Dreaming of diving? Want to talk fish? Share scuba stories? Be sure to visit REEF and get your underwater fill at the Our World Underwater consumer dive show in Chicago, February 15-17th. REEF staff and volunteers will be at Booth 1004, ready to tell you about our exciting programs, answer your questions, and equip you with the latest REEF gear. We will be offering free REEF memberships, so stop by and sign up as a REEF member if you haven't already.
The Reef Environmental Education Foundation recently received a large donation through a creative fundraising project. Chesterton High School in Chesterton, Indiana, celebrated its 51st Homecoming this fall and decided to deviate from normal festivities. The homecoming theme was “CHS Gives Back,” and the week centered on raising money for charity.
Release of Invasive Lionfish: A Guide to Control and Management
Ned DeLoach will be presenting one of his popular fish behavior talks as part of the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) free Fishinar series. Ned’s talk, Speed Dating Fishy Style: How Fish Spawn and When You’re Likely to Catch Them in the Act, will be live online on May 9th at 8pm EDT.
The presentation, which will highlight many of Ned’s unique fish behavior photographs, will be followed by a Q&A session.
REEF, with the ongoing support of local businesses, is continuing its monthly lionfish contest that awards both groups (shops, clubs, teams) and individuals who turn in the most lionfish each month. This is a fun competition to encourage ongoing removals of invasive lionfish.
The seasonal fishing ban on endangered Nassau grouper spawning aggregation sites in the Cayman Islands, which was set to expire at the end of this month, has been extended for another eight years. The protections, which were initially enacted in 2003 and included an 8-year sunset clause, prohibit fishing for the species at spawning aggregation sites between November and March (the reproductive season).
Divers removed 312 invasive lionfish from Florida Keys waters during the final 2011 Florida Keys Lionfish Derby event last Saturday, Nov. 5. The latest results brought the total number of lionfish removed for the year during three Florida Keys lionfish roundups to 1,518 lionfish.
Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) in partnership with Miami-Dade County Sea Grant Extension will be organizing a series of lionfish workshops open to the public for the Southeast Florida area. These workshops cover the history of the invasion, lionfish biology/ ecology/ impacts, how to safely collect and handle lionfish, lionfish venomology and first aid for stings, and recommended techniques for filleting lionfish.