REEF staff co-authored a new publication in the scientific journal PeerJ that features research findings from our Invasive Lionfish Research Program. The paper, titled "Setting the record straight on invasive lionfish control: Culling works", evaluates the effectiveness of lionfish removal efforts. Frequent culling of the invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish throughout the Caribbean has been shown to cause a shift towards more wary and reclusive behavior by lionfish, which has prompted calls for halting culls.
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- INVASIVE
We are excited to share the latest publication stemming from REEF's Invasive Lionfish Research Program - "Mobilizing volunteers to sustain local suppression of a global marine invasion," recently published in the scientific journal Conservation Letters.
This year is off to an exciting (and jetsetting) start for the REEF team, as two of our staff recently traveled to Tasmania, the southernmost state in Australia, to present at various scientific conferences. First, REEF Co-Executive Director Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Ph.D., attended the International Temperate Reefs Symposium. Christy and her husband Dr. Brice Semmens, a frequent REEF scientific collaborator, both gave presentations at the conference, which hosted scientists from around the world who study kelp forests and rocky reefs.
Be sure to join us for the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival on Sept. 7-10, 2023! The event includes two days to collect as many invasive lionfish as possible, followed by a family-friendly lionfish festival hosted at the picturesque Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada. The festival is open to the public and features lionfish tastings, drink specials, educational demonstrations, games, interactive booths from environmental vendors, live music, and more. Visit www.REEF.org/derby for all the details.
Be sure to join us for the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival on Sept. 8-11, 2022! The event includes two days to collect as many invasive lionfish as possible, followed by a family-friendly lionfish festival hosted at the picturesque Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada. The festival is open to the public and features lionfish tastings, drink specials, educational demonstrations, games, interactive booths from environmental vendors, live music, and more.
This summer, we continued making improvements to the REEF Headquarters and campus in Key Largo, Florida. What was once a grass-filled plot next to the HQ building is now peppered with native plants and a beautiful Mosquito Fish pond. The Native Plants Trail, which loops through the garden, includes informational signage that identifies native and invasive species, and educates readers about the history of the Florida Keys. Another new addition is a solar panel charging station and an electric car charging station.
The 14th annual REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival is finally here! Participants will take to the water to hunt lionfish from sunrise to sunset this Friday and Saturday, Sept. 8 and 9, and we can't wait to see how many invasive lionfish they remove! So far, 26 teams are registered to compete in this year's derby. Teams may register until 6:30pm on Thursday, Sept. 7. The derby will end on Sunday, Sept. 10, with a lionfish festival at the picturesque Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada, Florida.
REEF staff and partners just returned from the annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) conference, held this year in the Dominican Republic. REEF’s programs and data were represented to the GCFI community by REEF Director of Science, Christy Pattengill-Semmens, and REEF Invasive Species Program Manager, Alli Candelmo, as well as our partners from Scripps Institute of Oceanography (Brice Semmens), Oregon State University (Scott and Selina Heppell), and Cayman Island Department of Environment (Bradley Johnson).
We are pleased to announce the 2015 REEF Field Survey Trip Schedule. We have an exciting lineup of destinations planned and we hope you will join us. 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. We are also offering two of the ever-popular Invasive Lionfish Research Expeditions. REEF staff, board members, and other REEF experts lead these trips, and each features daily classroom seminars and a full diving schedule.
Education is a core part of REEF's marine conservation mission. From elementary school classes to adult travel groups, we offer programs for all ages and backgrounds through the REEF Ocean Explorers Education Program. Participants can join in both online and in person, and learn about topics like fish identification, citizen science, marine life behavior, invasive species, endangered species, sustainable fisheries, and Florida Keys ecology.