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.
REEF is proud to partner with over 130 dive shops, dive clubs, individuals, and other organizations as REEF Field Stations. Our featured Field Station this month, Paradise Watersports, is based at Peter Island Resort and Spa in the British Virgin Islands. Their team is led by Randy Keil, an active REEF surveyor and member of the Advanced Assessment Team. Randy was first introduced to REEF over 10 years ago by Lad Akins.
We recently welcomed our Fall 2021 Marine Conservation Interns to REEF. They will support the REEF team by assisting with annual events like the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival and REEF Fest, as well as education and outreach programs and daily operations around the REEF Campus. This semester’s interns bring a unique set of skills and interests to REEF. They include:
Last month, REEF’s Explorers Education Program had the pleasure of working with two collegiate groups in Key Largo, Florida. Each group of students spent one fun-filled week working alongside REEF staff and interns to learn about TWA (Tropical Western Atlantic) fish identification and the REEF survey method. The first group was nine students from Georgia State University, accompanied by their professor, Dr. Amy Reber. This weeklong education program has become an annual component of Georgia State's marine ecology course.
REEF recently completed a Field Survey trip to Roatan, Honduras, led by REEF co-founder, Paul Humann. Over six days, the group completed 17 survey dives including one night dive. Both novice and highly experienced REEF surveyors enjoyed the near perfect weather and dive conditions. Shortfin pipehorses, wrasse blennies, linesnout gobies, peppermint basslets, orangesided gobies, dash gobies, and blue dartfish are a sample of the cryptic fishes that were observed. Spotted Eagle Rays and Southern Stingrays graced us with their presence on a number of dives.
As climate change and tropical storms have increasingly drastic impacts on our blue planet, the marine conservation work we do at REEF is more important now than ever. The future of our ocean depends on each of us.
Congratulations to Fred Hartner, who recently joined the Golden Hamlet Club! This distinguished group is made up of highly dedicated volunteers who have conducted 1,000 or more REEF surveys as part of the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project.
This summer, we've been making waves in the Florida Keys and beyond, with plenty of engaging education programs and outreach events. Our team of staff and interns led 39 educational programs this summer. From teaching weekly fish ID classes at John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo to programs for schools, clubs, dive shops, and more, it has been a jam-packed and fun season. Our summer Ocean Explorers Education Programs offered participants the chance to dive into citizen science with snorkeling and diving excursions, fish ID classes, and even lionfish jewelry making.
REEF members are at the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. Over 43,000 divers, snorkelers, students, and armchair naturalists stand behind our mission.
This month we highlight Paul and Marta Bonatz. Marta joined REEF in 1998 and she drew Paul in 2005. They have become active surveyors, and each has conducted 240 surveys. Here's what they had to say about REEF:
What is your favorite part about being a REEF member?
All are invited to join us for REEF Fest 2021 on October 14-17 in Key Largo, Florida! REEF Fest is the perfect opportunity to experience the underwater world of the Florida Keys by diving, snorkeling, or kayaking. You can join REEF staff and marine life experts on the mornings of Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 16, as we explore diverse ocean habitats like coral reefs and mangrove trails.