July is right around the corner, which means it is almost time for the Great Annual Fish Count (GAFC)! This annual event is a time meant to celebrate and amplify the power of citizen science, and we hope you all will join in on the fun!
Join us for a FREE marine life education class at the Trans World Radio (TWR) Bonaire Headquarters on Thursday, June 25 at 7:00 pm AST!
We’ll be starting our new series on odd‑shaped swimmers, beginning with the puffers, porcupinefish, and boxfish
What to Expect:
Learn how to distinguish commonly confused fish species
Explore what it means to be a citizen scientist and how you can contribute to the Volunteer Fish Survey Project
Connect with fellow ocean lovers - all are welcome!
This Great Annual Fish Count, join Dive Friends Bonaire for a fish ID presentation taught by REEF expert surveyor, Carmen Toanchina, followed by a survey dive, and culminating with a nice cruise including snacks & drinks at sunset! Whether you're a seasoned surveyor or this is the start of your citizen scientist journey, this is an exciting time to learn more and continue contributing to fish monitoring!
This Great Annual Fish Count, join Ocean First for a fish ID class, followed by a surve dive/snorkel as part of the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project!
- Fish ID Class: 10am
- Survey Dive/Snorkel Check-in: 12:30pm
Location: 51 Shoreland Dr Key Largo FL 3303
We’re excited to introduce a new addition to the REEF store: Latex Rubber Tubing for Survey Pencil Attachment. Designed as a colorful, practical way to secure a pencil to a survey slate, each 17-inch piece of tubing comes with three beads for attachment, and is recommended for use with a golf pencil or thin mechanical pencil. It is available in a range of colors and priced at $2.99. A photo tutorial on how to set up your plate, pencil and tubing is located on the purchase page.
Ever struggled with trying to decide which habitat to mark on your survey? You are not alone. It can sometimes be a tricky decision. Did you know that with all survey regions combined there are a total of 29 habitat options? Don’t worry, you don’t need to know all of them, but, if you happen to survey in a certain region, you may not know about other habitat types.
In the first 6 months of 2026, 4,937 surveys have been submitted by 446 REEF volunteer surveyors! Not only are these efforts adding to the world’s most comprehensive marine fish biodiversity database, but they also support important conservation and research objectives.
So far this year, we’ve received several exciting new data requests from researchers using REEF data for important studies, including:
Join the Scuba Shop SXM in Sint Maarten for a fun, interactive REEF Fish ID Bingo! Then, put your knowledge to the test and participate in the Great Annual Fish Count by doing REEF surveys on any dive throughout the month of July.
Fish ID Bingo Details:
- Thursday, July 2, 6:30pm AST
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The Scuba Shop, #16 Airport Rd, Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten
This Great Annual Fish Count, join REEF and Island Ventures for a FREE fish ID class, followed by a fish survey dive/snorkel as part of the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project.
The educator will join the participants on the boat to provide marine life expertise, distribute survey supplies, and answer questions!
The fish ID class will take place at the REEF Ocean Exploration Center at 10am, break for lunch at 11am (on your own), and check-in for the dive/snorkel at Island Ventures at 12:30pm.