On Tuesday, March 4, REEF was pleased to host Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen at its headquarters in Key Largo, Florida. Ros-Lehtinen represents Florida’s 18th district, including Monroe County and the Florida Keys. REEF Board and staff discussed the importance of training volunteers in marine conservation to preserving the long-term health of coral reefs in the Florida Keys and worldwide.
From March to June of this year, the REEF Conservation Science team completed a rigorous set of field testing for two types of deep water traps to capture invasive lionfish: the Gittings Noncontainment Trap, and a modified lobster trap, both designed for capturing lionfish from mesophotic reefs in the Florida Keys. With the help of Forever Young Charter Company and local volunteers, our team deployed these traps in a paired design at 43 different natural and artificial reefs across the Upper Florida Keys.
Spring is almost here, and this season brings a flurry of education activity! We are excited to welcome new and returning groups to the REEF Campus in Key Largo for our Ocean Explorers Education Programs! Want to learn more? Check out this quick overview of our education program offerings:
We are excited to welcome Alexa "Lex" Bryant to the REEF Team as Conservation Science Associate. Lex joined the staff at the beginning of 2022 and is based at the REEF Campus in Key Largo. She grew up outside of Boston, where she started her marine science journey. She was certified to dive when she was 14, exploring the New England waters. Around the same time, she started working aboard the F/V Erica Lee II out of Newburyport, MA, and spent her summers teaching marine science. Lex eventually worked her way up to First Mate and started her commercial fishing career.
The 15th annual REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival is quickly approaching! The event features two full days of lionfish hunting, plus a fun lionfish awareness night and an awards ceremony at the REEF Campus. You can check out all the details at www.REEF.org/derby. The weekend kicks off with a Captain's Meeting to discuss safe collecting and handling procedures and derby rules on Thursday, August 15. If you haven't yet signed up and want to participate in the derby, you can register a team of 2-4 people until 6:30pm on August 15.
If you haven't yet had a chance to check out REEF's 2015 Field Survey Trip Schedule, we encourage you to take a look. Visit www.REEF.org/trips to see the complete schedule, package details, trip leader bios, trip policies, and more. We hope you will join us!. Spaces are starting to fill up, and we want to make sure you don't miss this chance to take a "Dive Vacation that Counts".
As summer approaches, we are gearing up to host two of our biggest annual conservation events later this year. We hope you can join us in the Florida Keys for one or both of these events. Whether you're a diver, snorkeler, or land-based ocean lover, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
REEF’s 2019 Lionfish Derby Series ended on Sunday, Sept. 15 with the 10th Annual Upper Keys Lionfish Derby and Festival, hosted by Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina. Throughout the weekend, 28 derby competitors scoured the reefs and brought in a total of 1,263 lionfish, a new record for REEF Lionfish Derbies in the Florida Keys. Nine teams competed for most, largest, and smallest lionfish in this year’s Upper Keys Derby, vying for more than $4,400 in cash and prizes.
If you haven’t yet booked a REEF trip, or if you are considering another, please take a look below. There are still a few spaces left, especially in the first half of the year when colder temperatures at home may make a tropical dive vacation look especially inviting. In particular, be sure to check out our trips to Fiji aboard the luxurious NAI'A liveaboard. We have 3 spaces available (1 double cabin and one share female space), May 2-12, and 1 male share space left on our second trip, May 12-19. We have also just added a trip to St. Lucia in December.
This month, REEF is proud to highlight one of our outstanding Conservation Partners: Key Dives in Islamorada, FL. REEF Conservation Partners are active organizations and dive shops dedicated to protecting marine environments. As valued REEF ambassadors, they teach fish ID classes, host survey dives, organize volunteer events and more. Read on to find out how you can get involved with these centers of conservation action!