Background information
The RSEC has the legal form of an association registered in Austria (police administration Salzburg, notification 5. 7. 2005). The associations name is Red Sea Environmental Centre (RSEC) –Institute for Research, Education and Environmental Protection. Founder and president of RSEC is Dr. Robert Hofrichter. Co-founder and vice-president is Christian Alter. The RSEC combines two marine biological stations, one at the southeast coast of the Sinai in Dahab and a second in El-Quseir on the egyptian mainland. Its partner dive centers at the Red Sea are Sinai Divers and Extra Divers. RSEC activities are coordinated in and from Austria by Dr. Robert Hofrichter and locally by Christian Alter in Egypt. The organisation has around 100 registered members (mainly austrian and german nationality) which are paying an annual fee of 20 EUR, respectively 10 EUR for students. This is the only constant income and it´s used mainly for the website and the discussion forum. Furthermore, the organisation is supported in Dahab by Sinai Divers by providing facilities. So far, RSEC has no financial sponsors, all inventory is financed private by the founders.
The RSEC is working with environmental protection and scientific activities (research and education) for the benefits of marine protection, bioinventory research and species and habitat conservation. Since February 2007 the RSEC has been cooperating successfully with Sinai Divers Backpackers in Dahab, as well as with the international Reef Check organisation (German and Egyptian coordinators). Our work is based on voluntary efforts to a high degree.

Scientific Research
Research on the ecology of coral reefs and other local ecosystems is a prerequisite to ensuring their conservation. The RSEC research programme brings together scientists and students to contribute to the protection of biodiversity through biological inventory work, and to answer questions of importance to local conservation and environmental protection.
The RSEC offers at its field stations the required infrastructure, scientific and logistic support and consultancy for Bachelor/Master students, PhD students, Universities and established scientists. The RSEC itself plans and conducts scientific and nature conservation projects and volunteers are welcome to do work on these projects under supervision, thereby participating in the protection of the coral reefs and learning about reef biology. Scientific goals of RSEC are:

Environmental Activities and Education
The RSEC directly assists local environmental conservation through cooperative activities with other local organisations and the National Parks of Egypt. Voluntary activities, such as underwater- and beach clean-ups and Crown-of-Thorns collections, provide a forum for residents and guests in Dahab to help protect the natural environment. Other operations include coral reef monitoring and supporting local environmental initiatives. RSEC has gradually intensified its efforts with stress on local environmental problems, particularly the current state of the fringing coral reefs of the Dahab coastal zone, where progressive deterioration of reef health has become more and more obvious. Thus, a concept for a Coral Reef Sustainability Program was created by RSEC in 2005. Main ingredients of the program are census surveys for estimating actual scale of recreational activities, comprehensive reef monitoring surveys (extended Reef Check protocol, developed by RSEC in 2006 in cooperation with Reef Check Europe), and work towards integrated reef site management plan(s). In addition, progressive and rapid deterioration of the coastal environment, in particular the fringing coral reefs with their vulnerable reef tables and adjacent habitats (sand flats and seagrass beds) are considered an issue of high priority, along with the rapid decrease of fish and shellfish abundances which are important for the ecological balance of the reef area.

Courses
RSEC offers reef biological courses (including Reef Check courses) which are incorporated as a part of the dive centre's course program. The Reef Check EcoDiver course enables participants to join survey programme (for actual reef protection) is an initiative of public utility and for public awareness raising in the Dahab and El Quseir area. The Reef Check EcoDiver Trainer addresses Dive Instructors or Dive Master to become Reef Check EcoDiver Trainer to conduct their own EcoDiver courses. RSECs’ reef biological courses range 1h to 2 weeks and are for everybody independent of their age and of previous knowledge in coral reef. All our courses can be combined with diving and snorkelling activities. Beginners as well as advanced divers have the chance to attend an adequate course, held at our partner dive centre.

Voluntary work

Since 2005 RSEC has regularly had volunteers engaged in environmental activities and projects and various other tasks. The RSEC offers the chance to gain work experience, especially in a reef biological context, through volunteer work to young (e.g. advanced undergraduate students) but also to others interested. The volunteering can be organised for up to several months and main attention on the work is based on environmental friendly activities like beach and underwater clean-up´s. Volunteers participate in different Reef Check activities (Dahab Reef Monitoring), nature conservation projects as well as in assistance with reef biological courses and excursions carried out by the RSEC. Grand projects like the “Dahab Reef Monitoring” are financed by the volonteers and the support of Sinai Divers (e.g. reduced prices for work dives, providing of facilities). In addition, every volunteer may conduct its individual scientific study. The working plan for the volunteers will be arranged in accordance with the permanent staff and will be adapted to the specific skills and knowledge of each person. The scientific projects, as well as the activities concerning reef protection are accomplished in cooperation with the headquarters of the national park (Nature Conservation Sector) of the Egyptian conservation office (EEAA).