Author: Lad Akins, REEF Director of Special Projects
Needed -- a few more volunteers for this critical marine conservation project in Belize! Peter Hughes and REEF’s Lad Akins will lead this great project aboard the livaboard dive vessel Sun Dancer II, June 13-20. I am sure that most of you have been following the news about the lionfish invasion and the recent updates on fish beginning to show up in Belize. We are really concerned about this. The Central American coast is going to be the most likely pathway for introduction of the fish into the Gulf of Mexico and the extremely valuable fish and shrimp industry there.
What can we do? One of the first things that can be done is early detection and rapid response to remove these fish as they show up. To that end Peter Hughes Diving has worked with REEF to organize the first lionfish assessment and removal project in Belize (or anywhere in Central America for that matter!). This is going to be a great first effort on detecting fish, removing what we see and training local staff on how to collect and handle the fish so they can remove them year-round.
What do we need? We need more of you! We need your interest, expertise and involvement to make this project a success. We know that times are tight and there is concern over travel to some areas, but this project is not to be missed. We will be offshore on the Sun Dancer II, one of the most highly regarded liveaboards in the region. First class service, first class diving and a very important mission!
We hope you can make this project! For more information and to sign up, call Peter Hughes Diving at 1-800 9 DANCER (800-932-6237). You can also contact REEF Director of Special Projects, Lad Akins, with any of your lionfish questions and to find out more about this trip (lad@reef.org, 305-852-0030).
We look forward to seeing you there!
Author: Christy Pattengill-Semmens, REEF Director of Science
Last Friday, May 15th, America celebrated Endangered Species Day. While very few marine species have technically been declared as endangered, many of the critters that REEF volunteers see while conducting marine life surveys have experienced declines in recent years. REEF programs and data provide much needed information for scientists and resource agencies charged with evaluating the status of such species. A recent example is a National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposal to list 5 species of rockfish in the Puget Sound under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The status review was just published on April 22 and REEF data were extensively used in the assessment. This example highlights the value of REEF data as a fisheries-independent data source; such information is critical for those species that are too rare to be targeted for harvest. A copy of the assessment is posted online.
The Nassau grouper, which is the focal species of REEF’s Grouper Moon Project, has been classified as endangered under the IUCN’s Red List. The Grouper Moon Project is a collaborative conservation program between REEF and the Cayman Islands Department of the Environment to study one of the last known large Nassau grouper spawning aggregations in the Caribbean. Grouper Moon Project lead scientist, Dr. Brice Semmens, will be presenting the ground-breaking findings of this research during a special one day session to be held in the Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History this Wednesday, May 20th. "Beyond the Obituaries: Success Stories in Ocean Conservation" will feature some of the good news coming out of work being conducted in the oceans. Brice’s talk, along with all of the success stories, will be webcast online. The Grouper Moon talk is scheduled in the Coral Reef session, which is from 2-3:25.
Author: Lisa Mitchell, REEF Executive Director
On April 25, 2009 we celebrated history in Key Largo. It was a beautiful tropical day with the REEF parking lot covered in tents, tables and chairs, fish balloons with cold drinks and appetizers island music being offered up. People came from near and far as we all helped celebrate the dedication of the James E Lockwood REEF Headquarters. The afternoon celebrated the merging of three paths - that of a dive industry pioneer, a historic building in the Florida Keys and a grass-roots environmental organization. The gift by James E. Lockwood will go a long way in helping REEF protect, educate and enable divers, snorkelers and armchair enthusiasts to make the world a better place.
Casey Wilder, REEF Program Assistant, designed a beautiful program that outlined how we all ended up in the parking lot on this day. Make sure you check out the online version of this little piece of history. The program provides an overview of the history of James E. Lockwood, a true diving pioneer, the 1913 Conch House that houses REEF and the history of REEF and how all three ended up moving forward together as of 4/25/09.
Special guests Mike Dorn and John Campbell provided the history of Mr. Lockwood, which is incredibly fascinating and diverse. Paul Humann and Ned De Loach spoke on behalf of REEF and talked about how REEF is Key Largo’s very own home grown environmental 501(c)(3), making it very relevant that REEF’s office are housed in the oldest building in Key Largo. Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, we unveiled the beautiful new plaque commemorating the James E. Lockwood REEF Headquarters and the date the house was built. The Conch house even received a spiffy new coat of paint so she was dressed for the occasion. Special thanks to Bill Corbett of Keys Home Improvement for doing such a superb job in record time!
The next time you are in the Keys be sure to stop by the James E Lockwood REEF Headquarters, MM 98.3 in the median and enjoy a little history, mingle with REEF staff and shop for the fish.
Author: REEF Staff
REEF is taking our message on the road this spring and summer to a few of the regional dive shows. Last month, several volunteers and REEF Director of Science, Christy Pattengill-Semmens, greeted visitors at the Northwest Dive and Travel Show in Tacoma, WA. The REEF booth provides an opportunity to spread the word about the fun of conducting marine life surveys and the valuable role that citizen science data can have in marine conservation and management. Our next stop is SCUBA Show 2009 in Long Beach, May 30 and 31. Come by and visit us at the booth!
Author: REEF Staff
Don't Just Blow Bubbles This Summer! Participate in the 18th Great Annual Fish Count. 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.
Summer Fundraising. Be sure to watch your inbox in a few weeks for an important message from REEF co-founder Paul Humann about our semi-annual fundraising drive.
A Big Win-Win: Have a Great Dive Trip and Support REEF. There are still some spaces left on 2009 REEF Field Survey Trips. Still to come in 2009 are REEF Field Survey trips to Key Largo with Ned and Anna DeLoach, Bermuda (again with Ned and Anna), Curacao and Cozumel.
Coming Soon -- Online Data Entry 2.0. An updated version of our Online Data Entry interface will be debuted in a few weeks. This version incorporates many of the suggestions that have been submitted over the years by our members, as well as the capability to submit surveys from the Northeast (Virginia - Newfoundland) and the Tropical Eastern Pacific (Baja - Galapagos Islands). We hope that this will facilitate an increase in surveying in these important regions. To log your data online, visit http://www.reef.org/dataentry/login.php.
