When a REEF volunteer surveyor submits 1,000 surveys, he or she becomes a member of the Golden Hamlet Club. We are very pleased to welcome Judith Cucco as the newest Golden Hamlet Club member! Every one of Judith's 1,000 REEF surveys were conducted while snorkeling in Hawaii, where she lives on O'ahu and is in the water almost every day. Judith has been a REEF member for over 10 years, and is an expert level 5 surveyor in the Hawaii (HAW) survey region.
When asked about her favorite aspect of the Volunteer Fish Survey Project, Judith said, "I enjoy really getting to know a place. You learn a lot about fish behavior. Some species exhibit site fidelity and you can see them in the same place time after time. Other fish are nomadic. Some fish like a particular type of coral, so if you want to see a certain species, just look for that type of coral and you may be rewarded. I like moving up the levels, the fishinars and enjoy reading the newsletter."
You can read more about Judith and her experiences as a REEF surveyor here. Click here to view all of our Golden Hamlet Club members.
Congratulations Judith for your outstanding achievement, for making an impact on citizen science, and being a vital member of our REEF family and community since 2010!