$1,462 per person. Includes double occupancy in a standard room (free upgrade to deluxe ocean view on a first come first serve basis, based on availability), all meals, 5 days of 3-tank boat dives (2 AM dives, 1 PM dive), plus one night dive during the week, and an island tour of this historic location.
$979 - $1,375 (depending on occupancy and room type). Includes 7 nights of accommodation at Anchorage Hotel, 5 days of 2-tank boat dives with Dive Dominica, full breakfast each day, r/t airport transfers, all taxes and service charges. Team members will conduct surveys and dissect lionfish for research being conducted by REEF and local and international partners. Participants will fly in/out of Dominica (airport code DOM).
$1,558 per person. Includes double occupancy in a deluxe room, all meals, 5 days of 2-tank boat dives, and r/t boat transfer from St. Kitts to Nevis. Oualie Beach Resort is a spacious, beachfront, ecologically sensitive, 3 star Nevis hotel with only 32 rooms located right on a coconut-lined beach on the quiet, exotic, un-spoilt, twin island paradise of St Kitts and Nevis. We'll dive each day with SCUBA Safaris. There's also plenty to do top-side. Participants will fly in/out of St. Kitts (airport code SKB).
Divers will return to Florida Keys waters next month on a mission: net thousands of dollars in cash and prizes while protecting the environment from invasive lionfish. REEF and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary are hosting the second annual lionfish derby series starting May 14, in Long Key, Fla. In 2010, the inaugural series of lionfish derbies removed 664 of the Pacific invaders from sanctuary waters. “Anyone who appreciates the diversity of the Keys coral reef should be concerned about these invasive fish,” said Sean Morton, Sanctuary Superintendent.
In addition to maintaining the REEF Survey database and providing data files to scientists, government agencies, and other groups, REEF staff participate in a variety of scientific conferences and workshops each year. Earlier this month, REEF's Director of Science, Dr. Christy Pattengill-Semmens, participated in "Engaging and Learning for Conservation". Christy and 49 others were invited to the workshop to discuss ways to enhance biodiversity conservation and environmental stewardship through public participation in scientific research (PPSR).
REEF proudly awards our 2010 Volunteer(s) of the Year award to Donna Brown and Liz Foote. Donna and Liz both live on Maui in Hawaii, where they have been active in REEF since 2001 when we expanded the Fish Survey Project to the Hawaiian Islands. Donna has been a REEF member since 1994 and Liz since 1999. Both are members of the Hawaiian Islands Advanced Assessment Team and collectively have conducted 361 surveys. Donna and Liz were instrumental during the expansion to Hawaii.
Learn your most common reef fish then take a short test to become level 2 fish surveyors! Class is free and open to the public. Call REEF at 305 852 0030 for more info.
REEF members are at the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. Over 43,000 divers, snorkelers, students, and armchair naturalists stand behind our mission.
This month we highlight Jonathan Lavan (REEF member since 2004). Jonathan has conducted 195 REEF surveys in four REEF regions, and he is a member of the Advanced Assessment Team in the Tropical Western Atlantic. Here's what Jonathan had to say about REEF:
When and how did you first volunteer with REEF or become a REEF member? How did you first hear about REEF?
We are pleased to announce the 2012 REEF Field Survey trip schedule. We have an exciting lineup of destinations planned and we hope you will join us. These trips offer a great introduction to fish identification for novice fishwatchers, and are a fun way for experienced surveyors to build their life list while interacting with fellow fishwatchers. REEF staff, board members, and other REEF instructors lead these trips, and each features daily classroom seminars and a full diving schedule.