We are thrilled to welcome two exceptional REEF surveyors, Brice Semmens and Laurie Fulton, as the newest members of the Golden Hamlet Club! This prestigious group honors REEF volunteers who have conducted 1,000 or more REEF surveys as part of the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project. This remarkable milestone reflects a deep commitment to marine conservation and citizen science.
Laurie Fulton began surveying with REEF in 2012, and conducted her 1,000th REEF survey during a REEF Field Survey Trip in Lembeh, Indonesia in November 2024. She is an Expert Surveyor in the Central Indo-Pacific (CIP), South Pacific (SOP), Tropical Western Atlantic (TWA), Eastern Atlantic & Mediterranean (EAM), and Indian Ocean & Red Sea (IORS) regions, and has also surveyed in Hawaii. Indonesia is her favorite dive destination, and she loves the “treasure hunt” of spotting new fish. Her goals are to keep diving and surveying as long as she can, and maybe even survey in every REEF region!
Brice Semmens has a part of REEF since the beginning. Starting out as an intern with the Nature Conservancy in 1993, he helped develop the Roving Diver Technique, the method we use to this day for our REEF surveys. That same summer, he met his wife, Christy Pattengill-Semmens, REEF's Co-Executive Director! Brice has conducted surveys in nearly every REEF region, with favorite sites like Little Cayman (home of the Grouper Moon Project) and Mount Mutiny in Fiji, famed for its breathtaking coral cover. Brice conducted his 1,000th REEF survey on April 14, 2025, which was also his birthday! The milestone dive took place at Nigali Passage in Fiji, during a REEF Field Survey Trip.
Brice and Laurie join an inspiring group of REEF surveyors whose survey data contributions help inform marine science and policy, support local management efforts, and increase our understanding of reef fish populations. Visit this page to learn more about the Golden Hamlet Club and see all surveyors who have achieved this milestone, visit this page. Please join us in congratulating Brice and Laurie on this incredible achievement, and thank you to all of our surveyors who make REEF’s work possible, one survey at a time!