The Faces of REEF: Laura Tesler

REEF members are at the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. Over 50,000 divers, snorkelers, students, and armchair naturalists stand behind our mission.

This month we highlight Laura Tesler. Laura lives in Oregon, and has been a REEF member since 2007. She is a member of the Pacific Northwest Advanced Assessment Team (a Level 5 Expert surveyor). She has also conducted surveys in the TWA region and is a Level 3 Advanced surveyor there. To date, Laura has completed 239 surveys. Here’s what Laura had to say about REEF:

REEF Fest 2016 a Success!

On behalf of all of us at REEF, thank you to those who were able to join us at REEF Fest 2016, our annual celebration of marine conservation. This year's event was our largest yet, with more than 400 guests in attendance! The four-day event, free and open to the public, featured ocean-themed seminars, social gatherings, SCUBA diving, and other eco-ventures alongside some of the most prestigious names in diving and marine conservation.

Annual REEF Monitoring Projects in the Pacific Northwest

We recently conducted the 2016 surveys on two important long-term monitoring projects in Washington State. Data have been processed, and results are available for viewing. One of the most surprising results was the high abundance of many species of Young-of-the-Year (YOY, aka baby) Rockfish seen on both projects. This is a very unusual sighting, and possibly a good sign for things to come for these threatened species.

Digging for Data: a Fishinar on how to use the REEF Website reports

And now for something completely different - Ever wonder how you could use REEF's amazing, online, publicly accessible database to answer some common questions you might have?

Join REEF staff Ellie Splain and Janna Nichols for a free Fishinar that will answer those questions (we're mind readers and know what you'll ask) and give you tips and tricks along the way. -- Wednesday November 2nd, 8pm Eastern time. Register online at www.REEF.org/fishinars.

And don't miss our other upcoming Fishinars:

Making It Count - September 2016

More Fishinars Coming Soon

Don't miss these great Fishinars (www.REEF.org/fishinars) we are offering this fall!

Putting It To Work: Who's Using REEF Data, September 2016

Every month, scientists, government agencies, and other groups request raw data from REEF’s Fish Survey Project database. Here is a sampling of who has asked for REEF data recently and what they are using it for:

- Data on three large Caribbean parrotfish species were provided to a scientist at California State San Luis Obispo to evaluate status and trends in these declining species.

- Data to evaluate population densities of herbivores in Bahamas and Belize were provided to researchers from Georgia State University.

The Faces of REEF: Kat Fenner

REEF members are at the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. Over 50,000 divers, snorkelers, students, and armchair naturalists stand behind our mission.

This month we highlight Kathleen Fenner. Kat has been a REEF member since 1999. She lives in British Columbia, Canada, and she is a member of the Pacific Advanced Assessment Team (a Level 5 Expert surveyor). She has also conducted surveys in the TWA and is a Level 3 Advanced surveyor there. To date, Kat has completed 178 surveys. Here’s what Kat had to say about REEF:

Check Out New Items In REEF Store - Lionfish Jewelry, Mask Straps, and More

If you haven't checked out the online REEF Store lately, you might want to head over and get a jump on your holiday shopping! We have added several new items, including Lionfish Jewelry Making Kits, pre-made Lionfish Jewelry Pieces, REEF Mask Straps, several new T-shirts, and a lionfish polespear. And be sure to check out our new Conservation Creatures plush series. Each plush comes with a Conservation Card that provides information about the critter's habitat, characteristics, potential threats, and global distribution in REEF's Survey Project regions.

Summer Lionfish Derby Series a Success in 2016

This summer seemed to fly by, and along with it went REEF’s 2016 Summer Lionfish Derby Series! It was an exciting summer full of “firsts” for the derby program. We added a fourth derby to the series, which we hosted in Sarasota in partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. We also hosted our first Lionfish Culinary Competition in conjunction with the Palm Beach County Lionfish Derby, held at Loggerhead Marinelife Center, with support from the NUISANCE Group and Chef Chris Sherrill.

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