Author: Paul Humann, REEF Co-Founder
On World Oceans Day, REEF kicked off our annual summer matching campaign. Every donation that comes in through August 8, up to $40,000, will be matched dollar for dollar! We are highlighting all the exciting new discoveries REEF staff and members are making through our core programs. With your help this summer, REEF can continue to study the vast underwater world that remains largely unexplored and encompasses more than 70% of our blue planet.
To make a contribution, please visit www.REEF.org/donate.
If you are a regular reader of Making It Count, you may have already heard of these exciting discoveries. They are significant steps forward in marine conservation efforts, and it is only possible through donor support, citizen science, and the help of our members, that we uncovered:
- Previously undescribed species, including a Coralblenny from the Philippines, Eyre’s Dwarfgoby, from Fiji, and Alfian’s Flasherwrasse from Indonesia
- Nassau Grouper can travel up to 275 km during their reproductive season (with this finding, the Cayman Government recommended seasonal protections rather than fishing closures only at reproductive locations)
- Ongoing lionfish removals can suppress the invasion to a low enough level to allow for the protection and recovery of native fish populations on Caribbean reefs
From all of us at REEF, we sincerely thank all our donors who make this work possible! Please have a safe and fun-filled 4th of July!
Author: Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Ph.D., Director of Science
In June, REEF Director of Science, Christy Pattengill-Semmens, attended the 2016 International Coral Reef Symposium meeting held in Hawaii. This conference, held every four years, brings together several thousand scientists, policy makers, and managers to discuss coral reefs and share latest research. During the week, Dr. Brice Semmens from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, presented an analysis of REEF survey data collected by volunteers in Bonaire Marine Park over the last 20 years. This valuable citizen science dataset includes over 22,000 surveys and 26,000 hours of underwater time. The findings reveal precipitous declines in large-bodied fishes such as grouper, but steady increases in mid-sized parrotfish. Hundreds of other talks were given, on a range of topics from the severe bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef, to the impacts of harmful fishing practices such as dynamite and cyanide, to discovering bright spots in some coral reef areas. Also at the conference, Dr. Jack Randall was awarded the Darwin Medal for his lifetime of achievements. All us fish watchers owe Dr. Randall a lot! Jack has described 815 reef fish species in his lifetime. He is 91 years old and has published 878 papers and dozens of fish ID guides.
Author: Emily Stokes, REEF Lionfish Program Assistant
We are excited to announce that Lad Akins, REEF Director of Special Projects, is a 2016 recipient of Diving Equipment & Marketing Association (DEMA)’s Reaching Out Award! First presented in 1989, this award honors leaders in the diving community whose significant contributions to the sport have elevated the industry on all levels. Lad will join distinguished past recipients including Jacques Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia Earle and Dr. Eugenie Clark, as well as REEF Co-Founder Paul Humann, and Board of Trustees Members Peter Hughes and Marty Snyderman.
Lad has worked tirelessly since REEF’s founding in 1990 to educate divers around the world about the marine environment and how to actively engage in conservation efforts through citizen science. Due to Lad’s efforts and dedication over the past 26 years, REEF is one of the largest citizen science organizations in the world with more than 60,000 members and over 200,000 fish surveys submitted to REEF’s online marine sightings database.
Lad spearheaded REEF’s efforts to combat the lionfish invasion over a decade ago. Lad has worked with scientists, government officials, the dive industry and the public to spread awareness and to facilitate the management and effective removal of these prolific invaders. His contributions to this issue have been numerous, widespread, and inventive. He pioneered the concept of lionfish derbies, and has authored or co-authored 30 scientific publications, as well as other publications, including “Invasive Lionfish: A Guide to Control and Management” and “The Lionfish Cookbook: The Caribbean’s New Delicacy”, now in its second edition.
Without Lad, REEF would not be where it is today. We are happy that he is receiving the recognition for his work to conserve our oceans and his impacts on countless divers and citizen scientists.
Congratulations, Lad!
Author: Amy Lee, REEF Trips Program Manager
Are you looking for an Indo-Pacific adventure to Micronesia, want to dive the warm waters of the Caribbean, or aim to explore the emerald green waters of British Columbia? Join REEF to take a Dive Vacation That Counts! We still have a few spaces remaining on the following 2016 REEF Trips:
Curacao Lionfish Research Trip, August 20 - 27 - led by REEF Director of Special Projects, Lad Akins, and REEF Board of Trustees Member, Peter Hughes. Learn all about the lionfish invasion while diving and helping with research. Special promotion for new REEF Trip Participants! Visit the trip page for details.
Bermuda, October 1 - 8 - led by Ned and Anna DeLoach, Renowned Underwater Photographers and Marine Life Authors. Ned and Anna will entertain participants with their fish id and behavior expertise. Pink sand beaches and fascinating historic sites help to make Bermuda a captivating destination for non-divers as well. Visit the trip page for details.
Palau and Yap, October 4 - 16 - led by REEF Director of Science, Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Ph.D. We will begin our trip at Manta Ray Bay Resort in Yap, and then board the Palau Aggressor II Liveaboard. We will explore rich coral walls and channels, documenting the biodiversity of the area. Participants will also have the unique chance to snorkel Palau's Jellyfish Lake and then dive the Chandelier Caves. Visit the trip page for details.
Barkley Sound, BC, October 9 - 13 - led by Janna Nichols, REEF Outreach Coordinator. A must-dive destination for cold-water divers, Barkley Sound will treat participants to excellent diving and encounters with wildlife both above and below the water. Visit the trip page for details.
