REEF online programs are free and open to everyone! Here's what's coming up this month:
Fishinar: Bring on the Blennies!
Tuesday, February 21, 8pm EST
Click here to register.
Do those small, tube-dwelling, goggle-eyed blennies boggle your brain? Learn how to tell the differences between some of the most common blennies in the Tropical Western Atlantic region, and where to find them.
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.
Introducing our February Fish of the Month, the Longhorn Sculpin, Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus
Survey Regions: They are found from Virginia to Newfoundland, in REEF's Northeast US and Canada (NE) region. Click here to see a distribution report for this species.
Size: They can grow to about 18 inches (46 cm) in length but are generally 10-14 inches.
This past week marked the 21st year of the Grouper Moon Project, a highly successful conservation science collaboration between REEF and the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DOE) to study one of the largest and last known spawning aggregations of endangered Nassau Grouper in the Caribbean.
Paradise as it was intended! Set out over the turquoise Caribbean waters of Utila Bay, Utila Lodge is the perfect place for whatever you’re looking for in a vacation. Sitting on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second largest reef system on the planet, Utila is host to world-class diving. With over 60 dive sites, there is plenty to explore. Wrecks, caves, huge drops offs, and sea mounds all around the island provide changing dive scenery to ensure every dive is unique and memorable. Most famously, Utila is known as the Whale Shark capital of the Caribbean.
Known as one of the best-preserved marine areas in the Caribbean, Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) is a marine park located in the southeastern portion of Cuba known for its high fish diversity and biomass. A variety of marine habitats including patch reefs, seagrass, and mangroves surround the islands, providing important nursery areas for many juvenile fish species. Large fish such as snapper, grouper, and sharks are frequent sightings for divers in this area, and the barrier reefs have a fantastic abundance of hard and soft coral and sponges.
Friday, April 28 - Looe Key Reef Resort, 27340 Overseas Hwy., Ramrod Key, FL 33042
Home to several of the most species-rich sites in REEF’s Tropical Western Atlantic database, Bonaire is legendary among underwater naturalists and REEF surveyors. This trip includes nine boat dives as well as unlimited shore diving opportunities throughout Bonaire's marine park. A rental vehicle is included with each room so participants may access many different shore-diving sites. Bonaire is an excellent place to expand your knowledge of Caribbean fish species alongside other marine life enthusiasts.
Participants can remove Invasive Lionfish from April to June 2023 for entry into cash raffles & final cash prizes and donate the fish to REEF's Education & Outreach Programs
REEF Campus, Key Largo, FL 9AM-5PM Monday-Friday each week
