Join REEF September 11–18, 2027, for an unforgettable Field Survey Trip to Cyprus! This beautiful Mediterranean island offers crystal-clear waters, fascinating history, and incredible underwater experiences. Based in the coastal town of Ayia Napa, participants will explore world-famous dive sites, including the legendary Zenobia wreck and the Museum of Underwater Sculpture Ayia Napa (MUSAN). The trip will also include an excursion to Northern Cyprus, the Turkish side, for boat diving and a visit to a historic castle.
Join REEF September 11–18, 2027, for an unforgettable Field Survey Trip to Cyprus! This beautiful Mediterranean island offers crystal-clear waters, fascinating history, and incredible underwater experiences. Based in the coastal town of Ayia Napa, participants will explore world-famous dive sites, including the legendary Zenobia wreck and the Museum of Underwater Sculpture Ayia Napa (MUSAN). The trip will also include an excursion to Northern Cyprus for boat diving and a visit to a historic castle.
The votes have been counted, and we're excited to share the 2026 Discover the Sea Photography Contest results! Over 600 stunning photos were submitted to this year's contest, and over 3,000 votes were cast! First, second, and third place winners were selected via popular vote for each of the following photo categories: Fish Portrait, Macro, Invertebrate, Comedy, and Habitat/Seascape/Environment. A special overall winner was also selected as a favorite by REEF Staff.
In temperate (colder) water regions REEF asks surveyors to also monitor a select regional list of invertebrates and algae. This is in addition to monitoring all fish that are seen during a survey.
- PNW: Pacific Northwest & Alaska
- CAL: California
- NE: Northeast US & Eastern Canada
- SAS: South Atlantic States
- EAM: Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean
In these regions, surveyors have the option to conduct a Fish Only (FO) survey, an Invertebrates Only (IO) survey, or both Fish and Invertebrates (FI) survey.
Flame Angelfish (Centropyge loricula). Photo by Ken Marks.
Meet our November Fish of the Month, the Flame Angelfish, Centropyge loricula, a living ember of the Pacific reef. With shorter days settling in, this little fish brings a welcome burst of color: a brilliant red-orange body banded in black and tipped with electric blue.
This October, REEF’s Ocean Exploration Center brought the community together for a day of building tools. On Saturday, October 3, REEF hosted Building with Claude: AI for Ocean Conservation in the Florida Keys, a day that paired six Florida Keys nonprofits with volunteer AI builders who drove down from Miami. Every organization left with practical ideas, and several with working prototypes.
Meet Nicole Duran, REEF’s Campus Operations Assistant, who joined the REEF team in October 2026. Based at REEF’s Key Largo Campus, Nicole supports the day-to-day administrative and operational work that keeps REEF’s ocean conservation programs running smoothly, including shipping and store support, back-office processing, and facilities coordination.
“I’m so excited to work with a purpose, protecting our reefs and using my creativity to support such a great foundation with an amazing team!”
REEF Fest 2026 is a wrap, and what a weekend it was! From October 15–18, divers, snorkelers, scientists, and ocean lovers from near and far gathered in Key Largo for four days of seminars, socials, diving, and celebration. To everyone who joined us, whether in person or online, thank you. You are what makes REEF Fest so special, and together we celebrated not just marine conservation, but the collective impact of the entire REEF community.
The Error Checking team processes your surveys and as you may know- emails you asking for a photo or description about a possible questionable sighting. This two-step process ensures our database accuracy. Here are some common corrections the team comes across:
Remora- Sharksucker-Whitefin Sharksucker