Let's take a bite out of invasive lionfish! Please save the date and plan to join us for our 2022 Lionfish Derby Series in the Florida Keys:
Earth Day Lionfish Derby: April 22-24 at Sharkey’s Sharkbite Grill in Key Largo
This event is our 9th annual "Keys locals" derby; fishing is allowed in Monroe County waters only. Derby team registration is now open - register your team today! Click here for more info and registration.
You’re invited to join in the third annual REEF Fish Out of Water Virtual 5K on June 6-12, 2022. You can get moving any way you like - run, walk, hike, bike, swim, or even paddle! You can complete the 5K (3.1 miles) in one day or throughout the week. It's a great way to celebrate World Oceans Day and make a difference for yourself, others, and the marine environment.
We are excited to share the 2023 REEF Field Survey Trips schedule! REEF Trips are led by marine life experts, and include diving, fish ID classes, and fun with friends. Divers, snorkelers, and families are welcome on REEF Trips. To find out more or book your space, email trips@REEF.org. We'll send you an invoice to submit a deposit to secure your space. For individual trip details and more info, please visit the links below.
The brightly colored and feisty Garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus) is our March Fish of the Month!
Our Grouper Moon Project team returned to the Cayman Islands around the full moon in February for another month of research on the Nassau Grouper spawning aggregation on the west end of Little Cayman. Because this year was a "split moon" year, we weren't quite sure whether the major spawning activity would happen in January or February.
We are excited to honor Dennis Bensen as 2021 REEF Volunteer of the Year. Dennis joined REEF in 2001, and quickly became an avid REEF surveyor as part of the Volunteer Fish Survey Project (VFSP). Through the years, he has earned Expert level surveyor status in both Hawaii (HAW) and the Tropical Western Atlantic (TWA) survey regions, and he is one of the few surveyors who has conducted REEF surveys in most (7) of REEF’s 10 survey regions worldwide. After living in New York for decades, Dennis moved to the Big Island of Hawaii when he retired in 2015.
REEF's online programs are free and open to everyone! Here's what is coming up in the next several weeks:
Tropical Pacific Damselfishes Pt. 2
Monday, April 4, 8pm EDT
Click here to register.
Join us for part 2 as Christy Semmens teaches us how to ID even more Tropical Pacific Damselfish, Dascyllus, and Demoiselles! You can also view the recording of Part 1 here.
Join in a REEF Field Survey Trip to experience an unforgettable fish watching adventure - and complete this month's featured Conservation Challenge! Divers, snorkelers, and surveyors of all experience levels are welcome on these educational citizen science trips, led by REEF fish ID experts. Check out the full trip schedule at www.REEF.org/trips, including our newly released 2023 (and beyond) trip schedule! You are eligible to receive this sticker if you have attended any REEF Field Survey Trip in the past, or you're registered for an upcoming trip.
Cozumel is known for its many unique fish finds including the Cozumel-endemic Splendid Toadfish as well as high concentrations of other interesting species like Cherubfish, Blackcap Basslets, and Sargassum Triggerfish. When not diving, you will enjoy all the wonderful food and culture that Mexico has to offer, as well as daily fish ID classes. Reserve your spot today because this popular trip is sure to sell out quickly.
The Galapagos Islands are among the most geographically remote on earth and are pristine and largely untouched by man. 15 main islands and countless smaller ones dot the archipelago – providing plentiful shallow-water habitats. Deep, oceanic water lies just offshore, and The Galapagos Islands are washed by 3 major oceanic currents (Humboldt, Cromwell, and Panama), a constant source of nutrients for the resident marine life. Galapagos delivers amazing biodiversity from big animals to small invertebrates. Enjoy this custom 7-day itinerary.
