As the lionfish invasion progresses throughout the Western Atlantic region, marine resource managers are struggling with lionfish control in protected areas. In the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Sanctuary managers have come up with a special permit process to allow removal of lionfish within the Sanctuary Preservation Areas (no-take zones). A critical part of the permit process is participation in a training and handling workshop conducted by REEF. To date, over 15 workshops have been held in the Keys and over 230 on the water professionals have been trained and permitted. Of course the permit is only half the issue, the second half is getting the fish! In an effort to encourage and facilitate removals of lionfish, REEF recently provided dive operators who have been through the permitting workshops and are actively reporting or removing lionfish with a complete set of lionfish collecting gear at no cost. The kits, normally retailing for $138.00 and available through REEF's online store, each contain a pair of puncture resistant gloves, two vinyl collecting nets, and a clear dry bag used as a collection bag. The donation of the collecting kits to 27 dive operators throughout the Keys was facilitated through REEF, NOAA’s Aquatic Invasive Species program, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and a generous contribution by an upper Florida Keys resident.

REEF has also worked with local dive operators and conservation groups to establish 13 lionfish collection banks in the Keys. These locations have been equipped with storage supplies, including bags, labels, markers, etc., and promoted as drop-off locations for lionfish collected by the public. The lionfish at each location will be picked up on a regular basis and shipped from REEF to researchers at the NOAA lab in North Carolina and researchers at the USGS. Key research questions including predation, genetics, age and growth rates, among others will be addressed through acquisition of these samples. For a listing of lionfish collection banks in the Keys, visit www.REEF.org/lionfish and follow the links.

REEF is proud to partner with over 130 dive shops, dive clubs, individuals, and other organizations as REEF Field Stations.

This month we feature the Eugene Dive Club, an active club in Oregon with over 100 members. The club serves as the go-to arm of the official REEF Field Station at Eugene Skin Divers Supply. The club's involvement was spearheaded by two active northwest REEF surveyors and Eugene locals, Christine and Jim Pendergrass. Chris and Jim took the PADI Habitat class through Eugene Skin Divers Supply, which fed them into the volunteer dive program at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. That sparked their interest in fish ID and led them to REEF. Since then, Jim and Chris have been teaching REEF fish and invertebrate ID classes, sponsoring monthly REEF dives along the Oregon coast, and helping with REEF’s online training webinars. They have also created a fun ID game called ‘Cash Boat’, a fish/invert ID contest modeled after TV’s ‘Cash Cab’. Their efforts have paid off, and we have seen an increase in Oregon divers involved in the REEF survey program. They are now planning to expand their REEF class schedule, planning more REEF Blitz Weekends, and continuing to introduce folks from other dive clubs to the wonders of Oregon diving and critterwatching. When asked about what they like best about being involved with REEF, Jim and Chris say "It’s a great way to learn more about the marine environment and meet like-minded people. And you get to share exciting underwater finds, like the Monkeyface Prickleback!" Thanks to Jim, Chris, and the folks at the Eugene Skin Divers Supply for helping invigorate the REEF program in Oregon.

We are about to get our 50,000th member! Spread the word and get your friends to sign up. The lucky 50,000 member will receive one of our new Rogest-designed REEF logo T-shirts (and a very notable and easy to remember member number). Forward this e-news to a friend who isn't yet a member and encourage them to sign up today. It's easy to do online, and it's free!

WASH Nearshore Symposium

REEF’s Director of Science, Dr. Christy Pattengill-Semmens, was an
invited speaker at the Temperate Reef Resources Symposium held at the University of Washington in early June. Christy spoke on the role that volunteers play in generating needed data for managing temperate reefs, and used examples from REEF experiences and projects in three west coast National Marine Sanctuaries, the Olympic Coast, Monterey Bay, and
the Channel Islands. To date, over 10,000 REEF surveys have been conducted in coastal areas along the west coast of the US and Canada.

Channel Islands Shore to Sea Lecture Series

 
In early July, Christy was the featured speaker for the monthly Channel Islands Shore to Sea Lecture Series, which is sponsored by the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Park. Christy spoke on REEF surveying inside and outside of the marine reserve network that was
implemented around the Channel Islands in 2004. Much of these data are
collected using REEF’s Pacific Advanced Assessment Team aboard the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary’s Research Vessel Shearwater.

Flower Garden Banks National Marine
Sanctuary fisheries impact workshop

Christy also presented information on the REEF
Volunteer Survey Program at a recent priority issues workshop on fishing impacts for the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. The workshop was used to discuss the possibility of Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary implementing experimental no-take zones within the Sanctuary. Christy presented information about REEF's volunteers 14 year long monitoring of reef fish at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, and how this data can provide a valuable baseline to be able to measure the effects of any future no-take zones that might be implemented in the Sanctuary.