We're kicking off a new year with our January Fish of the Month, the Bluestripe Butterflyfish, Chaetodon fremblii!
Survey Regions: Bluestripe Butterflyfish are endemic to Hawaii, which means this is the only place in the world that they are found. Click here to see a distribution for this species in the REEF database.
Size: They grow to about 6 inches.
We are pleased to introduce Tamsen "Tamie" DeWitt, the newest member of the REEF Board of Trustees. Tamie has been a REEF member since 2018 and joined the Board of Trustees in late 2024. She has always been inspired by the ocean, which may be because her parents are both from Rhode Island, the ocean state. Tamie was raised as an army brat and was fortunate to go to junior high and high school in the Canal Zone in Panama, Central America. After moving back to the states and getting her masters degree in International Education, she taught ESOL for adults in Maryland.
We're excited to announce our speaker lineup for 2025 REEF Fish & Friends! Each month features an engaging ocean-themed presentation from a guest speaker. Presentations are free to attend, and are hosted at the REEF Campus in Key Largo. Seminars are livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube so you can also join in virtually. This year's Fish & Friends presentations include:
Our online programs are free and open to all! Check out what's coming up, and view the entire schedule of Fishinars and other online programs here.
The holidays are here, and if you need to find a gift for the ocean lover in your life, check out the new merchandise we recently added to the REEF online store, including lightweight zip-up hoodies and hats with our new logo. Be sure to check out www.REEF.org/store to see these items as well as plenty of other swag. We also have educational materials, books, and survey gear, all of which make great gifts for divers, snorkelers, and marine life enthusiasts. We suggest placing your order early to allow time for shipping during the holidays.
This winter, REEF has an opportunity for you to involved in ocean conservation from the comfort of your home! We are seeking remote, dedicated volunteers to help create artificial intelligence (AI) training datasets for two collaborative, technology-based citizen science projects, the SMILE project and Grouper Spotter. You can read more about both of these projects below. Volunteers are needed to help build training datasets that are essential for finalizing the AI workflow for these projects, including automated laser detection, fish boxing and outlining, and fish identification.
With a new year approaching, it's a great time to plan your next dive or snorkel vacation, and we hope you'll join us on a REEF Field Survey Trip! There are some spaces available on upcoming REEF Trips in 2025 and 2026, including an amazing 10-night one-way charter in the Philippines, which includes the chance to dive the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This incredible trip is happening on June 28-July 8, 2026, and you don't want to miss it!
You can give the gift of healthy oceans by supporting REEF! Thanks to your support, we are able to protect marine habitats and species, educate countless individuals, and preserve marine biodiversity worldwide. We're so grateful to everyone who has made a donation this winter. If you have not yet donated, please consider contributing to REEF today. Your year-end gift will help set us on a path for success in 2025 and beyond.
2024 is winding down, and if you have any REEF surveys that you haven't yet entered, now is a great time to get them submitted so you can start off 2025 with a fresh "slate!" The marine life information collected by REEF volunteers is used by scientists and researchers to learn more about our oceans and how to best protect them. Each survey you conduct as a citizen scientist can help make a difference, but these data must be submitted to the REEF database.
