Green Turtle Cay-July 19, 2010
Organizers of the Second Annual Lionfish Derby held in Green Turtle Cay, June 19 reported that 941 lionfish were captured in the event held this week-end at the Green Turtle Club.
Twenty-one boats participated, with teams from Florida and the Bahamas searching the Abaco waters for lionfish in perfect weather and conditions.
REEF is working in close partnership with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) to diligently track lionfish reports and initiate removal efforts in South Florida. The first confirmed lionfish in the Florida Keys was reported and captured within 24 hours in January 2009 (see previous enews article). Subsequent early reports in March-June were met with successful rapid response.
In an ongoing collaborative conservation program called the ‘Grouper Moon Project’ with the Reef Environmental and Education Foundation (www.REEF.org), the Cayman Islands Department of the Environment has expanded the Nassau grouper monitoring to Grand Cayman.
On Saturday morning, June 20, SCUBA divers will converge on Coral Street Cove, a popular dive site in Pacific Grove, to collect marine life population information on the nearshore rocky reefs. The surveys are part of two citizen science programs that train volunteer recreational SCUBA divers and snorkelers to conduct field surveys - REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation, www.reef.org) and Reef Check (www.reefcheck.org).
The Indo-Pacific lionfish invasion front is rapidly moving south into the Caribbean. Through REEF’s on-the-ground work, lionfish impacts are being documented in the Bahamas and initial results suggest these impacts will be devastating. Belize saw their first lionfish in 2008, and they are spreading fast. Divers are starting to see more fish on more sites. Now, Belizean organizations are offering a $50.00 per fish bounty to remove the fish before they become established.
On Saturday April 25th, 2009, the headquarters of the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), located in Key Largo, Florida, will be dedicated in honor James E. Lockwood. The dedication ceremony will be held at the historic conch house located in the median of Highway 1 at Mile Marker 99.8 from 1 - 3pm.
3 Paths That Merged Into One
About The Benefactor
Key Largo, Florida. The Reef Environmental Education Foundation’s home study DVD, Reef Fish Identification Florida Caribbean Bahamas, A Beginning Course has been awarded a Bronze Award in the 2008 Telly Awards competition in the Non-Broadcast Education category.
REEF announces the launch of a new seminar series, to be held the 2nd Tuesday of every month in Key Largo. These FREE seminars and lectures are open to the public -- everyone is welcome
Join Us the 2nd Tuesday of Each Month for this exciting series!
6:00-7:300 PM at the James E. Lockwood Jr. REEF Headquarters, Key Largo, MM 98.3 in the median.
Learn how you can make a dive or snorkel that counts. Become a citizen scientist and meet others who share your passion for the underwater world. Snorkelers, divers and armchair naturalists welcome.
DiveAssure, a leader in the field of diving and dive-travel insurance, has committed to support REEF to advance our projects and activities that benefit marine environments. DiveAssure is offering REEF members a significant discount on two levels of coverage - 50% off the regular price for the Platinum program and 35% off the Diamond program. DiveAssure offers membership benefits including the best insurance programs that are tailored to meet the needs and demands of divers.
The first confirmed lionfish sighting in the Florida Keys occurred on Tuesday, January 6, 2009. REEF received this specific sighting report at 2:30pm on the 6th from one of our volunteer divers from South Carolina, who was diving on vacation in the Keys. She found the fish near the base of Benwood Ledge (66') just offshore of the Benwood wreck, Key Largo. Via the numerous REEF media alerts and notices, she knew the invasion of lionfish was an issue and grabbed a few images with her digital camera to confirm the sighting.
