Author: REEF Staff
Thank you to all our members who have donated during our winter fundraising campaign! If you haven’t yet made a donation, we still need your help. Tomorrow is the last day to make a 2016 tax deductible donation. Please take a moment to contribute online at www.REEF.org/donate, mail your donation to REEF at PO Box 370246, Key Largo, FL 33037, or call us at 305-852-0030. Donors giving $250 or more will receive a limited edition, signed and numbered Paul Humann print featuring two Mandarinfish.
Over the last month, we have highlighted how REEF continues to inspire people around the world to cherish and protect our marine resources. From providing hands-on learning experiences for future generations to protecting important species like Nassau Grouper and fighting invasive species like lionfish, REEF remains dedicated to marine conservation. It has never been more important to ensure that we protect our oceans by promoting citizen science and environmental education.
From all of us at REEF, thank you for your support in 2016! We wish you a very happy new year, and hope you continue to join us on our adventures in 2017.
Author: Sasha Medlen, REEF Membership and Development Coordinator
REEF members are at the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. Over 50,000 divers, snorkelers, students, and armchair naturalists stand behind our mission.
This month we highlight Jet Long. Jet lives in California, and has been a REEF member since 2013. He has participated in several REEF Field Survey Trips and has conducted over 50 surveys. Here’s what Jet had to say about REEF:
When and how did you first volunteer with REEF?
I first heard about REEF from fellow REEF member Hideko Kawabata during a volunteering trip. Doing fish surveys all over the world sounded like an interesting idea to me. I spent more time learning about REEF when I got home and decided to join. My first REEF trip was in 2013 to Southern Bahamas on Turks and Caicos Explorer II. I learned a lot about lionfishes (e.g. anatomy, how to hunt and cook them). Since then, I try to do at least one REEF fish survey trip every year.
If you have been on a REEF Field Survey, where and what was your trip highlight?
I have done a few REEF Field Surveys. The one I like the most so far is the Philippines Dumaguete Atlantis Resort trip. It might be because it was the first time I did muck diving. The fishes and creatures that you could find were amazing (e.g. many types of anemone fishes, bobtail squids, slingjaw wrasse, mantis shrimps). The highlight was no doubt swimming with the world’s largest fish – whale sharks!
What is your favorite part about being a REEF member?
There are a lot of good reasons why you want to be a REEF member. You can help to establish a fish database which is used by different research projects. You will visit places that you may not think of visiting. But the best part is the expansion of your knowledge on fishes, sea creatures, and the ocean when you are on a field survey trip. You will see the underwater world differently once you learn more about it. You will learn the importance of protecting our ocean.
What is your favorite place to dive?
I would have to say the Coral Triangle. Its high concentration of fishes, corals, and other species is really amazing.
What is the most fascinating fish encounter you’ve experienced?
When I was in Dumaguete Philippines, I saw two Black-saddled Tobies facing off with each other. At first, they were in the middle of the water column. They then spiraled down towards the bottom. They eventually glided through each other’s body. I didn’t expect this to happen.
What is your favorite fish or invertebrate?
Ocean’s giant gentle Manta Ray is my favorite fish. It was absolutely beautiful to watch them swimming and hovering the cleaning station.
Do you have any surveying, fish watching or identification tips for the REEF members?
Do more! The more you do, the better you will be in identifying the fishes in a particular region. Before each field trip, one should spend some time watching the Fishinars to get familiar with the fishes. In addition, a fish ID book is a really useful tool to learn about the fishes before and during the trip.
What is your most memorable fish find and why?
Seeing a Crocodile Flathead hiding in the sea grass during the Palau trip was really neat. Its camouflage body made it almost impossible to locate. I was just lucky to look at that specific patch of sea grass. The fish that I really want to sea underwater is Ocean Sunfish (aka Mola Mola), which is supposed to be the world’s heaviest bony fish.
Author: Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Ph.D., Director of Science
Earlier this year, a special issue of the scientific journal, Marine Ecology Progress Series, was published titled "Invasion of Atlantic Coastal Ecosystems by Pacific Lionfish". The issue is a compilation of papers presented at the 2015 special session of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute meeting, which was co-organized by REEF and partner organizations. New findings include mechanisms that enhance the success of the invader, the extremely broad and variable diet of invasive lionfish, the ecological effects of the invader on native fish populations in various environmental contexts, and non-consumptive interactions between invasive lionfish and native predators. REEF's Director of Special Projects, Lad Akins, is a co-author on the introductory paper. The entire issue is available open access online at http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v558/#theme.
