Author: Sasha Medlen, REEF Membership and Development Coordinator
Earlier this month, on World Oceans Day, we kicked off REEF's Summer Fundraising Campaign with a goal of raising $60,000 by July 31. Thanks to the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, who has generously offered to match your donations, we are over one-third of the way to our goal with $10,345 donated and matched so far. To all of our members who have already donated, we extend our sincere gratitude. If you haven't yet had a chance, please contribute today. You can double your donation in the upcoming month by contributing online, https://www.REEF.org/contribute, through our secure web form. Or you can print the donation form and mail or fax your donation, or call our staff at REEF headquarters (305-852-0030).
Your donation will help support REEF services, which are increasingly in high demand. As the lionfish invasion continues to grow, so does our research and response. Legislation to ensure long-term protections of Nassau Grouper spawning aggregations are set to expire in 2011. And after the devastation in the Gulf, REEF’s Volunteer Fish Survey Program data can be invaluable in evaluating the impact of the oil spill to fish populations. Twenty years of support from members like you has made it possible for REEF to build and maintain this valuable history of fish populations throughout our program regions. We could not do this vitally important work without you. We are doubling our efforts now, and we hope you will double your contribution this summer.
Author: Sasha Medlen, REEF Membership and Development Coordinator
REEF Staff and Board members are proud to announce the release of our 2009 Annual Report. To view a PDF of the report online, click here. In this report, you will find updates on our membership, the Volunteer Fish Survey Project, regional activities, special projects (e.g. invasive lionfish and Grouper Moon), data use and publications, our upcoming plans, and finances. We are truly grateful for all your support that made 2009 such a success!
Author: Lad Akins, REEF Director of Operations
The second annual Abaco Lionfish Derby, held at Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas, on Saturday June 19th, was a huge success. Teams on twenty-one boats from Florida and the Bahamas enjoyed perfect weather and conditions while collecting a grand total of 941 lionfish. Over $5,000 in cash was awarded to the winning teams for the most, biggest, and smallest lionfish. This event, held in the Bahamas and sanctioned by the Bahamas Department of Marine Resources, is one of many REEF efforts to cull invasive lionfish populations and raise awareness about the issue.
The award for most lionfish collected in the one-day event went to team White Roach from Abaco. Repeat winners, the trio of skilled lionfish collectors significantly exceeded their tally from 289 lionfish last year to a whopping 345 this year. This number is both astonishing and alarming when you consider how dense lionfish populations must be for three people to have the ability to collect over 300 lionfish in the span of a single day.
Team Meander from Jacksonville, FL, clenched 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for largest lionfish collected. Zane Carney captured the largest lionfish ever recorded in the Abacos, which measured just 2cm short of the national record. Zane told Derby organizers that he found a hole outside the main barrier reef off of No Name Cay in 45 feet of water that was full of very large lionfish. He used a pole spear to bag the winning fish, which was 43.4 cm in length (roughly 19 inches long) and weighed approximately 4 pounds.
Lad Akins, REEF’s Director of Operations, and Stephanie Green, a collaborative research partner from Simon Fraser University, recorded valuable data during the event, including lionfish sizes, stomach contents, and sex for many of the lionfish before they were filleted and cooked by the Green Turtle Club. Observers and participants, many of whom had never tried lionfish, found the fish quite tasty, resembling hogfish or grouper. This year, Tropic Seafood Limited of Nassau also arranged to purchase some of the larger fillets of lionfish for distribution in local markets. According to Derby organizer, Bobbie Lindsay, “Tropic’s offer to purchase lionfish is an exciting development, because creating a market for lionfish is the best way to control the population of this invasive fish.”
Thanks to the Derby co-sponsors, Green Turtle Club, and Brendal’s Dive Center, who offered special discounts for Derby participants. REEF also extends sincere gratitude to all of the participants, and especially Bobbie Lindsay, an active REEF member and volunteer who took the lead in organizing the Derby making it a successful event again this year. Next year’s Derby is set for June 24-25, 2011. For full results and pictures go to www.lionfishderby.com.
Summary of Team Results -
Most Lionfish: 1st Place: White Roach 2nd Place: Goofin’ Off 3rd Place: Cajun Bahamas Largest Lionfish: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place: Meander Smallest Lionfish: 1st and 2nd Place: Goofin’ Off 3rd Place: All Play
Author: Anna DeLoach, REEF Board of Trustee member
One of nature’s most spectacular underwater wonders is the annual coral spawning, when many of the reef’s corals and other animals, cued by late summer’s full moon, synchronize their spawning. In 2010, several of our summer REEF Trips, one to Key Largo and one to Bonaire, are scheduled around the projected coral spawning for those areas. Join like-minded underwater naturalists and combine fishwatching with a chance to see this exciting event. To see the current REEF Field Survey Trips schedule, visit www.REEF.org/trips.
