Our June Fish of the Month is the Lumpfish, Cyclopterus lumpus!
Survey Regions: Lumpfish are found throughout the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, from Greenland to New Jersey, including REEF's Northeast US and Canada (NE) survey region. Click here to view a REEF distribution report for this species.
Size: They can reach up to 2 feet in length!
We are excited to welcome our Summer 2024 Marine Conservation Interns to REEF! They will assist with education, outreach, events, and daily operations around the REEF Campus in Key Largo, Florida. Marine Conservation Interns play an integral role in our daily operations, programs, events, and outreach. Since 1993, more than 150 young adults have interned with REEF and transitioned into careers all over the world, in the marine conservation field and beyond. Please join us in welcoming Sydney, Jasmine, Annika, and Diana! Here's a bit more about them:
For this Great Annual Fish Count event, gather at the Friends of Saltwater State Park for a Fish ID class followed by an optional REEF survey dive/snorkel!
Meet at the Classroom for the Saltwater Statepark Top 20 Marine Life ID class at 1pm-2pm.
Meet at the beach near the Snack Shack for the REEF survey dive at 3pm.
For this Great Annual Fish Count event, gather at the Friends of Saltwater State Park for a Fish ID class followed by an optional REEF survey dive/snorkel!
The Who's What and Where Fish ID class will be held at the Classroom at 10am - 11am.
Meet at the beach near the Snack Shack for the REEF survey dive at 12pm.
Help protect the oceans! Join REEF and Surfrider Foundation Florida Keys Chapter for a mangrove and coastal cleanup in partnership with our friends at Paddle the Florida Keys. Attendees should bring a reusable water bottle, and sun protection. Snacks, cleanup supplies, and paddleboards/kayaks will be provided.
Location: 90773 Old Hwy, Tavernier, FL 33070
Questions? Contact Carolyn Corley at carolyn.corley@REEF.org
The Great Annual Fish Count (GAFC) is just two months away! Held each July, the GAFC is an initiative to encourage divers and snorkelers to participate in the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project. This is a great way for anyone to get involved in citizen science and learn more about marine life by joining in ID classes and group dives. It's easy and fun to participate in the GAFC,. To get started, check out the FAQs below.
Mark your calendars for the 15th annual Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival on August 15-18! A Lionfish Derby is a competition where teams of divers and snorkelers compete to collect as many invasive lionfish as possible. REEF Lionfish Derbies educate the public about invasive species, gather important scientific information on lionfish populations, and promote a consumer market for lionfish.
The fifth annual Fish Out of Water Virtual 5K is coming up on June 8-15. Have you registered to join us yet? It's a great way to celebrate World Ocean Day! You can participate from anywhere in the world, complete the 5K at your own pace throughout the week, and pick your favorite way to get active - run, walk, hike, bike, or swim - it's up to you! When you sign up, you will choose to join one of five Fish Teams. Read on to learn more about this year's Fish Teams, and click here to read about each fish's race personality!
REEF Field Survey Trips are eco-vacations led by marine life experts. Each trip features daily dives and fish ID classes for both beginners and experienced surveyors. Join us in July for our Field Survey Trip to Tobago! We have just added additional spaces to this previously sold out trip, and it is not to be missed! Tobago's unique location in the southern Caribbean results in rich biodiversity. Outflow from Venezuela’s Orinoco River feeds this area with an abundance of nutrients, which in turn attracts an abundance of fish.
We’re halfway through our 2024 REEF Fish & Friends monthly seminar series, and our guest speakers have shared some amazing ocean-themed talks at the REEF Campus in Key Largo. Our speakers this year have included experts from NOAA, Ocean Conservancy, Audubon’s Everglades Science Center, and Mote Marine Laboratory.
