Welcome to our quarterly REEF Campus update, featuring a seasonal snapshot of what’s happening at the Ocean Exploration Center and REEF Campus in Key Largo. From community events and educational programs to behind-the-scenes updates and visitor highlights, this quarterly feature brings you closer to the heart of REEF.
We are excited to welcome our Fall 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 Sammy, Rebecca, Stacie, and Harrison (pictured from L-R). Here's some more about them:
Submissions for the 2025 REEF Discover the Sea Underwater Photography Contest are now open! All ocean photographers are invited to submit their favorite photos. It’s free to enter, and you may submit up to three photos per person in each of the following categories:
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, as well as 200+ recorded Fishinars here.
Introducing our September Fish of the Month, the Ornate Wrasse, Thalassoma pavo!
Survey Regions: Ornate Wrasses are found throughout the Mediterranean Sea and northeast Atlantic Ocean, including islands like the Azores and Canary Islands. Click here to see a distribution report for this species in the REEF database.
REEF needs your input by August 9! We invite all members - whether you’ve used SMILE cameras or not - to take a brief (10–15 minute), voluntary online survey. Your responses will directly help shape and strengthen the collaborative SMILE (Size Matters: Innovative Length Estimates) project, which uses handheld cameras to estimate fish lengths in the wild.
This summer, we had the privilege of partnering with several incredible adaptive dive organizations, including Barrier Free Divers, Camp Open Seas, Adapt‑Able Dive Foundation, and Diveheart, to make ocean education more inclusive and accessible. Thanks to support from our Oceans for All initiative, students from these organizations took part in immersive marine science programs that brought learning to life, both in and out of the water.
The 2025 REEF Discover the Sea Underwater Photography Contest is coming soon! Starting September 1, all photographers, regardless of skill level or experience, are invited to submit their best ocean-themed photos for this year's contest. Be on the lookout for our new comedy category which is sure to give you a laugh!