Ned and Anna DeLoach will host a one-of-a-kind, late August trip at Amoray Dive Resort, centering on Key Largo’s annual Coral Spawning. In addition to slide and video presentations about marine life spawning behavior, the couple will lead a week of diving with emphasis on the nights that corals are most likely to spawn. Laurie MacLaughlin, Resource Manager from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, will update us about her ongoing coral spawning research and describe coral spawn collecting methods. Ken Nedimyer, founder of the Coral Restoration Foundation, will speak about growing coral for restoring reefs and will escort the group to his famous coral nursery, where participants will have the opportunity for hands-on work. Day dives will provide the opportunity to hone fishwatching and survey skills and a special dusk dive is scheduled to observe fish spawning behavior and the evening gathering of hundreds of Midnight and Rainbow Parrotfishes. A rare opportunity for anyone who loves nature!
Jessie Armacost, author of the original Bonaire Diving Made Easy, and long-time REEF instructor will lead the late September trip at Buddy Dive Resort in Bonaire. Few dive sites in the world can provide 100 fish species on a single dive - Bonaire is one of these special places where you can make that “Century Dive”. Jessie’s seven years of teaching fish ID in Bonaire makes her uniquely qualified to help you add fish species to your lifelist or gain the skills to move you up to your next surveyor level. Bonaire’s exceptional shore diving and easy boat diving give you access to a wide range of habitats with a chance to see everything from clingfish to Bonefish. We’ve scheduled this year’s trip to coincide with the Southern Caribbean’s annual coral spawning, so you’ll have the chance to watch fish by day and view this great natural history event at night.
For more information on either of these projects, visit the REEF Trips webpage - http://www.reef.org/fieldsurveys/schedule. To reserve your space please contact our dedicated REEF Travel Consultant at 1-877-295-7333 (REEF), or you can e-mail REEF@caradonna.com.
Author: Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Director of Science
Members of REEF's Pacific Advanced Assessment Team (AAT) and other active surveyors gathered in central California earlier this month to survey fish and invertebrate life in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). Twenty-two divers conducted over 140 REEF surveys at twelve sites during the week-long project. This was the 8th year that the coordinated expedition has been conducted, and the data collected serve as a valuable time-series of information on the status and trends of populations within the Sanctuary. The team was led by REEF Director of Science, Dr. Christy Pattengill-Semmens. Dr. Steve Lonhart, a lead scientist from the MBNMS, and Chad King from the MBNMS, also joined the group for the week to provide valuable local expertise.
In addition to this annual monitoring project, volunteers conduct REEF surveys year-round during their regular diving activities in the area. REEF surveys have been conducted in the Sanctuary since 1997, and to date, over 2,600 surveys have been submitted from the MBNMS in to the REEF database. Click here to see a current summary of REEF data from the MBNMS. The Sanctuary is home to many colorful fish and invertebrates and is a popular spot for sport diving. REEF data collected in the MBNMS are currently being analyzed to document changes in key rocky reef fish species. Projects like the annual MBNMS monitoring are a great way for active REEF volunteers to apply their skills and expertise. These projects are also just one more reason for REEF surveyors to improve their identification skills and increase their survey experience level.
A big thank you to the participating AAT members and other REEF volunteers, and to Dr. Steve Lonhart and Chad King for their participation and logistical support. We also greatly appreciate George Peterson and Justin Kantor from the Monterey Bay Aquarium for hosting our first evening seminar. Field support was provided by the Monterey Express; thanks to owner Tim Doreck and to Captain Phil Sammet for serving at the helm of our adventures. This project would not be possible without the financial support of an anonymous foundation.
Author: REEF Staff
Great Annual Fish Count 2010 - An exciting lineup of free identification seminars and survey dives are being organized around the country by REEF partners. Check out the GAFC Website for more details and to find out how to organize your own GAFC event. And be sure to watch the GAFC calendar of events to see what's being planned in your area.
New REEF Field Stations - This past month, we welcome five new businesses to our growing list of Field Stations. These now join the other 196 Field Stations and Independent Instructors worldwide:
Cedar Beach Ocean Lodge/49th Parallel Dive Charters - Thetis Island, BC
Divers Cove - Davie, FL
Dive Club of Silicon Valley - Santa Clara, CA
Earth, Sea and Sky - Zakynthos, Greece
Scuba Set Adventure Center - Puyallup, WA
Check Out the REEF Store! It's your one stop shop for all of your REEF Gear, ID Books and REEF Survey Supplies. Recently added items include the "Not On My Reef" Lionfish Invasion Research T-shirts and REEF water bottles.
Become a Fan of REEF on Facebook - We recently surpassed the 1,200-fan mark on the REEF Facebook Page. The REEF Facebook page is a place to find the latest information about our programs and events, REEF's marine conservation work, and exclusive content and stories. It's also a great place for our members to post pictures, fish stories and whatever is on their mind.
