Dive into ocean citizen science and gain hands-on experience through the REEFEducator in the Field Fellowship! This annual fellowship provides one or more educators with the opportunity to join a REEFField Survey Trip to conduct fish surveys and learn about marine life alongside volunteer citizen scientists. The 2025 Fellow will attend the REEF Field Survey Trip to Roatan, Honduras on June 28-July 5, 2025. All travel expenses are covered, including a travel stipend.
REEF's education team recently collaborated with college professors Amy Jean Horner Reber, Ph.D., from Georgia State University, and Austin D. Heil, Ph.D., from University of Georgia, along with the Undergraduate Student Experiences with Citizen Science (USE CitSci) network to develop two new teaching units designed for science and non-science majors’ college-level courses.
REEF's location in the Florida Keys comes with many perks, including the opportunity to scuba dive, snorkel, kayak, and see marine life up close during an Expedition! These programs range from two days to a full week and combine field activities with classroom sessions.
The brand-new REEF Ocean Exploration Center set to open the weekend of World Ocean Day, June 7-8. Based in Key Largo, the Center will be a hub for ocean discovery, environmental awareness, and hands-on learning. It will feature immersive exhibits and activities, plus a state-of-the-art classroom to support our education programs.
GROUPER MOON PROJECT: A LESSON IN NATURE'S SURPRISES
We are excited to welcome Chelsey Davis to the REEF team. Chesley is based at the REEF Campus in Key Largo, where she will be helping to lead REEF’s education team. Originally from Georgia, she received her BSA in agricultural communications from the University of Georgia. She worked with the 4-H Youth Program in Georgia and South Carolina for 17 years, where she developed, implemented, and evaluated educational programs and managed volunteers.
REEF is now accepting applications for the 2026 Educator in the Field Fellowship! Through the Fellowship, educators can gain hands-on marine conservation experience and tools to bring REEF programs into their classrooms and communities. One outstanding educator will join the REEFField Survey Trip to Bonaire on July 11–18, 2026. The Fellowship covers all trip inclusions plus up to $1,200 in travel reimbursement. During the Fellowship, the educator will gain experiential knowledge in fish identification, while learning about citizen science, data collection and survey methods.
Congratulations to the 2025 REEF Educatorin the Field Fellowship recipient, Stephen Kos, a science and STEM educator for New York City Public Schools. In June, Stephen joined the REEF Field Survey Trip to Roatan, Honduras, where he learned about fish ID and citizen science, and conducted fish surveys as part of the Volunteer Fish Survey Project. He is now a Level 2 Surveyor in the Tropical Western Atlantic survey region. Way to go, Stephen!