This month, REEF is proud to highlight one of our outstanding Conservation Partners: Pura Vida Divers in West Palm Beach, Florida. REEF Conservation Partners are active organizations and dive shops dedicated to protecting marine environments. As valued REEF ambassadors, they teach fish ID classes, host survey dives, organize volunteer events and more. With partners across the country and beyond, there are plenty of opportunities to engage.
Meet February's Fish of the Month, the Wolf-eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus)!
They say there are plenty of fish in the sea, and when you adopt one of REEF’s Conservation Creatures, you are helping to protect those species for the future. REEF Conservation Creatures are stuffed animals depicting iconic marine species from REEF’s Volunteer Fish Survey Project regions. These marine creatures highlight the diversity of ocean ecosystems and encourage understanding and respect for marine life.
Since 1993, more than 16,000 volunteers have conducted at least one REEF survey as part of the Volunteer Fish Survey Project. Today, the survey database totals more than 248,000 surveys. A small group of highly dedicated surveyors known as the Golden Hamlet Club have contributed significantly to this total by conducting 1,000+ REEF surveys. Congratulations to Chuck Curry, the newest member of the Golden Hamlet Club! Read on to learn more about Chuck and his involvement with the Volunteer Fish Survey Project.
REEF members are the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. A diverse community of divers, snorkelers, and ocean enthusiasts support our mission to conserve marine environments worldwide.
Fire up your computers and mobile devices! It's time for more of your favorite online REEF Fishinars, our special brand of free, interactive, live webinars. You can join us from your home, sitting in the car or coffeeshop, or anywhere you have an internet connection. More info about our Fishinars and how to register can be found here.
These REEF members are moving up in the world! This past month we've had a number of Experience Level advancements by folks who have been busy conducting surveys and learning how to identify fish. This month's achievements are:
Hawaii (HAW)
- Lynn Fulks - Level 2
California (PAC/CAL)
We are excited to share a conservation success story for the critically endangered Nassau Grouper. After nearly two decades of research and monitoring efforts, the Grouper Moon team published key results last month in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Before coming to REEF, I thought I was fairly good at fish id in the Tropical Western Atlantic. I used to work as a dive instructor on the island of Roatan, off the coast of Honduras, and could always find the interesting species that guests enjoyed seeing like Moray Eels, Groupers, and Rays. When I started as a Marine Conservation Intern, I was very excited to see how much I actually knew. I was eager to go diving and check off all of the species on my survey slate.
Meet January's Fish of the Month, the Potter's Angelfish (Centropyge potteri)!
Survey Regions: Endemic to Hawaii - found only in REEF's HAW (Hawaiian Islands) region!
Size: Up to 5 inches.
Identifying Features: Rusty orange head and back, darkening to bluish black on the lower sides. The entire body is covered with irregular gray-blue lines.
Fun Fact: The Potter's Angelfish is named for Frederick A. Potter, director of the Waikiki Aquarium from its founding in 1903 until 1940.