If you haven't had a chance to attend one of our Fishinars yet, you should! New sessions are continually being added, so check out the Webinar Training page (www.REEF.org/resources/webinars) to see the current schedule and to register for one or more sessions. These popular online training sessions (webinars) provide fishie fun in the comfort of your own home. Fishinars are open to divers, snorkelers, and devout landlubbers alike. Participation is free but you need to register for each session you want to attend.
Needed -- a few more volunteers for this critical marine conservation project in Belize! Peter Hughes and REEF’s Lad Akins will lead this great project aboard the livaboard dive vessel Sun Dancer II, June 13-20. I am sure that most of you have been following the news about the lionfish invasion and the recent updates on fish beginning to show up in Belize. We are really concerned about this.
$2,095 - $2,495 per person double occupancy (depending on cabin type) - includes: lodging for 7 nights aboard the Explorer II, up to 5 dives per day for 5 days, meals aboard the boat, and all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Additional costs include crew gratuity, $85 pp port/hotel taxes, and $125 per person fuel surcharge (these two charges will be collected on-board and are subject to change up to 30 days prior to departure).
+$300 REEF Program Fee per diver will be added to each package to cover the cost of the group leader, seminar and survey materials.
As part of the NOAA-funded Coastal Partnership Initiative, REEF has joined forces with Florida SeaGrant to organize and conduct a series of lionfish collecting and handling workshops and hands on training dives in Southeast Florida. REEF Staff trained over 75 divers during recent workshops and dives in the Florida Keys, Miami, and Palm Beach. The project also includes organized removals by local volunteer teams throughout the year.
As the year winds down, we still have a few educational REEF Fishinars remaining. Check out the full schedule at www.REEF.org/fishinars. And keep an eye on that space because we will be adding new ones for 2015 soon. Fishinars coming up include:
A segment featuring REEF's research on the invasion of the Indo-Pacific Lionfish into the western Atlantic and Caribbean was featured on NBC Nightly News June 30th. Click here to view the segment online.
This week aboard the sailing vessel Cat Ppalu will focus on data gathering and observational behavior in and around Eleuthra (weather permitting). The trip will be led by REEF Director of Special Projects Lad Akins and will have a maximum of 12 participants. During the week of diving, we'll tag and track lionfish as well as collect specimens for researchers in the Bahamas and in the US. We'll also conduct new activity observations to determine when and how lionfish are most active.
Package Inclusions: Seven nights on board the Sun Dancer II, all meals and beverages (including well brands of alcohol and Belikin beer), transfers from/to Belize International Airport, five and ½ days of diving up to five dives per day, other standard Dancer Fleet services and amenities.
$1895 (deluxe cabins) to $2095 (master cabin)
+ $150 REEF Program Fee per diver will be added to each package to cover the cost of the group leader, seminars, survey materials, and data management.
Trip purpose – Study Lionfish invasion and to capture and dissect lionfish specimens.
Lionfish derbies and tournaments were first implemented in 2009 with the intent of increasing public awareness about the lionfish invasion in the western Atlantic, gathering specimens for research, and training volunteers to safely and effectively collect the venomous species. Since then, REEF has coordinated a series of derbies each year and assisted other organizations and groups in organizing and running their own derbies, resulting in the removal of tens of thousands of invasive lionfish.