Spend a week in the Caribbean conducting fish surveys this fall! There are just a few spaces remaining on the REEF Field Survey Trip to St. Croix on November 6-13, 2021. Known for amazing wall diving, the beautiful island of St. Croix is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Running along the northern side of the island, the wall begins in 25-40 feet of water and plunges to 13,000 feet below the surface. This weeklong trip includes 10 boat dives and daily classes to help build your Tropical Western Atlantic fish identification skills. St.
The 2021 REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival will take place on September 9-12. This 12th annual event is sponsored by Ocean Reef Conservation Association (ORCA), a non-profit dedicated to protecting and preserving the environment, fish, wildlife, and marine related areas including water quality and habitat. Since 2009, ORCA has supported the efforts of several non-profits including Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, The Everglades Foundation, Audubon of Florida, Coral Restoration Foundation, Coastal Conservation Association and more. Education is an important part of ORCA's mission.
We are nearing the end of our summer ocean celebration, and that means there are just a couple days left to have your donation matched dollar for dollar! All donations made by this Sunday, August 8 will be doubled. Can you help us reach our goal of raising $70,000? You can visit www.REEF.org/donate to give securely online.
We are now accepting applications for the Spring 2022 REEF Marine Conservation Internship. Program dates are January 10-May 13, 2022. The application deadline is September 19, 2021. Visit www.REEF.org/internship for complete details and to apply.
We received so many amazing submissions for our 2021 'Discover the Sea' Underwater Photography Contest, and we need your help to pick the winning photos! Now through noon EDT on Monday, August 9, you can vote for your favorite photo in each category: Fish Portrait, Invertebrate, Macro, Reefscape/Habitat/Environment and REEF Themed. The photo that receives the most votes in each category will win. Click here to see all the entries for each category and cast your votes!
REEF's online programs are free and open to everyone! Here's what is coming up over the next several weeks:
Fishy Hour: Fish Face-to-Face
Thursday, August 26 at 8pm EDT
Casual, fun time to check in face-to-face and say hi to your fellow REEF friends, plus a chance to meet new ones. We'll have structured breakout rooms, maybe a game, and topics to discuss.
Register here.
Introducing our August 2021 Fish of the Month, the Crescent Gunnel (Pholis laeta)!
Survey Regions: Crescent Gunnels are found from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to northern California. This area is part of REEF's California, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska (PAC) region. Click here to view a database report for the species.
Join REEF Volunteer Instructor Rhoda Green as she teaches fish and invertebrate ID classes for the Pacific Northwest. Survey dives to practice what you've learned will be afterward.
Saturday and Sunday, July 17 and 18.
Meet by the beach entrance.
Sign up and get more info by emailing Rhoda at: friends.saltwater.statepark@gmail.com
Rhoda will also be administering Experience Level quizzes 2-5, so if you'd like to take a quiz, be sure to let her know in advance.
This summer, we’re celebrating the oceans by highlighting what makes REEF extraordinary - the people, the places, the discoveries, and the innovations. Keep an eye on your inbox all month for more details. In the meantime, here is another reason to celebrate: our annual summer match is here! Now through August 8, all donations are doubled, up to $70,000. We are so thankful to the Meyer Foundation, the Henry Foundation, and the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation for their generosity in providing these matching funds.
Anyone who has dreamed of visiting Cuba's famous Gardens of the Queen Marine Park, mark your calendar for December 11-18, 2021! We have just rescheduled a REEF Field Survey Trip aboard the Jardines Avalon II, and we have several spaces available on our new dates in December 2021. This location is known as one of the best-preseved areas in the Caribbean, with frequent sightings of large predators like snapper, grouper, and sharks. It's also one of the few places where the rare Golden Fairy Basslet has been sighted.