While we all knew it was just a matter of time, the call still came with a bit of surprise and dread as the first confirmed lionfish sighting in the Florida Keys came in on January 6th, 2009. REEF member Becky Fowler, from Greenville, SC, was diving just offshore of the Benwood Wreck in Key Largo when she spotted the invasive lionfish near the base of a ledge at 66'. With all of the recent focus and outreach efforts that REEF has been forwarding to our members, she knew immediately that she needed to document the sighting and gather a detailed description of its location.
Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) with help from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) will host an inaugural series of lionfish derbies in the Keys starting this weekend. Divers who remove lionfish from Sanctuary waters will be eligible for more than $10,000 in cash and prizes. Awards will go to the top 3 teams in the following categories: most lionfish, biggest lionfish, and smallest lionfish.
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:
-Researchers used data on yelloweye rockfish frequency of occurrence in the San Juan Islands in Washington to evaluate population status for the San Juan County Community Development and Planning Department.
REEF's Director of Special Projects, Lad Akins, and REEF affiliate scientist Dr. Stephanie Green (Oregon State University) and REEF Advisory Panel member Dr. Steve Gittings (NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries) participated in the first submersible expedition to assess the lionfish invasion on deep marine habitats off South Florida June 27-29. While REEF and other scientists have studied lionfish in shallow habitats, the Antipodes lionfish expedition gave scientists the opportunity to learn about lionfish populations far below recreational diving limits.
A few weeks ago, in honor of Earth Day, REEF asked for your help in supporting our educational programs. Through classroom and field activities, these programs have inspired thousands of school children, young adults, divers, and researchers. If you haven't already made a donation, please consider making a difference in the life of a future ocean conservationist!
Contribute securely online today at www.REEF.org/contribute
Your donation will ensure that we can provide:
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:
- A scientist from Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) requested REEF data to evaluate fish assemblages in Bermuda with regard to no-take reserves, comparing shallow vs. deep water habitats, and to evaluate the impact of invasive lionfish.
We are proud to release REEF's 2016 Annual Report, reviewing accomplishments from our ocean conservation and education programs. Click here to view the Annual Report. In the report, we highlight many achievements and successes in 2016, such as:
On April 19th, nine Whole Foods Market stores across South Florida will be supporting ocean conservation. Stores in Coral Springs, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington, and West Palm Beach will donate 5% of their total sales from the day to REEF, to support our South Florida conservation efforts. Whole Foods Markets® has been working with REEF to help develop the market for invasive lionfish and is this year's derby series title sponsor.
Every month, scientists, government agencies, and other groups request raw data from REEF’s Fish Survey Project database. Recent examples of data requests include:
- Staff from MacArthur State Beach Park in Florida are using REEF data to evaluate fish populations in the park.
- Researchers at SeaDoc Society and Washington Department of Fish and Game are using REEF data to evaluate Northern (Pinto) Abalone in Washington State
This summer, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of REEF's cornerstone citizen science program, the Volunteer Fish Survey Project. Our annual summer fundraising campaign kicked off on World Oceans Day on June 8, and since then, thanks to the support of members like you, we were able to reach our goal of raising $60,000 to support our conservation programs!