviour relative to other divers. You will also record the type and number of fish and other organisms in association with each shark.

On alternate days you will work in the lab, processing photographic data, collating tourist survey data, and analysing plankton samples. Interact with your students using the Teachlive Forum and upload photographs to the website Gallery.

You may also help to:

• Upload identification photographs collected by volunteers to the online ECOCEAN Whale Shark Photo-identification Library
• Run scanning analysis to determine whether sharks have been re-sighted in the same season, between years, and/or in other countries
• Prepare daily blog highlighting the activities and findings of the Earthwatch team for posting on the Earthwatch Teachlive and ECOCEAN Library websites
• You will also have the opportunity to learn more about Aboriginal culture from representatives of the traditional landowners, the Thalanyji people.