On April 19th, nine Whole Foods Market stores across South Florida will be supporting ocean conservation. Stores in Coral Springs, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington, and West Palm Beach will donate 5% of their total sales from the day to REEF, to support our South Florida conservation efforts. Whole Foods Markets® has been working with REEF to help develop the market for invasive lionfish and is this year's derby series title sponsor.
The following dates and locations have been set for REEF’s 2018 Lionfish Derby Series presented by Whole Foods Market®:
Explore the marine habitats of the Florida Keys and discover the amazing animals found beneath the waves during our 2018 camp session! REEF will offer three weeks of camp at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, Florida. Camp will include snorkeling trips, kayak tours, beach games, and conservation activities. Please share the amazing opportunity to snorkel, kayak, and explore this summer with your children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. REEF welcomes campers ages 7-13.
There has been much going on behind the scenes at REEF that has kept things humming for the past six years—and hum they have. REEF’s behind-the-scenes secret has been Martha Klitzkie, our steady, can-do Director of Operations. Regrettably, Martha, with her husband Ben and their children, will be relocating to Chicago this month, where Ben will be taking a new job.
Galapagos: Fishes in the Land of Finches
Fish taught in this session are:
- King Angelfish
- Barberfish
- Pacific Creolefish
- Leather Bass
- Bacalao
- Bicolor Parrotfish
- Bluechin Parrotfish
- Harlequin Wrasse
- Red-lipped Batfish
- Blacktip Cardinalfish
- Pink Cardinalfish
- Galapagos Ringtail Damselfish
- Yellow-tail Damselfish
- Galapagos Triplefin Blenny
- Galapagos Barnacle Blenny
- Galapagos Blue-banded Goby
REEF members are at the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. Over 60,000 divers, snorkelers, students, and armchair naturalists stand behind our mission.
Every month, scientists, government agencies, and other groups request raw data from REEF’s Volunteer Fish Survey Project database. Recent examples of data requests and uses include:
- A graduate student at Simon Fraser University is using REEF data from The Bahamas and Belize to research the impact of the lionfish invasion on two species of native fishes that are typically prey for the voracious invader - Sharpnose Puffer and Bluehead Wrasse.
Now that we are well into the swing of this new year, it has never been a better time to contribute to a very important cause: conserving the oceans that connect us all. If you haven't already given this winter, please do so today! You can donate securely online at www.REEF.org/donate or call REEF at (305) 852-0030. And if you donate at least $250 before the end of February you will receive my limited-edition, signed print of Schooling Hammerheads taken in the Galapagos Islands.