We’re excited to introduce our Spring 2020 Marine Conservation Interns. These individuals will support the REEF team in mission-oriented tasks and daily office operations at REEF Headquarters, as well as play an integral role in many education and outreach opportunities, including the first Lionfish Derby of the year. This semester’s interns bring a unique set of skills and interests to REEF. They include:
This month, REEF is proud to highlight one of our outstanding Conservation Partners: Villa on Dunbar Rock and Cabanas on Clark's Cay, sister resorts located in Guanaja, part of the Bay Islands of Honduras. 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 more than 80 partners across the country and beyond, there are plenty of opportunities to engage.
This custom 10-night itinerary aboard the Rock Islands Aggressor is planned to coincide with a new moon, allowing us to dive a Bumphead Parrotfish spawning site. We conducted our first Field Survey in Palau in October 2016 and were astounded by the fish diversity, which included Reef Mantas visiting cleaning stations, huge schools of Unicornfish, and mating Mandarinfish.
The holiday season is here, and that means cherished time with loved ones, plenty of celebrations, fun memories, and more. It can be tricky to choose the perfect holiday gift for your friends and family. We have the perfect solution!
Blue Heron Bridge (BHB) is a popular shore diving site located in West Palm Beach, Florida, just a two-and-a-half-hour drive from the REEF Campus in Key Largo. Voted one of the top dive sites in the world by Sport Diver in 2013, this area is well-known among divers for its abundance of unusual and interesting marine life. Because of the tidal currents in the area, one can only dive BHB at slack high tide when there is minimal current.
We are gearing up for our 2020 Field Survey Trip season, and it's bound to be a great year of REEF Trips to fantastic dive locations all over the world. We'll begin the year in Fiji aboard the fabulous NAI'A liveboard, followed by a trip to tiny Caribbean island of St. Eustatius in March. Both of these trips (as well as several others) are already sold out, but we still have limited space remaining on a handful of other Field Survey Trips next year. Spaces are filling fast, so if you'd like to join a Dive Vacation That Counts, we strongly suggest signing up as soon as possible.
This month, REEF is pleased to partner with MANG, an environmental apparel brand, to raise awareness for the Grouper Moon Project. MANG has created a special Grouper Moon shirt design, and 10% of the proceeds from the sale of this shirt during December will go towards supporting the Grouper Moon Project. As part of their commitment to conservation, MANG also plants one mangrove for every product sold.
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.
The new "Taking Stock" blog series discusses past research supported by the Lenfest Ocean Program and asks how it has informed marine policy and management. This article discusses the Grouper Moon Project.