WORKSHOP #FieldworkFail: What went wrong and how you fixed it, or not

In coral reef restoration, we do not publish what failed. Which means, everybody is re-inventing the wheel at some point unaware of failed techniques or mistakes done by others. We need to share failures, so as a community of coral reef scientists and practitioners, we can learn what works and what does not work, and how to fix the problem. The #FieldworkFail tag is very popular on Twitter and a quick Google search reveals dramatic outcomes from zealous fish repositioning GoPro cameras to elephant blood samples exploding in an airplane. This is the first attempt at completing a “FieldworkFail for coral reef restoration. In this informal “tea time” gathering, participants will be invited to share their most embarrassing fieldwork story and what they learned from it: a technique that didn’t work, a mistake done in the field, or even a well-planned project that went nowhere. The aim is to share failures and learn from each other in an informal environment. Participants will be asked to bring photos, or videos of their #FieldworkFail and a certificate will be provided to the winner Fail based on voting from the audience.