This summer, all donations made to REEF will be matched dollar for dollar by the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation. If you have already taken advantage of this opportunity, thank you! If not, please consider doubling your investment in our ocean ecosystems and healthy reefs worldwide by donating online at www.REEF.org/contribute. REEF has been cited as one of the most effective conservation organizations working on ocean issues today.
We are busy putting the finishing touches on our 2014 Field Survey Trip schedule and full details will be posted soon. There is an exciting lineup of destinations planned, including: Key Largo with Paul Humann, Dominica with Ned and Anna DeLoach, Belize with Fishinar Instructor Jonathan Lavan, Cayman Brac, Bequia, Cozumel, and Hornby Island BC. We also have planned Lionfish Control Study trips to Curacao and the Bahamas with Lad Akins and Peter Hughes. We we hope you will join us.
REEF members are at the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. Over 50,000 divers, snorkelers, students, and armchair naturalists stand behind our mission.
This month we highlight Eileen Byrne, a REEF surveyor from Massachusetts. Eileen joined REEF in 2004 and has conducted 59 surveys in both her home state and in the warmer waters of the Caribbean. Here's what she had to say about REEF:
What inspires you to complete REEF surveys? What is the most interesting thing you've learned doing a REEF fish survey?
New Fishinars continue to be added. Check out the Webinar Training page (www.REEF.org/fishinars) for the most up-to-date listing. These popular online training sessions provide fishie fun in the comfort of your own home. Fishinars are free, and open to all REEF members. You need to register for each session you want to attend. No special software is required, just a web browser. Upcoming sessions include:
Have you made your plans to join us in Key Largo this summer for REEF Fest? Come celebrate 20 years of the REEF Volunteer Survey Project with 4 days of diving, learning, and parties. REEF Fest is planned for August 8-11. The schedule is packed with free workshops, diving opportunities, organized kayaking and snorkeling expeditions, and evening socials. Make your plans soon - hotel room blocks are filling up and dive boat space blocks are expiring soon. Complete details can be found online at: www.REEF.org/REEFFest2013
Every month, scientists, government agencies, and other groups request raw data from REEF’s Fish Survey Project database. Here is a sampling of who has asked for REEF data recently and what they are using it for:
- A researcher from University of British Columbia is using REEF data to evaluate the efficacy of marine reserves in Canadian waters.
- A researcher from Florida State University has requested REEF data to study Goliath Grouper populations in Florida.
Come join us and participate in the 2013 Great Annual Fish Count. Hydrosports Dive and Travel, a REEF Field Station will host two activities as part of the annual event held during the month of July. The Great Annual Fish Count Activities are held each year to introduce divers and snorkelers to fish watching and to increase awareness of our marine resources.
FISH Survey Dives
Come join us and participate in the 2013 Great Annual Fish Count. Hydrosports Dive and Travel, a REEF Field Station will host two activities as part of the annual event held during the month of July. The Great Annual Fish Count Activities are held each year to introduce divers and snorkelers to fish watching and to increase awareness of our marine resources.
Divers and marine researchers at the Key Largo-based nonprofit Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) are to celebrate the success and impact of marine conservation programs in the Florida Keys during REEF Fest, Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 24-27.
Activities and education initiatives include a lineup of seminars, social gatherings and diving opportunities at America’s best dive sites along fish-filled coral reefs, accompanied by some of the most prestigious names in diving and marine preservation.
Fifth Annual Green Turtle Cay Lionfish Derby set for June 22
Teams will win over $5,000 in cash prizes for removing the invasive species
By Keri Kenning, REEF Communications and Affiliate Program Manager