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.
At the end of the August, ten REEF citizen scientists traveled to Little Corn Island, a tiny, remote stretch of land in the Caribbean, located about 75 miles northeast of mainland Nicaragua. This goal of this Field Survey Trip was to collect and report data about the fish populations in this infrequently dived and visited area. There is very little data available about the marine life inhabiting Little Corn Island, and our volunteer divers were excited to find many interesting species, color variations and range extensions in the area.
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.
We are currently seeking applicants for our January through May 2020 session of our Marine Conservation Internship Program. This internship is open to college students with at least two years of coursework, as well as recent graduates. The deadline to apply is Sunday, Oct. 20. Visit www.REEF.org/internship for complete details and application instructions.
This month, REEF is proud to highlight one of our outstanding Conservation Partners: Blue Endeavors in Alameda, California. 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!
An overview of a scientific paper published in January 2019, documenting a precipitous decline in Sunflower Sea Star, primarily linked to the devastating sea star wasting disease epidemic that was wide-spread along the US and Canadian west coast starting in 2013, as well as warming ocean temperatures. The study used almost 11,000 REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project surveys collected between California and Alaska between 2006 and 2017 to evaluate the massive decline.
We are excited to share that Amy Lee has been selected by the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association (DEMA) Awards Committee as one of four finalists for the 2019 DEMA Wave Makers Award, an early career award for those making an impact in the diving industry.
Let's put our pectoral fins together for the following REEF members who have recently moved up an Experience Level in our Volunteer Fish Survey Project!
Volunteers have the opportunity to advance through 5 levels (Novice through Expert) within each of our survey project regions. Experience Levels are obtained by a combination of fish/invertebrate ID tests and numbers of submitted surveys. As they advance, their data is categorized in our online sightings database accordingly.
A new paper was recently published in the scientific journal, BioInvasions Records, that provides an updated look at non-native marine fishes that have been reported from Florida waters through REEF's Non-Native Species Reporting Program and other sources. The paper also provides information on Early-detection/Rapid-response (ED/RR) efforts. In addition to the well-known invasion of non-native lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles), there are now 39 other non-native marine fishes that have been documented in Florida.