The Coral Finder

Because it works ? and it has a free complete video training course (in English and in Bahasa Indonesian).

Everyone! – recreational divers, dive instructors, dive boats and businesses, snorkelers, reef walkers, students, naturalists, scientists.

Choose a shape based Key Group using the simple Visual Navigation system. Then select a Look-Alike page of “best bets” for what your coral might be. Now your choice is VISUAL and easy to confirm. All ID’s cross reference back to Corals of the World for post dive follow up to species level.

Lets the interested person identify corals to genus level regardless of growth form anywhere in the Indo Pacific. Links to topside resources.

The world’s first easy-to-use Indo Pacific coral ID guide.

Russell Kelley is a science communicator and film maker specializing in the biology and geology of living and fossil reefs. He runs training and capacity building courses for those passionate about the natural history of reefs, identifying corals and other marine life and how everything fits together.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS – the Coral Finder could not have happened without the support of Charlie Veron and Mary Stafford-Smith who made available images for the first edition. Charlie is a true visionary and the Coral Finder is dedicated to extending his life’s work and passionate advocacy for coral reefs. The Australian Coral Reef Society (ACRS) supported the early development of the Coral Finder when no-one else would. To Charlie, Mary and the ACRS – thank you.

The following donated images, time, expertise or tears of blood to bring the Coral Finder to life: Ken Anthony, Chico Birrell, Clay Bryce, Lyndon Devantier, Frances Dipper, Ryan Donnelly, Doug Fenner, Richard Fitzpatrick, Kate Green, Steve Green, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Anne Hoggett, Andy Lewis, Ed Lovell, Jim Maragos, Justin Marshall, Kirsten Michalek-Wagner, Paul Muir, Kirsty Nash, Annika Noreen, John Pandol , Gustav Pauley, Rachel Pears, Michel Pichon, Morgan Pratchett, Marie Roman, Gavin Ryan, Qamar Schuyler, Brett Shorthouse, Lyle Squire, Roger Steene, Loraini Sivo, Keoki Stender, Emre Turak, Lyle Vail, Tony van Merwyk, Ron Vave, Andreas Wagner, Carden Wallace, Selina Ward, Jackie Wolstenholme, Elizabeth Wood, Phil Woodhead, Len Zell.

© Russell Kelley, 2016

Author: Russell Kelley, russell@byoguides.com
Scientific editor: Rachel Pears, rachpear@mac.com
Publisher: BYOGUIDES, P.O. Box 1859, Townsville, QLD 4810 Australia
Design by Andreas Wagner, andreas@coolplanetdesign.com.au
Illustration by Gavin Ryan, gvnryn@yahoo.com.au

ISBN 978-0-646-52326-2

This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process
without the prior written permission of Russell Kelley.

Citation: Kelley R, 2016. Indo Pacific Coral Finder, 3rd edition, BYOGUIDES.

The development of the 1st edition of this publication was supported by the Australian Coral Reef Society: www.australiancoralreefsociety.org

The Coral Finder Toolkit is a training solution for coral identification based on the Indo Pacific Coral Finder and the free training resources including 2 hours of FREE video training at BYOGUIDES (www.byoguides.com/resources/coral-finder-resources). BYOGUIDES runs marine naturalist and coral identification identification workshops for companies, organisations and groups of individuals. See www.byoguides.com/courses

The Reef Finder

The world’s first comprehensive field guide that you can actually take underwater.

By searching a Visual Index for easy to understand shapes, textures or concepts: e.g. fingers, spines, spirals etc. or “holes”, “tentacles” – you can even search by “sediments”.

The Reef Finder answers the most common question a new diver asks: “What is that thing?” …while you are diving.

Everyone! – recreational divers, dive instructors, dive boats and businesses, snorkelers, reef walkers, students, naturalists, scientists.

It’s a searchable dive slate for everything at a fraction of the price!

With the Reef Finder you can:

  • explore and teach yourself about reef life above and below water
  • communicate with and teach others above and below water
  • discuss your dive wet-handed on the back deck or beach
  • develop your own natural history courses for diving or reef walking

The Reef Finder gallery pages use widely accepted “group” names like “Butterflyfishes” or “Black corals” and scientific names for individual images. It is not practical to publish a book with common names for fishes because they vary from region to region. So use the scientific name to look up the common name used in your region via the index in your favourite topside field guide or on websites such as www.fishbase.org .

Principal photography: Phil Woodhead, Rachel Pears
Scientific editor: Rachel Pears

The following donated images, time, expertise or tears of blood to bring the Reef Finder to life: Phil Alderslade, IanBell, Chico Birrell, Mike Cappo, Daniela Ceccarelli, Richard Fitzpatrick, Commonwealth of Australia GBRMPA, Lisa Gerschwin, Jennifer Goldner, Tim Harvey, Anne Hoggett, John Huisman, Mike Van Keulen, Warren Lee Long, Andy Lewis, Gerald McCormack, Kirsten Michalek-Wagner, Paul Muir, John Pandolfi, Christine Schoenberg, Julian Sprung, Lyle Squire, Roger Steene, Kevin Tilbrook, David Wachenfeld.

Author: Russell Kelley, © 2014
Publisher: BYO Guides
P.O. Box 1859, Townsville, QLD, 4810 AUSTRALIA russellkelley@mac.com
Communication design: Russell Kelley
Design: Andreas Wagner, Cool Planet Design

ISBN 978-0-9924776-0-8

This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without the prior written permission of Russell Kelley.

Citation: Kelley R, 2014. Reef Finder. Published by BYO Guides, Townsville.

Russell Kelley is a science communicator and film maker specializing in the biology and geology of living and fossil reefs. He runs training and capacity building courses for those passionate about the natural history of reefs, identifying corals and other marine life and how everything fits together.