'What we do to our planet and our oceans is going to have a significant and long-term effect on what happens to us.' Laddie Akins executive director, REEF
The SouthCarolina Aquarium celebrated Earth Day early Tuesday by unveiling a series of programs focusing on a part of the Earth people seldom see - the reefs below the ocean surface.
Reefs will be the subject of Gardens of the Ocean, a series of programs at the aquarium through the end of summer.
Have you ever wondered what mysterious fish and creatures live in and around the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary? What interesting behaviors and habits these fish and invertebrates display? Where to find different species of fish and how to identify them?
Local dive operators and volunteers in partnership with Cozumel Reefs National Park staff are taking a lead role in helping to better understand the status and changes on marine park reefs. Over the last three years, numerous volunteers have undergone REEF training in fish identification and survey methods and are conducting monthly survey dives at key sites within the Marine Park. The project has been largely supported by volunteer and REEF contributions, a PADI Project AWARE grant, and logistical support of Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel.
Key Largo, FL. On November 4, 2002, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) surpassed a long awaited milestone. On that date, the 50,000th volunteer fish survey was entered into the REEF database! REEF's Field Operations Coordinator, Leslie Whaylen reports "When I was hired by REEF in 1999, approximately 20,000 surveys were housed in REEF's database. Each year, the numbers of surveyors and surveys have increased exponentially". Historically, most surveys were conducted during the Great Annual Fish Count and REEF Field Surveys.
REEF celebrated the Great Annual Fish Count 10th year with great success! The 2002 GAFC included over 90 seminars, 300 scheduled dive events, and over 1500 surveys throughout REEF's survey regions. Due to the increased international interest over the past few years, this year we changed the name of the Great American Fish Count to the Great Annual Fish Count (GAFC). Events took place throughout the US, British Columbia, Ontario, Cozumel, Gulf of California, Jamaica, Belize, Honduras, Bermuda, Bonaire, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the Cayman Islands.
