REEF Field Survey Trips are eco-vacations led by marine life experts. Each trip features daily dives and fish ID classes for both beginners and experienced surveyors. Divers, snorkelers, and families are all welcome. Only a few spaces remain on our Field Survey Trip to the Southern Sea of Cortez, happening this fall from Sept. 29-Oct. 6. Warm waters and calm seas make this a great time of year to dive in the Sea of Cortez. This unique body of water is separated from the Pacific Ocean by Mexico's Baja Peninsula.
Meet our September Fish of the Month, the Rock Gunnel, Pholis gunnellus!
Survey Regions: The Rock Gunnel is found in the temperate and cold waters of the Northeast US and Canada region. Click here to view the REEF database sightings report for this species.
Size: They grow to between 5 to 8 inches.
REEF online programs are free and open to everyone! Here's what's coming up this month:
Fishinar: Life in the Hawaiian Surge
Thursday, September 14, 8pm EDT
Click here to register.
Shallow, surge-swept areas are home to plenty of fish life. Learn how to identify some of the species found in the surge zones of Hawaii in this special Fishinar presented by REEF surveyor and Hawaii resident Dennis Bensen, and REEF Citizen Science Program Manager Janna Nichols.
We are excited to welcome our Fall 2023 Marine Conservation Interns to REEF! They will assist with education, outreach, events, and daily operations around the REEF Campus in Key Largo, Florida. Pictured from left to right are Noah Herren, Asavari Shanker, Noa Parks, and Lily Fife Schaeufele. Here's a bit more about them:
The Golden Hamlet Club is a highly dedicated group of surveyors who have conducted 1,000 or more REEF surveys as as part of the Volunteer Fish Survey Project. We recently welcomed two new surveyors: Marta Bonatz and Joe Mangiafico. They join 40 other Golden Hamlet Club members.
Partnerships with the scientific community are a core value of REEF’s mission, and this collaboration has been essential for the success of the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project over the last 30 years. We are excited to share a recent monitoring effort undertaken by the Aquarium du Québec and Parc National de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher‑Percé, and coordinated by Dr. Michèle Doucet, a REEF member and retired professor of veterinary medicine. Dr.
The Conservation Challenge is a fun way to get involved in marine conservation and citizen science. You can earn collectible stickers by participating in various REEF programs and events! There are some great opportunities coming up this fall to earn different Conservation Challenge stickers, including:
Our annual summer fundraising match just ended on August 8, and we wanted to share some exciting news. Thanks to the REEF community, we reached our goal and were able to take advantage of our full match amount of $70,000! Thank you to The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, The Henry Foundation, and The Meyer Foundation for generously matching all donations this summer.
Take a bite out of lionfish at the 14th annual REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival, coming up on Sept. 7-10. The event features two full days of lionfish hunting, plus a family-friendly lionfish festival.
REEF Fest 2023 is coming up on October 19-22 in Key Largo, Florida. Join us for free, educational ocean seminars, diving, snorkeling, kayaking, nature tours, and socials! You can see all the details and register at www.REEF.org/REEFfest. We're excited to host free ocean seminars at Murray Nelson Government Center on Oct. 20 and 21. Our seminar speakers include: