On April 23, we welcomed nearly 200 guests to REEF Headquarters for our first Susainability Fair, held in honor of Earth Day. Many local nonprofits and environmentally-minded businesses set up booths along our Native Plants Trail, and engaged attendees with a variety of fun activities. Guests learned about ways to be more sustainable in their everyday lives, and what they can do to make a positive difference for the environment.
Since 2010, more than 45,000 invasive lionfish have been removed through REEF Lionfish Derbies. We are excited to announce that the following dates and locations have been set for REEF’s 2019 Summer Lionfish Derby Series:
• June 28 – 30: 8th Annual Fort Lauderdale Lionfish Derby at 15th Street Fisheries
• July 12 – 14: 6th Annual Sarasota Lionfish Derby at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium
• Sept.13 – 15: 10th Annual Upper Keys Lionfish Derby and Festival at Postcard Inn Resort and Marina
Last summer, we launched a brand-new version of the REEF website! There are many improved features on this new interface that we'd like to share with you. This month, we'll show you how to sort your REEF Survey Log.
Step 1: After logging into your REEF account, go to My REEF > My Survey Log
Step 2: Notice that you can click on any of the headers to sort in ascending or descending order.
Caroly's Notes: Ocean Connections
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.
Did you know you can contribute to REEF's conservation and education efforts while shopping for everyday items, through our newly launched Shop to Support program? We are pleased to announce that Divers Alert Network (DAN) is our newest Shop to Support partner! DAN will donate a percentage of the proceeds back to REEF for each travel insurance policy you purchase using our affiliate link. Click here to purchase your DAN travel insurance and support REEF’s conservation efforts worldwide.
REEF Fishinars are fun, live, interactive webinars, open to anyone who wants to learn about ocean life. At the beginning of May, we presented a beginner's course covering 60 most commonly seen fish species in the Tropical Western Atlantic (the survey region including Florida, the Caribbean and the Bahamas). Each session of this four-part series was recorded, so if you missed them or want to watch them again, you can view them any time online.
REEF is offering a series of free Lionfish Collection and Handling Workshops throughout south Florida and the Keys. Each workshop will include a classroom session covering the background of the invasion, lionfish biology, ecological impacts, current research, collecting and handling techniques, and other ways you can get involved. Attendees can obtain a permit to collect lionfish within the Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs) in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary using hand nets only.
REEF is offering a series of free Lionfish Collection and Handling Workshops throughout south Florida and the Keys. Each workshop will include a classroom session covering the background of the invasion, lionfish biology, ecological impacts, current research, collecting and handling techniques, and other ways you can get involved. Attendees can obtain a permit to collect lionfish within the Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs) in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary using hand nets only.