Introducing our February Fish of the Month, the Longhorn Sculpin, Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus
Survey Regions: They are found from Virginia to Newfoundland, in REEF's Northeast US and Canada (NE) region. Click here to see a distribution report for this species.
Size: They can grow to about 18 inches (46 cm) in length but are generally 10-14 inches.
This past week marked the 21st year of the Grouper Moon Project, a highly successful conservation science collaboration between REEF and the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DOE) to study one of the largest and last known spawning aggregations of endangered Nassau Grouper in the Caribbean.
We're headed to Cayman Brac Beach Resort on May 20-27 for a REEF Field Survey Trip! Cayman Brac is an excellent destination for divers, snorkelers, and both beginner and experienced fish surveyors. The dive sites include walls, reefs, swim-throughs, plus two wrecks to explore, and the island is known for having little to no current and great visibility. The trip package includes three dives each day, which means plenty of time in the water! REEF Trips are a great way to learn more about marine life while spending time with others who are interested in conservation.
We're excited to announce the REEF Educator in the Field Fellowship, a new professional development opportunity for formal and informal educators to gain hands-on experience with ocean citizen science! The Fellowship will enable a qualified educator to participate in a REEF Field Survey Trip. They will join other citizen scientist volunteers to learn about marine life and conduct fish surveys while scuba diving or snorkeling as part of the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project.
A new year is here, and that means new Conservation Challenges! The Conservation Challenge is a fun way to earn collectible stickers while participating in marine conservation and citizen science. There are plenty of stickers to collect, and this month, we're highlighting the Survey Regions Challenge! You can earn a sticker for each region where you conduct a REEF survey. There are ten REEF survey regions, so that means there are ten different stickers!
We're gearing up for another great year of marine conservation, and we hope you can join us to celebrate at a REEF event this year.
REEF by the Sea - March 3-4, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida: REEF Sustainers receive an invitation to this exclusive event, held each spring in either California or Florida. The weekend features guest speakers including noted scientists and photographers, plus socials and REEF updates. For more information about donor recognition levels, visit this page.
REEF online programs are free and open to everyone! Here's what's coming up this month:
Into the Blue Book Club Meeting
Thursday, January 19, 8pm EST
Click here to register.
At our first Into the Blue Book Club meeting of 2023, we'll discuss our latest book selection, The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans by Cynthia Barnett. Cynthia will be joining the meeting for a Q&A! All are invited to join, whether you have read the book or not.
We're excited to announce our speaker lineup for 2023 REEF Fish & Friends! Each month features an engaging ocean-themed presentations from a guest speaker. Presentations are free to attend, and are hosted at the REEF Campus in Key Largo. If you're not able to join us in person, the seminars are livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. Upcoming Fish & Friends presentations include:
We're starting off 2023 with our January Fish of the Month, the Sargassum Triggerfish, Xanthichthys ringens!
Survey Regions: Sargassum Triggerfish are found throughout the Tropical Western Atlantic survey region. Click here to see a sightings report for this species in the REEF database.
Size: They grow to about 10 inches.
Size matters – especially when it comes to fisheries management. REEF is excited to be part of a new, collaborative project called SMILE (Size Matters: Innovative Length Estimate), which is now underway in the Florida Keys to help collect information about fish lengths. These data are critical for fisheries stock assessments, which are used to manage ecologically and economically important marine species.
