Instead of flowers and chocolate on Valentine's Day, why not give your loved one a Whale Shark instead? REEF Conservation Creatures allow gift givers to symbolically adopt an ocean animal in honor of a special person in their life. Conservation Creatures are iconic species that highlight the diversity of ocean ecosystems and encourage understanding and respect for marine life. There are plenty of animals to choose from, including Sea Otters, Flame Angelfish, Manatees, and more.
Since last week, our partners at the Cayman Islands Department of Environment have been busy in the field, conducting multiple dives each day on the Nassau Grouper spawning site on the west end of Little Cayman. Since 2002, this site has been the focus of our collaborative conservation effort, the Grouper Moon Project. The team has been performing visual assessments, collecting size estimates through stereo-video, and capturing images of individual fishes for our "Fish Faces" project, which uses artificial intelligence to measure population size.
REEF’s in-person events are on hold until further notice, but you can still join us for marine conservation fun from home.
Fishy Hour – Fish Face-to-Face
Wednesday, February 17 at 8PM EST via Zoom
Enjoy a casual, fun, face-to-face chat time with your fellow REEF fish geeks. Webcams encouraged. We'll each get a chance to say hello, and see each other's smiling faces.
Register here.
Daydreaming of your next dive trip? The following 2021 REEF Trips have space available: June 6-16: Palau, June 19-26: San Salvador, The Bahamas, July 3-10: St.
Introducing our February 2021 Fish of the Month, the Moorish Idol (Zanclus cornutus), also known as Gill from Finding Nemo.
We are excited to announce our new Ocean Explorers Virtual Field Trips Program! These interactive field trip simulations bring marine science to life with engaging lesson plans and activities to connect students to the ocean, without leaving the classroom.
Through REEF's Virtual Field Trips students explore what life is like as a marine scientist. They’ll perform exploration tasks, create research trials, and complete field journals as they become citizen scientists.
REEF members are the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. A diverse community of divers, snorkelers, and ocean enthusiasts support our mission to conserve marine environments worldwide.
After a long year of staying at home, many people are eagerly anticipating their next dive trip. If you'd like to make some future plans, these 2021 REEF Trips have space available: June 19-26: San Salvador, The Bahamas, July 3-10: St.
A new year has begun, and as we look towards 2021 and beyond, citizen science and public engagement are essential for conservation success. If you have already given to REEF this winter, please know that we are very thankful for your generosity. If you have not yet contributed, will you consider making a donation now to ensure that REEF’s ocean conservation work can continue? You can visit www.REEF.org/donate to contribute securely online.
Each winter since 2002, REEF has sent a team of researchers and volunteers to Little Cayman for the Grouper Moon Project. This collaborative research effort between REEF and the Cayman Islands Department of the Environment (CIDOE) conducts groundbreaking research to study the Nassau Grouper spawning aggregations, to help ensure recovery of the populations of this iconic and Critically Endangered species.