REEF members are the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. A diverse community of divers, snorkelers, and ocean enthusiasts support our mission to conserve marine environments worldwide.
We have some great REEF Field Survey Trips coming up next year. You can check out the full schedule at www.REEF.org/trips. Here are some highlights:
The Conservation Challenge is a way to earn fun stickers for getting involved in marine conservation. Register for the REEF Fish Out of Water Virtual 5K to earn this month's featured Conservation Challenge sticker! The third annual Fish Out of Water 5K takes place June 6-12. REEF members worldwide will run, walk, bike, swim, and more - all to support healthy oceans. Visit www.REEF.org/5K to register today. When you sign up, you’ll choose to join one of five Fish Teams - Whale Shark, Manta Ray, Ocean Sunfish, Lionfish, or Nassau Grouper.
REEF's online programs are free and open to everyone! Here's what is coming up in the next several weeks:
Lionfish hunters, mark your calendars and plan to join us for the 2022 REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival on Sept. 8-11. Registration is now open, and teams of 2-4 people can register online here. The 13th annual event includes two full days of fishing and a public festival at Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada.
Last Friday, April 29, the REEF community came together in an amazing show of support for marine conservation. More than 100 REEF members donated during our second-annual Give BIG for the Oceans celebration, helping us to not only meet, but exceed our fundraising goal. We want to say a BIG thank you to everyone who supported REEF during Give BIG for the Oceans. Your gift, no matter how large or small, powers our citizen science, research, and education programs.
First sighted in Lebanon in 2012, invasive lionfish have since become well-established in the Mediterranean Sea. In an effort to provide policy recommendations for the lionfish invasion within the Mediterranean Sea, REEF joined in a global collaborative effort with researchers from Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and the Caribbean to share successes and failures from two decades of lionfish management in the Western Atlantic.
Introducing our May Fish of the Month, the Pajama Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)!
We are excited to welcome our Summer 2022 Marine Conservation Interns to REEF! As a part of our team, they will assist with Ocean Explorers Education programs, outreach events, and daily operations around the REEF Campus. They are:
We recently released the 2023 REEF Field Survey Trips schedule, and spaces are filling up fast! You can view the full schedule of upcoming trips here. This month, we're highlighting Belize and Roatan, two Caribbean destinations on every diver's must-see list.