We kicked off our 2016 REEF Trip schedule this month with two great trips - a Lionfish Research Expedition in Dominica and a Field Survey Trip to Barbados. And those are just the beginning. We have a great lineup of destinations for 2016 and we recently announced several exciting destinations for 2017, including the Galapagos and the Solomon Islands. The complete 2017 schedule will be released next month. For complete details and schedule of REEF Trips, visit www.REEF.org/trips.

REEF is proud to announce Ed Martin, of Islamorada, Florida, as our 2015 Volunteer of the Year. Ed became a REEF member in 2012, and has since conducted 60 REEF surveys in the Tropical Western Atlantic (TWA) region. He is also a skilled underwater photographer and a member of the Century Club, having recorded at least 100 fish species on a one tank dive. In 2015, Ed became a member of REEF's Advanced Assessment Team by achieving 'Expert' surveyor status in the TWA.

We are kicking off March with REEF's second annual Month of Membership Madness. We have tons of great benefits this month for new members and current members who help us reach our goal of 500 new members in March. So help us spread the word - get your friends and family to join REEF today.

For everyone who donated this winter to support REEF’s critical marine conservation programs, we thank you! For those of you who are still thinking about giving, we are very close to reach our goal this year and still have a limited amount of Paul Humann’s beautiful print of a Fiji reef scene featuring stunning soft corals and colorful Anthias. Please support our work.

Join renowned underwater photographers and REEF Board of Trustees members Ned and Anna DeLoach for an unforgettable Field Survey Trip to one of the best yet least known dive destinations in the world, nestled in the unique, volcanic landscape of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The 11-day adventure will begin in Lembeh Strait at Eco Divers Lembeh, a macro marine creature-lover’s paradise.

Join REEF’s first Field Survey Trip to Darwin’s domain aboard the luxurious Galapagos Sky Liveaboard! The entire archipelago is a National Park and marine reserve filled with life not found anywhere else on the planet. Observe penguins swimming with tropical fish, iguanas feeding underwater and swim beside giant whale sharks and Galapagos sharks.

This will be REEF’s inaugural trip to the Solomon Islands, an archipelago of 992 tropical islands and atolls, situated in the South Pacific between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. This 10-day charter on the Bilikiki Liveaboard will provide opportunities to visit and dive remote areas such as the Florida Islands, Russell Islands, Mborukua Island, and Marovo Lagoon, the largest saltwater lagoon in the world!

Scientists and volunteers from REEF, and our partners at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Cayman Islands Department of the Environment, are wrapping up two weeks of field work on Little Cayman for the Grouper Moon Project. Since 2002, the collaboration has conducted ground-breaking research on the Nassau Grouper spawning aggregations in the Cayman Islands, to help ensure that populations of this iconic species recover. Around winter full moons, Nassau Grouper leave their home reefs and aggregate in mass to spawn.

Don't miss REEF's Fishinars scheduled for this month. We'll talk about Grunts in the Caribbean, and a two-part session to compare common fishes of northern and southern Gulf of Mexico. And then next month, we welcome back the fabulous Ray Troll, who will talk about cool sharks, both modern day and extinct. These free, online webinars offer the opportunity to learn from our experts on a multitude of topics. For the complete 2016 schedule and to register, visit www.REEF.org/fishinars. Upcoming Fishinars include:

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