2016 wraps up with one more REEF Fishinar - this time by Carlos and Allison Estapé about those pesky look-alike Caribbean Chubs and Porgies. Join us December 15th at 8pm Eastern time for this live, online session. If you've never been to a REEF Fishinar, we welcome everyone! It's free, of course, and you'll have one hour of fun, camaraderie and learning. And keep an eye out for a brand new schedule of great Fishinars coming to you in 2017. While we have some of them already scheduled, we'll have the complete schedule posted soon!
Be sure to check out the REEF online store for all of your holiday shopping needs! We have a great selection of field guide books, REEF surveying supplies, lionfish collecting gear, REEF swag, and the cutest collection of marine-themed plush animals! Shop today at www.REEF.org/store.
This past Tuesday, REEF launched our Winter Fundraising campaign. Thank you to all who have already donated. If you haven' yet given, we are asking for your help today! By giving a gift, you are ensuring that REEF can continue to inspire people around the world to cherish and protect our marine resources.
You can give securely 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.
We are excited to share with you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join REEF on a special expedition next spring. In partnershp with Florida International Univeristy (FIU), we have arranged for a small team of REEF members to experience another level of ocean exploration. Our team will venture beneath the waves and spend a night in the FIU Aquarius Reef Base, the world’s only undersea research laboratory.
REEF is exctied to announce the launch of our new Lionfish Sightings App – a free app designed specifically to connect divers to remove lionfish from the Tropical Western Atlantic. Report lionfish you have collected or simply report lionfish sightings so other divers know where to look! Follow this link to download the app for iOS or follow this link to download the app for Android.
If you have been thinking about joining us on a REEF Trip in 2017, now is the time to book your space. We are looking for passionate ocean enthusiasts to join us! There are still some spaces left on the following trips. Trips sell out quickly, so book your space as soon as possible!
February 18 - 25, 2017 -- Dominica -- Dive Dominica & Castle Comfort Lodge, Led by Lad Akins, find out more
Sea star wasting disease has devastated sea star populations on the West coast from Mexico to Alaska. The disease broke out in 2013, causing massive death of several species of sea stars. Infected animals develop lesions that eat away tissue, with limbs dropping off as the animals die. The disease has been linked to a virus, although environmental factors may also be involved.
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:
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.
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.