Our September Fish of the Month is the Yellowtail Surgeonfish, Prionurus punctatus!
Survey Regions: Yellowtail Surgeonfish are common in the Gulf of California, and occasionally seen throughout the Pacific coast of Mexico and Central America, as well as the Revillagigedo Islands. Click here to see a distribution for this species in the REEF database.
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.
Our annual REEF Fest celebration is coming up on October 17-20 in Key Largo, Florida. Join us for free, educational ocean seminars, diving, snorkeling, kayaking, nature tours, and socials! You can see all the details and register at www.REEF.org/REEFfest. We're excited to host free ocean seminars at Murray Nelson Government Center on Oct. 18 and 19. Our seminar speakers include:
Our annual summer fundraising match ended on July 31, and we have some exciting news to share. Thanks to the outstanding generosity and support of the REEF community, we reached our goal and were able to take advantage of the full match amount of $70,000! Thank you to The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, The Henry Foundation, and The Meyer Foundation for matching all donations received throughout July.
The 2024 REEF Discover the Sea Underwater Photography Contest is coming soon! Starting September 1, all photographers, regardless of skill level or experience, are invited to submit their best ocean-themed photos for this year's contest.
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.
The 15th annual REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival is quickly approaching! The event features two full days of lionfish hunting, plus a fun lionfish awareness night and an awards ceremony at the REEF Campus. You can check out all the details at www.REEF.org/derby. The weekend kicks off with a Captain's Meeting to discuss safe collecting and handling procedures and derby rules on Thursday, August 15. If you haven't yet signed up and want to participate in the derby, you can register a team of 2-4 people until 6:30pm on August 15.
It's back to school time, and our August Fish of the Month is the Schoolmaster, Lutjanus apodus!
Survey Regions: Schoolmasters are common throughout REEF's Tropical Western Atlantic (TWA) survey region, and can also be found as far north as Massachusetts and as far south as Brazil. Click here to see a distribution report for this species in the TWA region.
We recently said a fond farewell to Madalyn “Moose” Mussey, who served as REEF Education Manager for the Ocean Explorers Program for the past five years. Moose started at REEF as a Marine Conservation Intern during the Spring 2019 semester. Following this, she served as Lead Intern for the Invasive Species Program, and joined the staff in November 2019.
