Welcome to our quarterly REEF Campus update, featuring a seasonal snapshot of what’s happening at the Ocean Exploration Center and REEF Campus in Key Largo. As the year winds down, we're reflecting on the incredible impact the Ocean Exploration Center has made in its first year - welcoming new audiences, expanding programs, and deepening our connection to the community through this mission-driven space.
Since the Center opened in June, we have increased the number of public events held at the REEF Campus, including our weekly Ocean After Hours programs every Tuesday event. The Center has also served as a meeting space for other local organizations. It is also the new home of our long-running, free ocean seminar series, REEF Fish & Friends. This October marked another exciting milestone: For first time in its 10+year history, REEF Fest 2025 was hosted almost entirely at our Key Largo Campus!
REEF Fest is an annual celebration that brings together ocean enthusiasts for a weekend of learning, social events, outdoor adventures, and community. In previous years, REEF Fest was held at several locations throughout Key Largo. This year, the Campus provided the perfect backdrop for the event. The second floor of the Ocean Exploration Center was transformed into an engaging lecture hall for seminars, with plenty of seating for attendees. Meanwhile, the parking lot in front of the Center was the perfect space for people to gather, socialize, and grab a bite to eat from local food trucks onsite. In the mornings or between seminars, visitors could check out the Center's exhibits or enjoy the outdoors by exploring the Native Plants & Heritage Trail. We also partnered with several local operators for diving and snorkeling each morning so attendees could enjoy the amazing marine environments of the Keys.
We are thrilled that more than 200 people joined us at REEF Fest this year, from longtime volunteers to first-time visitors and neighbors. We are grateful to our sponsors, partners, and the Florida Keys community for helping make our first REEF Fest at the Ocean Exploration Center such a success.
If you attended, thank you for being part of this historic moment for REEF Fest. If you missed it, you can still enjoy the highlights. Check out the seminar recordings on YouTube, and you can view the event photo album here.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the Key Largo and the Ocean Exploration Center for future programs. Be sure to save the date for next year's REEF Fest: October 15-18, 2026!