Thank you to all our members who have donated during our winter fundraising campaign! If you haven’t yet made a donation, we still need your help. Tomorrow is the last day to make a 2016 tax deductible donation. Please take a moment to contribute online at www.REEF.org/donate, mail your donation to REEF at PO Box 370246, Key Largo, FL 33037, or call us at 305-852-0030. Donors giving $250 or more will receive a limited edition, signed and numbered Paul Humann print featuring two Mandarinfish.
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.
Package includes: 7 nights ocean suite (pp/double), 6 days of 2x1‐hour 2‐tank boat trips, unlimited shore diving, free dive computer rental, full meal or breakfast plan, tax & service, airport transfers, welcome cocktail, wifi! Free meal plan day, free night & free dive day included!
$1705 pp double diver (one bedroom suite); $1690 pp 2-bedroom oceanfront suite (quad occupancy), great for 1 couple and 2 singles (the previously published rate of $1580 pp double occ diver ocean room is SOLD OUT);
Do you know a young adult who is interested in ocean conservation, research, education, and diving? Applications are currently being accepted for the Fall REEF Marine Conservation Internship positions. Every four months, REEF invites hundreds of applicants to compete for four internship positions. The chosen interns implement community outreach and education programs focused on reef fish identification and lionfish handling and collection. Interns also dive and volunteer with partner organizations in the Florida Keys.
Earlier this month, for World Oceans Day, the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation and the Henry Foundation celebrated by pledging to match contributions to REEF this summer dollar for dollar, up to $45,000! Our campaign to raise funds for controlling invasive Lionfish, inspiring citizen science through the Volunteer Fish Survey Project, and protecting Nassau Grouper is off to a great start. But we still need your help to reach our goal in the next 40 days. If you haven't yet had a chance, please contribute today.
We have been working hard the last few months on our 2018 REEF Field Survey Trips schedule, and it's almost ready! We have a great line-up of destinations in the Caribbean, Hawaii, Eastern Pacific, Tropical Western Pacific, and even the Indian Ocean. In addition to our usual fish ID trips and lionfish research trips, we are adding a new eco-adventure trip next year perfect for the entire family. Keep an eye on your inbox for our special announcement next week. If you haven't yet been on a REEF Trip, these are a great way to "Take a Dive Vacation That Counts".
Lad Akins, a longstanding REEF staff member, who most recently served as Director of Special Projects, is no longer with REEF. Lad was instrumental in establishing REEF as an organization, was REEF’s first Executive Director, and spearheaded work on controlling invasive lionfish in the western Atlantic. The tremendous impact he has had in marine conservation through REEF’s projects leaves a lasting legacy. We wish Lad the best in his future endeavors.
On behalf of the REEF Staff and Trustees, I want to thank all the donors from our Winter Fundraising campaign who helped us reach our target goal. With your help, we can continue REEF's core conservation programs, such as fighting the Lionfish invasion in the Caribbean, protecting Grouper spawning aggregations, collecting data through our Volunteer Fish Survey Project, and providing free online "Fishinars" to the general public and fish experts worldwide.
We are excited to introduce Ellie Splain, who recently joined REEF staff at headquarters in Key Largo, FL. Ellie will serve as REEF's Education Program Manager. Ellie is no stranger to REEF, as she was a REEF Marine Conservation Intern in the summer of 2013. From a small rural town in Illinois, Ellie attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in FIsh and Wildlife Conservation. Despite growing up landlocked, Ellie has always been drawn to the ocean (and the good weather of South Florida doesn't hurt!).