News & Updates

KEY LARGO, Fla. – The Cayman Islands government and REEF, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation, today announced the start of a three-year research collaboration to study and validate efforts aimed at protecting Nassau grouper, an imperiled Caribbean reef fish.

KEY LARGO, Fla. – REEF, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation, last week hosted Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen at its headquarters in Key Largo, Florida. Ros-Lehtinen represents Florida’s 18th district, including Monroe County and the Florida Keys. REEF Board and staff discussed the importance of training volunteers in marine conservation to preserving the long-term health of coral reefs in the Florida Keys and worldwide.

KEY LARGO, Fla. – REEF, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation, today released a report on its biological monitoring of the U.S.S. Spiegel Grove, a 510-foot Navy ship sunk off Key Largo, Florida in June, 2002. Since the sinking, 191 fish species have been documented on the wreck, which has become home to fish not previously documented on this site, including species rarely found elsewhere in the Keys, such as blackcap basslet and blackfin snapper. Goliath and Nassau grouper, both protected species, were documented on the Spiegel Grove.

KEY LARGO, Fla. – REEF, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation, raised $25,000 for coral reef conservation at the first annual “For the Love of the Sea” dinner and auction. Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach, co-founders of REEF and authors of the popular Reef Identification series, spoke about the importance of the REEF in training divers and snorkelers to help with conservation. Community businesses, conservationists and concerned individuals attended the event, which was held at Amy Slate’s Amoray Dive Resort in Key Largo, Florida.

WHAT:

On Wednesday, March 12, REEF will host a community panel discussion
to raise awareness about how volunteers contribute to scientific understanding
of the environment. Rick Bonney of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York
will lead the discussion. Florida Keys-based citizen science experts will present
on local projects and ways for volunteers to get involved.

WHAT:

KEY LARGO, Fla. – The Reef Environmental Education Foundation has adapted its popular classroom course into a home study DVD package aimed at beginning “fishwatchers.” Reef Fish Identification – A Beginning Course teaches the basics of “fishwatching,” including identification of 50 commonly sighted species found in the tropical western Atlantic. A waterproof fish identification booklet, underwater survey slate and REEF survey materials are included. The DVD course is available online at www.REEF.org and at dive retailers and resorts.

Wow! Linda Ridley is now officially the 6th entrant into the Golden
Hamlet Club (GHC) which has as its main membership requirement
entrants having completed 1,000 fish id surveys. Linda Ridley joins Lad
Akins, Linda Baker, Judie Clee, Peter Leahy, Linda Schillinger (what is
it with the name Linda anyway, maybe should be renamed the Linda Hamlet
Club?). This really is a tremendous achievement and those of you who
survey regularly understand just how much work goes into completing 100
surveys and submitting all that data , now imagine 1,000 surveys.

REEF is excited to announce the launch of a completely redesigned REEF.org website! A unique look, enhanced features, and pages of fresh content ... the address is the same but almost everything else about the REEF website is new.