Author: Lad Akins, REEF Director of Special Projects
In October 2016, REEF's Rapid Response Team removed a non-native Onespot Rabbitfish from Florida waters within 24 hours of its reporting. The rabbitfish is the 36th non-native marine fish documented in Florida waters through REEF’s Exotic Species Sightings Program, and its removal is the 5th successful rapid response effort led by REEF.
The Onespot Rabbitfish was seen by a REEF member while diving offshore of Dania Beach, Florida, who then reported it through REEF’s Non-native Sightings Program. Within 24 hours of receiving the sighting report, REEF and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) coordinated a successful live-capture of the fish. The fish was placed at the new Philip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Miami and will be displayed as part of an educational exhibit on the dangers of non-native species.
Like the lionfish, the rabbitfish is a venomous fish with a voracious appetite. Rabbitfish eat marine vegetation like seaweeds, algae, and seagrasses, and could impact native fish habitat. They are native to the Asian Pacific region. It is probable that, like the lionfish, the Onespot Rabbitfish was introduced to the South Florida reef via an aquarium release. Please spread the word about the dangers of introducing exotic fish to local waters. Other options include reaching out to a local fish or pet shop, asking other fish owners to adopt, looking for a local fish club, or donating the fish to school or office. If you are a diver in Florida, please keep your eyes open for this species. If you see one, please fill out an exotic species reporting form at www.reef.org/programs/exotic/report.
Over the last several years, USGS and REEF have coordinated the removal of the rabbitfish and four other non-native marine fish species from Florida waters. All four species were captured alive, and three of the four are currently on display at educational institutions. The rabbitfish will be on display at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science in Miami, Florida, when it opens its doors in early 2017.
Author: Janna Nichols, REEF Outreach Coordinator
Did you know? Our Fishinar program has been going strong now for 6 years! In that time, we've put on over 120 Fishinars and recorded most of them for later viewing as a benefit of REEF membership. Our typical Fishinar lasts about an hour. Check out our Fishinar archives and you might find something you like!
And we have another great year planned in 2017. In January, our focus will be on Lionfish. We'll have an online Do It Yourself Lionfish jewelry "how to" session on January 24th, along with a Lionfish update from expert scientist Dr. Stephanie Green on January 18th. If you're interested in Lionfish, you won't want to miss these! Visit the Fishinar page for all the details and links to register.
Author: Amy Lee, REEF Trips Program Manager
As the holidays wind down, now is the perfect time to plan a dive vacation that counts. We still have openings on several REEF Field Survey Trips in 2017, to both tropical and temperate dive destinations all over the world. Join us for an itinerary of diving, educational classroom seminars, and fun with friends!
Spaces are available on the following REEF Trips in 2017:
February 18 - 25 -- Dominica -- Dive Dominica & Castle Comfort Lodge, Led by Lad Akins, find out more
May 6 - 13 -- Turks and Caicos Islands -- Dive Provo and Ports of Call Resort, Led by Amy Lee, find out more
May 14 - 21 -- Galapagos Islands -- M/V Galapagos Sky Liveaboard, Led by Christy Pattengill-Semmens, find out more
June 24 - July 1 -- Bahamas (only one space left) -- Lionfish Research Trip Explorer II Liveaboard, Led by Lad Akins and Peter Hughes, find out more
June 24 - July 1 -- Roatan -- CoCo View Resort, Led by Janna Nichols and Scott & Patti Chandler, find out more
August 19 - 26 -- Curacao -- Lionfish Research and Fish ID Trip Combo GO WEST Diving and Kura Hulanda Lodge, Led by Lad Akins, Peter Hughes, and Ellie Splain, find out more
October 1 - 8 -- Grand Cayman -- Sunset House, Led by Paul Humann, find out more
October 15 - 19 -- Hornby Island British Columbia -- Hornby Island Diving, Led by Janna Nichols, find out more
December 2 - 9 -- Cozumel -- Chili Charters and Casa Mexicana/Safari Inn, Led by Tracey Griffin, find out more
December 3 - 9 -- British Virgin Islands -- Cuan Law Liveaboard, Led by Ellie Splain, find out more
Trips fill up quickly, so book your space today! For more information on REEF Field Survey Trips, visit www.REEF.org/trips. Contact REEF at Trips@REEF.org to sign up, and keep an eye out for the 2018 schedule - coming this spring!