Saba, October 22 - 29 - led by Paul Humann, REEF Co-Founder and Renowned Underwater Photographer. A chance to dive this beautiful mountainous island in the Caribbean. In addition to the REEF seminars, participants can participate in "Sea and Learn", a month-long education program offered by Sea Saba. Visit the trip page for details.
Coronado Islands, California/Mexico, November 7 - 10 - led by Jonathan Lavan, REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project Assistant. This West Coast trip offers the chance to encounter a diverse array of habitats and organisms, including kelp forests brimming with fish and invertebrates and playful sea lion pups. Visit the trip page for details.
Belize, December 3 - 10 - led by REEF Director of Science, Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Ph.D. Decompress before the holidays with a week on Belize's Turneffe Atoll at the spectacular Blackbird Caye Resort, named one of Sport Diver Magazine's "2015 World's Best Diving Resorts." Divers will delight in the high diversity of fishes and endemic species. Non-diver companions will love the sandy beaches, pool side relaxing, and kayaking. Visit the trip page for details.
The complete 2016 and 2017 schedule is posted at: www.REEF.org/trips. Contact REEF at trips@REEF.org or call 305-588-5869 to book your space or to find out more.
Author: Amy Lee, REEF Trips Program Manager
On June 22, SCUBA divers, marine conservation enthusiasts, and foodies gathered at Piccolo Ristorante in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to attend the second annual Lionfish Tasting Dinner. During the event, patrons learned about effects of the lionfish invasion while sampling the tasty invader’s light, white meat. At the end of the evening, DiveBar, one of the night’s sponsors, presented REEF with a check for $1,500 to support our Invasive Lionfish Program.
The night’s menu featured invasive lionfish, known for their voracious appetites and rapid reproduction. Each lionfish dish incorporated unique ingredients and creative preparations, beginning with a smoked fish dip appetizer, followed by four tapas-style courses, including a lionfish corn dog, surf and turf lionfish yucca croquette with marinated skirt steak, blackened lionfish taco with tropical salsa, and finally, an IPA beer-battered lionfish over rice. Each course was paired with a wine to complement the individual dish’s distinctive flavors.
Between courses, REEF Trips Program Manager Amy Lee gave a presentation to educate attendees about the lionfish invasion and the importance of lionfish removals. At the end of the night, Andres Avayú, chef at Piccolo Ristorante, demonstrated how to safely handle and fillet a lionfish. REEF’s second edition of “The Lionfish Cookbook”, published in February, features Chef Andres’ own unique recipe, lionfish with zucchini potato pancake and roasted red pepper coulis, as well as more than 60 lionfish recipes from many other chefs throughout the invaded region.
Red Lionfish, native to the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea, have invaded the Western Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish diets are very broad and include both fish and crustaceans. They have been documented to consume more than 120 species of prey, including commercially, recreationally, and ecologically important species. “It’s exciting to see such strong public and commercial interest in consuming lionfish,” says Lad Akins, REEF Director of Special Projects. “Developing a market for lionfish is a great way to provide incentive for increased removals. Even non-divers can make a real impact, by ordering the fish at their local restaurants, helping to decrease lionfish populations and minimize their impacts.”
Sponsors of the Lionfish Tasting Dinner include DiveBar, Miami Wine Buzz Club, Jack Scalisi Wholesale Fruit and Produce, and 8 Shades of Blue. All lionfish fillets used at the event were donated by Sean Meadows of World of Scuba, who recently hosted a REEF Sanctioned Lionfish Derby in Boynton Beach, Florida. Thanks to the joint efforts of these supporters and Piccolo Ristorante, the Lionfish Tasting Dinner raised $1,500 to support REEF’s marine conservation programs!
REEF hopes to organize more Lionfish Dinners to continue spreading awareness of the lionfish invasion and encouraging the public to consume this malicious yet delicious invader. For more information on REEF's Invasive Lionfish Program, visit www.REEF.org/lionfish. For more information on collecting, handling, and cooking lionfish, check out the second edition of “The Lionfish Cookbook”, available on the REEF Store at www.REEF.org/store/lionfishcookbook.
Author: Janna Nichols, REEF Outreach Coordinator
Even though it's summer, we aren't slowing down on our Fishinar series (www.REEF.org/fishinars). We have two great sessions planed, reviewing fishes of the Virgin Islands and Bermuda!
- Thursday, July 14th - Less Frequently Seen Fish of Virgin Gorda with Janna Nichols
- Tuesday, August 30th - Fishes of Bermuda with Ned and Anna DeLoach
And later this year, we have even more on the schedule.
- Thursday, September 8th - Underwater Residents of Barkley Sound, BC with Janna Nichols
- Thursday, September 15th - Don't Forget the Chubs and Progies! with Carlos and Allison Estape
- Wednesday, September 21st - Common Fishes of Micronesia with Christy Pattengill-Semmens
- Tuesday, October 4th - Sea Saba Underwater with Jonathan Lavan
- Wednesday, November 2nd - Digging Into Data: How to Use REEF's Database
- Monday, Novemer 14th - Hawaii: Life in the Sand with Christy Pattengill-Semmens
Everyone, including divers, snorkelers, and devout landlubbers, is welcome to join in these free, online webinars. You don't need any special equipment (other than your computer or mobile device) to log on and join in. Be sure to visit www.REEF.org/fishinars to look over the entire 2016 schedule, get more details, and register for your favorite ones. We record all sessions for later viewing, and our archives are available for free viewing for REEF members.
