You did your first REEF survey on July 19, 1993 on the very first Field Survey Trip in Key Largo, Florida at Anchor Chain (Elbow Reef) E8. Tell us more about what got you started!
As a young undergraduate student (between sophomore and junior year), I took a summer internship with The Nature Conservancy under the supervision of Dr. Kathleen Sullivan-Sealey at the University of Miami. During that summer, I was part of a team of people that worked to develop and test out the Roving Diver Technique (the method we still use, to this day, to survey fish populations). As part of this effort, REEF ran its very first field survey! I was lucky enough to be part of that field survey, and conduct some of my first REEF surveys. I should say that Christy Pattengill-Semmens (then Christy Pattengill) was also an intern that summer, and this is how we met!
When and where did you do your 1,000th Survey? Tell us anything special or memorable about your 1,000th survey
I did my 1000th survey on REEF's 2025 Fiji Survey on the Nai'a. I was lucky enough to do my Golden Hamlet survey on the famous Nigali Passage. Sure there were sharks... but the reticulated butterflyfish was the chef's kiss.
In which regions have you done surveys? What experience levels are you in those other regions? Do you have any favorite dive spots in those places?
I've done surveys in every REEF region except the Northeast US and Eastern Canada (NE). In terms of my favorite sites -- in the Caribbean, I'm fond of Little Cayman, both because I've visited that tiny island countless times since 1998, and because it hosts the Grouper Moon project each year. In the Pacific, I'd have to say that I was awestruck by the beauty and coral cover of Mount Mutiny (Fiji), a small seamount that comes to within feet of the surface and that boasts >100% coral cover, with giant table corals towering over a "ground cover" of diverse hardcoral.
What are some of your favorite fishes or invertebrates? What makes them your favorite?
Well, come on. How much trouble would I get into if I didn't say Nassau Grouper?
What is your favorite thing/memory about REEF and the Volunteer Survey Project?
I often recount the time when I led a fish & invert survey to Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, and one of our participants (Carl Gwinn) was attacked by a Giant Pacific Octopus that ripped his mask off, and left his face covered in sucker marks. Fortunately, Carl was a seasoned diver, and was able to safely surface while under attack. The attack was completely unprovoked. Later, we spoke with a cephalopod expert about the event, and they speculated that the octopus was senessing -- dying of old age, effectively. Apparently, as they do so, they tend to behave erratically.
What are your goals with REEF for the future?
Explore new places, meet new friends, learn new fish, teach new members how to be fish ninjas. Join me!