{"id":2594,"date":"2022-05-31T13:58:13","date_gmt":"2022-05-31T13:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.topic.lk\/?p=2594"},"modified":"2022-05-31T13:58:16","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T13:58:16","slug":"tokyo-cement-and-orca-conduct-coral-reef-management-workshop-for-dwc-marine-park-officers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topic.lk\/2594\/","title":{"rendered":"Tokyo Cement and ORCA conduct Coral Reef Management Workshop for DWC Marine Park Officers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tokyo Cement Group together with Ocean Resources Conservation Association (ORCA), hosted 26 Marine Park Officers attached to the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) for a 2-day training workshop on coral reef science and management. The workshop, held last month at the Coral Sands Hotel Hikkaduwa, comprised in-depth training sessions conducted by renowned marine biologists and coral conservation experts attached to Blue Resources Trust (BRT) and Ocean Resources Conservation Association (ORCA), primary partners in the Tokyo Cement Group\u2019s Coral Reef Conservation program.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to the training on coral species and reef fish species identification and management, the session was followed by a field snorkel dive and coral reef survey techniques training at the Hikkaduwa National Marine Park, conducted for marine park officers and field staff of regional DWC offices around the island.<\/p>\n

Dr. Terney Pradeep Kumara, Professor of Oceanography at the University of Ruhuna delivered a lecture on Coral Reef Ecology, providing an in-depth understanding on the formation of a Coral Reef ecosystem and the complex network of interdependencies between each species that help maintain its healthy balance. He also provided an overview of the impact that can happen due to an imbalance in this complex ecological system.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Mr. Nishan Perera, Marine Biologist and Co-Founder of Blue Resources Trust, conducted a session on identification of reef fish. His lecture comprised a detailed overview of the large variety of fish associated with Coral Reefs in different parts of Sri Lanka. The session also provided an understanding of the environmental conditions required for these fish species to adopt into a coral ecosystem and how together they form an underwater habitat. He further conducted a session on coral reef survey techniques to enable scientific management of reef ecosystems. Mr. Daniel Fernando, renowned specialist on Elasmobranchs and, Director of the Fisheries and Policy Programme and Co-Founder of BRT, conducted a session on Sharks and Rays, focusing on the importance of implementing sustainable fishing policies to prevent overfishing of endangered species.<\/p>\n\n\n