The Southwestern coast of India was the setting for this years soft coral taxonomy workshop, the first one to be held since 2001. Representatives from Iran, Egypt, Thailand, Hong Kong, Italy, Canada, England, India, and the United States made up the class of twenty students. This hands on course in identifying tropical soft corals and sea fans was taught by two of the world's most experienced octocoral taxonomists, Dr. Phil Alderslade from the Darwin Museum in Australia and Dr. Leen van Ofwegen of the National Museum, Netherlands.
Hundreds of soft coral samples were assembled for examination by the workshops coordinators, instructors and attendees. Six days were spent in the laboratory studying corals representing the most common genera and growth forms found at diving depths. They covered a geographical range from the East coast of Africa, across the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, to the central Indo-Pacific and on thru the Eastern Pacific. The specimens were dissected to reveal key features of the polyps, sclerites or skeletal elements, and variations within the corals.
Workshop classroom "Hands on" lab work
Dr. Leen with a 6 ft. long Gorgonian Many more specimens
This years
class
Sclerite examination
Fishing boats on Shankhumuggam beach preparing for another adventure in the Arabian Sea.
Evening socializing and slide shows Fresh coconut with breakfast
Kovalam "Black Sand" Beach Sunsets over the Arabian Sea