We're excited to announce the REEF Educator in the Field Fellowship, a new professional development opportunity for formal and informal educators to gain hands-on experience with ocean citizen science! The Fellowship will enable a qualified educator to participate in a REEF Field Survey Trip. They will join other citizen scientist volunteers to learn about marine life and conduct fish surveys while scuba diving or snorkeling as part of the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project.

Applications are now open for the 2023 REEF Educator in the Field Fellowship. This year's recipient will join the REEF Field Survey Trip to Roatan, Honduras, at CoCo View Resort on July 15-23, 2023. REEF will cover the total cost of the Field Survey Trip, including meals and air transportation up to $1,200. The application deadline is March 31. For more info or to apply, visit www.REEF.org/educatorinfield.

The Fellowship aims to provide an experience that will enable educators to engage their students and/or audiences with REEF programs through fieldwork, REEF database exploration, Virtual Field Trips, or other REEF Ocean Explorers Education Programs. Following the Field Survey Trip, the Fellow will stay involved as a member of the REEF Education Advisory Panel. The Fellow may also be eligible to earn up to 2.5 units of graduate level credit from the University of California at San Diego.

Funding for the REEF Educator in the Field Fellowship is generously provided by CEDAM International. Since 1997, CEDAM International has offered annual financial support for an educator to participate in a REEF Field Survey Trip. This Fellowship was established in 2023 to continue the legacy of the Lloyd Bridges Scholarship.