REX PROJECT
A citizen science project of EL REI DEL MAR & SUBMON
Rex, king in latin.
Introduction
Our dive center was founded in 1990. The first boat we bought had been built in 1964 under the name "Rey del Mar", whick means "King of the Sea". After being used as a fishing boat in La Coruña and Palamós, it arrived in Roses to be transformed into a diving boat and, finally, arrived in l'Estartit. At the time, we were still looking for the name and image of the center, and the name of the boat helped connect everything.
The dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) is one of the most emblematic fish of the Medes Islands and the Montgrí Coast. It is a solitary fish found on rocky bottoms near small caves or crevices. As a result of its size and confident demeanor, it is one of the main attractions of the Medes Islands dives, being the most photographed species of all.
Therefore, the king of the sea, and of the Medes, was and is still the grouper and, thus, the center would adopt the name of the boat and the image would be a grouper.
Objective
The project aims to increase the knowledge of the grouper population of the Medes Islands and the Montgrí Coast through a citizen science initiative based on the dusky groupers photoidentification.
Methodology
In order to participate in the project, the following information must be provided:
- Head photography.
- Date and place of observation
- Depth
- Water temperature
- Observer name and diving club (if applicable)
- Proposal for a name for the grouper.