News & Updates
Exciting Field Opportunities for REEF Members
New Key Largo Lecture Series - REEF Fish and Friends - Kicks Off in March
02/26/2009
Lisa Mitchell, REEF Executive Director, lisa@reef.org, 305-852-0030
REEF announces the launch of a new seminar series, to be held the 2nd Tuesday of every month in Key Largo. These FREE seminars and lectures are open to the public -- everyone is welcome
Join Us the 2nd Tuesday of Each Month for this exciting series!
6:00-7:300 PM at the James E. Lockwood Jr. REEF Headquarters, Key Largo, MM 98.3 in the median.
Learn how you can make a dive or snorkel that counts. Become a citizen scientist and meet others who share your passion for the underwater world. Snorkelers, divers and armchair naturalists welcome.
DiveAssure Insurance Program Announces Discounts for REEF Members
01/16/2009
Lisa Mitchell, 305-852-0030
DiveAssure, a leader in the field of diving and dive-travel insurance, has committed to support REEF to advance our projects and activities that benefit marine environments. DiveAssure is offering REEF members a significant discount on two levels of coverage - 50% off the regular price for the Platinum program and 35% off the Diamond program. DiveAssure offers membership benefits including the best insurance programs that are tailored to meet the needs and demands of divers.
Lionfish Arrive in the Florida Keys!
01/12/2009
Lad Akins, Director of Special Projects lad@reef.org, 305-852-0030
The first confirmed lionfish sighting in the Florida Keys occurred on Tuesday, January 6, 2009. REEF received this specific sighting report at 2:30pm on the 6th from one of our volunteer divers from South Carolina, who was diving on vacation in the Keys. She found the fish near the base of Benwood Ledge (66') just offshore of the Benwood wreck, Key Largo. Via the numerous REEF media alerts and notices, she knew the invasion of lionfish was an issue and grabbed a few images with her digital camera to confirm the sighting.
REEF Classes at the Vancouver Aquarium
The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) is excited to announce a series of REEF Fish and Invertebrate ID Classes to be held at the Vancouver Aquarium on the 20th - 22nd of November! The courses are free of charge and open to all. They've been offered previously at several locations in Washington and Oregon and hundreds of divers have attended.
Besides the basic REEF fish and invertebrate ID courses, we'll also be offering the new Advanced Fish ID course.
REEF To Present Informative Seminar on Lionfish Invasion During DEMA Show
10/15/2008
Lad Akins, REEF Director of Special Projects, 305-852-0030, 305-942-7333 (cell), lad@reef.org
Native to the Indo-Pacific, two species of lionfish (Pterois miles and P. volitans) have recently become established along the east coast of the U.S., Bermuda, Bahamas, and the north-central Caribbean. Their expansion through the Caribbean is occurring at a rapid pace and recent studies have demonstrated significant impacts of lionfish on native reef fish communities. REEF and NOAA researchers have documented more than 50 species of prey from lionfish stomachs including some commercially valuable species of grouper and snapper.
REEF Lionfish Research Featured on National Geographic and AP
08/27/2008
Lad Akins, REEF Director of Special Projects, lad@reef.org, 305-852-0030 (o), 305-942-7333 (c)
REEF's critical research on lionfish is currently featured as a video story on the National Geographic Daily News website. This video story follows a series of stories by the Associated Press earlier this month, as well as on the daily cable show Fox Live Desk and NBC Nightly News.
See NBC Nightly News Story About REEF Lionfish Research
07/01/2008
A segment featuring REEF's research on the invasion of the Indo-Pacific Lionfish into the western Atlantic and Caribbean was featured on NBC Nightly News June 30th. Click here to view the segment online.
Lionfish Project September 14-20 at Stuart Cove's Dive Bahamas
Join Lad Akins, Andy Dehart, Ned and Anna DeLoach and Chris Flook for a week of hands on lionfish research diving in Nassau, Bahamas
Cayman Islands, REEF Announce Plans to Preserve Endangered Nassau Grouper
04/21/2008
Leda Cunningham, Leda@REEF.org, (305) 852-0030 (office), (202) 494-1995 (cell)
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.