Saba, Lesser Antilles

Package includes 7 nights - 5 days of 2-tank dives with Sea Saba Dive Centre; Hotel tax and service charges; Transfers to and from the airport and dive boat; Daily breakfast from Tropics Café; Welcome cocktail from Tropics Café; Tanks and weights from Sea Saba Dive Centre; Unlimited Pool, Jacuzzi and internet use, wifi available

$1,126 - $1,308 per person, double occupancy, depending on room type (Eve Marie's Cottage or Flossie's Cottage). Please inquire for details on room types. (as of 1/19/11, we are sold out of the gardenview rooms, only cottages are left)

REEF-in-Brief August 2010

Dear Valued REEF Members,

Tropical Pacific Critter ID Book, Pre-Release Special Edition 10 Day Auction on eBay

After years of work, the Tropical Pacific edition of Reef Creature Identification by Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach is being released later this fall. A limited number of pre-release, signed and numbered copies will be available beginning Monday September 13. The authors have donated to REEF the first five pre-release copies of this spectacular book. REEF will be auctioning copies #1-#5 through eBay. The copies will be numbered, signed, and personalized to the winner's specifications.

News Tidbits

New Additions to the REEF Store - The newly revised and expanded "Coastal Fishes of the Pacific Northwest" by Andy Lamb and Phil Edgell is now available through the REEF online store. This useful guide is a must for any PNW fishwatcher! Lionfish Derby T-shirts are also available through the store while supplies last. Check out the REEF Store today.

REEF Data Featured in New Scientific Publication on Shark Population Status

REEF Fish Survey Project data were recently featured in a paper in the scientific journal PLoS ONE, Large-Scale Absence of Sharks on Reefs in the Greater-Caribbean: A Footprint of Human Pressures. The study's authors evaluated the status of 14 species of sharks in the Caribbean. In recent decades, large pelagic and coastal shark populations have declined dramatically with increased fishing. However, the status of sharks in other systems such as coral reefs remains largely unassessed despite a long history of exploitation.

Large-Scale Absence of Sharks on Reefs in the Greater-Caribbean: A Footprint of Human Pressures

In recent decades, large pelagic and coastal shark populations have declined dramatically with increased fishing; however, the status of sharks in other systems such as coral reefs remains largely unassessed despite a long history of exploitation. The authors used REEF data to explore the contemporary distribution and sighting frequency of sharks on reefs in the greater-Caribbean, and assessed the possible role of human pressures on observed patterns. The analysis was based on 76,340 underwater surveys carried out by REEF volunteers between 1993 and 2008.

Preview of REEF 2011 Field Survey Schedule

We are pleased to present a preview of the 2011 REEF Field Survey Schedule to our valued members. Destinations include many exciting locations that offer great diving and prime fishwatching experiences, including the San Blas Islands in Panama, Saba, Hawaii, and for the first time, a South Pacific destination -- Fiji! These trips offer a great introduction to fish identification for novice fishwatchers, and are a fun way for experienced surveyors to build their life list while interacting with fellow fishwatchers.

REEF and Florida Keys Sanctuary Kick Off Lionfish Derbies This Weekend

Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) with help from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) will host an inaugural series of lionfish derbies in the Keys starting this weekend. Divers who remove lionfish from Sanctuary waters will be eligible for more than $10,000 in cash and prizes. Awards will go to the top 3 teams in the following categories: most lionfish, biggest lionfish, and smallest lionfish.

REEF will be at DEMA 2010

REEF will be in booth #1901 at DEMA 2010, a trade show aimed at industry leaders such as dive professionals, retailers, boat and liveaboard operators and dive travel professionals. The show runs Wednesday, Nov 17th through Saturday, Nov 20th at the convention center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hours are 10am - 6pm daily.

Lower Keys Lionfish Derby

www.reef.org/lionfish/derbies

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