Save Coral Reefs With eLearning

MONTREAL 15 March 2006—Beautiful Oceans has launched the world’s first coral reef online science course designed for recreational SCUBA divers and snorkelers. The first course—one of five introductory courses—is available online at the Beautiful Oceans eAcademy, and is also offered through selected dive centers in the Caribbean. Beautiful Oceans courses promise to revolutionize recreational diving and snorkeling, adding an exciting new twist to tropical vacations, while increasing awareness of coral reefs—a fragile ecosystem that supports a quarter of all known marine organisms. Beautiful Oceans donates 1% of its annual income, or 10% of is annual pre-tax profit (whichever this is the greater) to environmental initiatives, allowing those who learn to contribute directly to the protection of this ecosystem.

“We aim to educate and protect, while increasing the enjoyment that people get from exploring coral reefs,” says Stephan Becker, President and co-founder of Beautiful Oceans. “Our courses provide a well-rounded introduction to Caribbean coral reef biology to anyone, whether they take to the water or not; for those that dive or snorkel, this will complete their in-water experience, and will bring an end to those confused post-dive comments like: ‘did you see that…erm…blue fish-like creature?’.”

Each Beautiful Oceans course is painstakingly researched and developed to ensure it is fun, scientifically accurate and truly enlightening. Beautiful Oceans’ first course—Coral Reef Architecture & Organisms—explains the zones into which typical coral reefs are divided, and provides insight into the organisms that divers and snorkelers might expect to find in each zone. “This course is like a map of the coral reef, allowing divers and snorkelers to locate their creatures of interest and understand the reasons they are found there,” says Ian Popple, VP Science and Education and co-founder of Beautiful Oceans. “Additional courses on fishes, corals, the coral reef food web, and marine conservation, will be available next year.”

The first course is currently available online in the Beautiful Oceans eAcademy—a virtual classroom where participants can learn, watch video footage, take interactive quizzes, and interact with other divers and snorkelers using online chat and the free Internet phone, SkypeTM. The in-class and in-water components of each courses will be available exclusively at dive centers through a license system, allowing Beautiful Oceans to generate funds for the support of environmental initiatives. The well-structured courses which consist of a manual and underwater dive slates can be taught by certified Science Instructors in a single morning or afternoon session and then applied in-water. The dive center and instructor certification program has begun in January 2006, and courses are available to recreational divers and snorkelers traveling to the Caribbean.

About Beautiful Oceans

Beautiful Oceans offers the finest coral reef science courses for recreational scuba divers and snorkelers. Our exciting courses, which take place online, in-class and are designed to be applied in-water, provide a unique and comprehensive understanding of coral reef organisms, their behaviour and the environment in which they live.

Beautiful Oceans is a member of 1% FOR THE PLANET—a group of businesses donating 1% of their sales to the natural environment. Beautiful Oceans donates 1% of its annual income, or 10% of is annual pre-tax profit (whichever this is the greater), to not-for-profit organizations active in coral reef conservation. www.beautifuloceans.com

For more information, please contact:

Ian Popple or Stephan Becker
Beautiful Oceans
(514) 907-1935
media@beautifuloceans.com