Take the challenge!

Conduct and submit 20 surveys this year and you'll have completed REEF's 20 in 2020 Challenge. You can do the surveys in any of REEF's worldwide regions, or combination thereof. Once you've submitted your surveys, you'll be sent a decal with the logo on it, and be entered into a grand prize drawing to be held at the end of the year. You'll also have the opportunity to purchase a limited-edition "20 in 2020 Challenge" rash guard.

REEF Experience Levels are a way for divers and snorkelers to measure their fish ID knowledge along with their surveying experience. With 5 levels in each of REEF's survey regions, divers are able to look forward to the next step and continually improve their skills. From brand new beginners up to the top Level 5 experience level, you'll find plenty of resources and friends to help you along the way.

Let's hear it for these REEF members who have improved and moved up a level this month!

Hawaii: (HAW)

We are happy to announce our 2019 Volunteers of the Year, Fred and Laura Hartner.

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)

A quiz to help you practice your knowledge of South Pacific fish ID. Each time you take this quiz, you'll get a different set of questions, so take it multiple times!

REEF surveyor under a pier

It's a New Year and along with it come new Fishinars in our popular and free Fishinar program series. These online webinars are open to anyone, taught by experts and are mostly focused around fish ID with occasional other topics of interest for the waterlogged-at-heart. You can log in live from your laptop, desktop or even mobile device with the GoToWebinar app. All are recorded and free viewing after-the-fact is available to all REEF members as a benefit of REEF membership.

What they're saying about Fishinars:

Michéle Doucet and Anne-Josèe Chicoine with their REEF slates

Let's put our pectoral fins together for the following REEF members who have recently moved up an Experience Level in our Volunteer Fish Survey Project!

Volunteers have the opportunity to advance through 5 levels (Novice through Expert) within each of our survey project regions. Experience Levels are obtained by a combination of fish/invertebrate ID tests and numbers of submitted surveys. As they advance, their data is categorized in our online sightings database accordingly.

Kris Karlen CIP Level 3

Our Volunteer Fish Survey Project has some enthusiastic surveyors who have moved up a level this month. All REEF members are Level 1 by default, so Experience Level 2 is really the first step toward learning fish identification in our various regions. This month's advancements almost entirely consist of new Level 2 surveyors! Those advancing came from:

Eyestripe Surgeonfish - photo by Jeff Haines

Who doesn't love Surgeonfish?

They're big and easy to see underwater, colorful, and plentiful in the Pacific Ocean. So consider this a pre-Thanksgiving treat from us to you - an entire Fishinar devoted to these oval-shaped beauties, taught by REEF Director of Science, Dr. Christy Semmens. Tune in on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 8pm Eastern Time.

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