REEF Ocean Exploration Center - Grand Opening This Weekend!

REEF is thrilled to invite you to the grand opening celebration of the new REEF Ocean Exploration Center for Marine Conservation, taking place this weekend, June 7-8. This exciting, family-friendly event is free and open to the public, and it marks a major milestone in REEF’s mission to connect people with ocean conservation.

Whether you’re a long-time REEF member or a first-time visitor, the grand opening celebration offers a chance to check out the all-new Ocean Exploration Center and experience the wonders of the underwater world, no wetsuit needed!

Making It Count - June 2025

The Faces of REEF: Meet the Summer 2025 REEF Interns

We are excited to welcome our Summer 2025 Marine Education & Conservation Interns to REEF! They will assist with education, outreach, events, and more at the REEF Ocean Exploration Center in Key Largo. Since 1993, more than 150 young adults have interned with REEF and transitioned into careers all over the world, in the marine conservation field and beyond. Please join us in welcoming Camille, Ashley, Imogen, and Daisy (pictured from L-R). Here's a bit more about them:

It's Time for the Fish Out of Water Virtual 5K

Lace up those running shoes - the Fish Out of Water Virtual 5K is right around the corner, happening June 8-14, and there are just a few days left to register! Visit www.REEF.org/5K to see all the details and register now!

Welcome to the Golden Hamlet Club! Brice Semmens and Laurie Fulton

We are thrilled to welcome two exceptional REEF surveyors, Brice Semmens and Laurie Fulton, as the newest members of the Golden Hamlet Club! This prestigious group honors REEF volunteers who have conducted 1,000 or more REEF surveys as part of the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project. This remarkable milestone reflects a deep commitment to marine conservation and citizen science.

Fish of the Month: June 2025

Introducing our June Fish of the Month, the Striped Surgeonfish, Acanthurus lineatus!

Dive Into Action with the 2025 REEF Fish Out of Water Virtual 5K

KEY LARGO, FLA. - Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) invites ocean enthusiasts and fitness fans everywhere to join the movement to protect marine life during the 2025 Fish Out of Water Virtual 5K, taking place from June 8-14, 2025.

This unique, family-friendly event encourages participants to complete a 5K via an activity of their choice - anytime, anywhere, all while supporting REEF’s mission to protect ocean ecosystems through citizen science, education, and research.

Ocean Explorers Education Spotlight: Invasive Lionfish Education Programs

We just wrapped up hosting the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby and Arts Festival, and now our education team is ready to dive in to a busy season of Ocean Explorers Education programs. While some of the lionfish caught during the derby are immediately prepared into delicious, fresh lionfish ceviche for derby attendees, we also save some lionfish to use during REEF's invasive species-focused education programs throughout the year.

Celebrating Art, Science, and Conservation: 1,618 Invasive Lionfish Collected During Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Arts Festival

Last weekend, 13 teams of scuba divers took to the water and collected 1,618 invasive lionfish during the 2025 REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Arts Festival. Teams fished from sunrise to sunset on Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26. The derby weekend concluded on Sunday, April 27 at the REEF Campus in Key Largo, with a festival celebrating the intersection of art, science, and marine conservation. The festival included lionfish scoring, cooking and dissection demos, plus numerous educational activities, games, and vendor booths.

1,618 Invasive Lionfish Collected During REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Arts Festival

KEY LARGO, FLA. – Last weekend, 13 teams of scuba divers took to the water and collected 1,618 invasive lionfish during the 2025 Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Arts Festival, hosted by Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF). Teams fished from sunrise to sunset on Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26.

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