Join us for free marine life seminars during REEF Fest! We have a great lineup of guest speakers including scientists, naturalists, and underwater photographers. Seminars are held on the second floor of the REEF Ocean Exploration Center (98380 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo, FL 33037). Please see the schedule below for dates and times.

Seminars are free and open to the public, but pre-registration is requested. 

Watch Online: For those who are not able to attend in person, REEF Fest seminars will be livestreamed on the REEF Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Seminars and Schedule


The REEF Fest 2026 Seminar series has a very exciting line-up of speakers this year, with more announcements soon. Click here to check out last year's speakers.

Date TBC - Exploring Earth's Final Frontier: Discoveries from the Deep Ocean
Presented by Sam Purkis, P.hD., Professor and Chair of the Department of Marine Geosciences, University of Miami

The deep ocean remains one of the least explored places on Earth, hiding landscapes more dramatic than any found on land—underwater mountain ranges, active volcanoes, vast coral ecosystems, and brine-filled lakes where life persists under conditions once thought impossible. In this talk, marine geologist and explorer Sam Purkis shares stories from expeditions aboard OceanX and Inkfish vessels, from the Red Sea to the Pacific and beyond. Using advanced submersibles, ROVs, and cutting-edge mapping technology, these voyages reveal how the deep sea preserves records of Earth's past—including remarkably detailed climate archives in deep-sea brine pools, investigations of underwater landslide and earthquake hazards, and research into the aftermath of the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption and tsunami. Combining science, exploration, and adventure, this presentation offers a rare glimpse into a world few people will ever see firsthand.
 

Date TBC - Something seems fishy: Applications of forensic science in the diverse world of wildlife conservation with a spotlight on marine and aquatic animals
Presented by Aisha Rickli-Rahman, Conservation Biologist

While true crime remains a popular topic in the media, wildlife crime is equally pervasive and often linked to human-based offenses. This talk will examine the intersection between forensic science and wildlife conservation, discussing some of the forensic methods used to solve crimes against humans and how they can be leveraged to protect the natural world. We will explore various applications, from using a single fillet to expose fraudulent fish markets to investigating toxicological events in avian populations, highlighting how forensic tools can pinpoint transgressions against wildlife, their habitats, and their very survival.

 


 

Dr. Sam Purkis is a marine geologist whose passion for the underwater world was ignited at a young age by Jacques Cousteau's iconic book and film, The Silent World. That early inspiration led him to become a certified SCUBA diver and diving instructor, living in a tent along Egypt's southern Red Sea coast from 1992 to 1993, a region that has remained a cornerstone of his scientific career ever since. After studying marine biology at the University of Southampton, he earned both an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in geology from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, graduating in 2004. He then crossed the Atlantic to join the National Coral Reef Institute, rising from postdoctoral scientist to faculty member. In 2016, he joined the University of Miami as Professor of Marine Geosciences, becoming Chair of the Department of Marine Geosciences the following year. His research spans coral reefs, climate change, marine geology, natural hazards, and ocean exploration, taking him from shallow tropical reefs to submersible dives exceeding 1,500 meters aboard research vessels including OceanX and Inkfish. The author of three books and more than 160 scientific publications, he combines satellite remote sensing, robotics, and deep-ocean exploration to understand how Earth's oceans have changed through time, and what those changes may mean for the future.

 

Aisha Rickli-Rahman is a conservation biologist with 15 years of experience across diverse ecosystems from Nicaragua to the Hawaiian archipelago. Her work has involved a wide range of organisms, including sea turtles, sea birds, invasive insects, and endemic plants. With a passion for sharing wildlife knowledge, she has participated in educational outreach programs as a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and has mentored young biologists as an active member of Black Women in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Science. She holds a BS in Marine Biology from Eckerd College and an MS in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, with a concentration in Forensic Science and Conservation, from the University of Florida. Recently relocated from Germany, she is based in Northern California with her wife and cat, where she is enjoying a renewed proximity to the ocean.