Our online programs are free and open to all! Check out what's coming up, and view the entire 2023 schedule of Fishinars and other online programs here.
If you have any REEF surveys that you haven't yet entered, now is the perfect time to submit them. The marine life information collected by REEF volunteers is an extremely useful tool used by scientists and researchers protect our oceans. Each survey can help make a difference in the health of the ocean - but these data must be submitted to the REEF database to make an impact! You can start 2023 with a clean slate (pun intended) by entering all your surveys before the year ends.
Deck the halls for our December Fish of the Month, the Treefish, Sebastes serriceps!
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.
This month we highlight Annette Felix. She has been a REEF member since 2006, and is an avid surveyor. She has conducted 465 total surveys in the Tropical Eastern Pacific and Hawaii regions. As a member of the Guardian Club, Annette supports REEF as a monthly donor. Here's what she had to say about her involvement with REEF:
We are heartbroken to share the news that beloved REEF member, Cassandra Neal, passed away unexpectedly last month. Her kindness, laughter, and passion for the oceans will be greatly missed by many.
As a REEF member, you can access a complete list of all fish species found in any of REEF's ten survey regions. Each list shows both the common name used in REEF database, as well as the scientific name for all species in a given region. This is helpful in areas where common names are not standardized. To find the common name used in the REEF database, simply search for a species using the scientific name, and you'll be able to see the common name used in the REEF database.
The holidays are nearly here, and we're excited to kick off this season of gratitude with Giving Tuesday on November 29. Giving Tuesday is an annual movement to recognize the power of generosity and make a difference in your community. Will you save the date and plan to celebrate Giving Tuesday with REEF on November 29?
Since its launch in 1993, the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project (VFSP) has generated one of the largest marine life databases in the world. The database currently includes almost 278,000 surveys, from more than 15,000 sites throughout the world’s oceans. More than 16,000 volunteer divers and snorkelers have participated in this citizen science project.
With its technicolor array of hard and soft corals, schooling pelagic fish, plentiful marine life, and clear water, the Red Sea is a spot on almost every diver's "must see" list. If you've dreamed of diving the Red Sea, now is your chance! There are just a few spaces left on our Red Sea Field Survey Trip happening on July 6-16, 2023. This ten-day liveaboard trip offers the chance to explore the shipwrecks, reefs, and pinnacles of the Egyptian Red Sea, part of REEF's newest survey region.
The holidays are here, and REEF has plenty of great gifts for the ocean lover in your life! Check out our new Ocean Icon Rash Guards, featuring charismatic megafauna like the whale shark, manta ray, and sunfish. These rash guards are breathable and comfortable to wear while relaxing at home or during a day on the water. You can pair it with a visor, beanie, or a colorful REEF trucker hat for extra sun or wind protection.