REEF Fish & Friends - What it Means to be Reef Safe

Autumn Blum, Cosmetic Chemist & CEO, Stream2Sea
2/11/2025 6:15pm to 8:00pm EST
REEF Campus - 98300 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo, FL 33037

This month we are excited to welcome Autumn Blum, Cosmetic Chemist & CEO, Stream2Sea. Coral reefs are among the most vibrant and biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, but they are increasingly threatened by human activity. While a large number of companies are labeling their sunscreens as "reef safe", they are doing so without thoroughly testing the ingredients for their effects on coral reefs and marine life.

REEF Fish & Friends - Galapagos Fishes, From the Shore to the Abyss & From Darwin to DNA

Dr. Jack Grove, Marine Biologist, Naturalist, and Photographer
3/11/2025 6:15pm to 8:00pm EDT
REEF Campus - 98300 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo, FL 33037

This month we are excited to welcome Dr. Jack Grove, a marine biologist, naturalist, and photographer with over 45 years of experience. He has served as a marine biologist with the Charles Darwin Foundation for 36 years and is co-founder of Zegrahm Expeditions. Dr. Grove earned his Ph.D. in marine biology from Pacific Western University in 1997 and has worked across 100 countries, including seven years in the Galapagos Islands. He also co-authored Fishes of the Galapagos and has delivered numerous lectures on marine biology and conservation.

REEF Fish & Friends - Collaborative Fisheries Science with a "SMILE" (Size Matters Innovative Length Estimates)

Dr. Jennifer Loch, REEF Research Associate
4/8/2025 6:15pm to 8:00pm EDT
REEF Campus - 98300 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo, FL 33037

This month we are excited to welcome Dr. Jen Loch, REEF Research Associate, who will discuss the SMILE project. Size matters – especially when it comes to fisheries management. A new collaborative project called SMILE (Size Matters: Innovative Length Estimates) is now underway in the Florida Keys to help collect information about fish lengths. These data are critical for fisheries management and ocean conservation.

2025 Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Arts Festival

4/27/2025
REEF Campus, 98300 Overseas Hwy. Key Largo, FL 33037

Our 16th Annual Florida Keys Lionfish Derby will culminate in a Family Friendly Conservation Science and Arts Festival.
Hands-on activities, interactive displays, educational games, and much more!

Festival is open to public; Vendor application open! Apply now!

REEF Fish & Friends - Sea Turtle Nesting in South Florida: Trends & Threats

David Anderson, Sea Turtle Conservation Coordinator, Gumbo Limbo Nature center
5/13/2025 6:15pm to 8:00pm EDT
REEF Campus - 98300 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo, FL 33037

This month we are excited to welcome David Anderson as our guest speaker. David and his team collect sea turtle nesting data and analyze trends using geographic information technology on Boca Raton’s five miles of beach. He also conducts nighttime lighting surveys and responds to sea turtle stranding events. Join us to learn more about the threats sea turtles face and how this work is important for protecting the coastal environment.

REEF Fish & Friends - Fishes We Have Known: A Love Story

Ned DeLoach, Marine Life Author, REEF Co-Founder
6/10/2025 6:15pm to 8:00pm EDT
REEF Campus - 98300 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo, FL 33037

This month we are excited to welcome REEF Co-Founder Ned DeLoach for a very special presentation! Shortly after graduating from Texas Tech University in 1967, Ned moved to Florida to dive. During his 20-year teaching career in Jacksonville, Florida, he was active in the Florida cave diving community, and wrote many articles for popular scuba diving publications. In 1979, he formed New World Publications and published the Diving Guide to Underwater Florida, in print for over 40 years.

REEF Fish & Friends - July 2025

Dr. Chris Malinowski, Director of Research & Conservation, Ocean First Institute
7/8/2025 6:15pm to 8:00pm EDT
REEF Campus - 98300 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo, FL 33037

This month we are excited to welcome Dr. Chris Malinowski, Director of Research & Conservation, Ocean First Institute. Presentation info is coming soon!

REEF Fish & Friends - An Exploration Through Southern Florida Archaeology

Sara Ayers-Rigsby, MA, RPA, Director of Southeast/Southwest Regions, Florida Public Archaeology Network
8/12/2025 6:15pm to 8:00pm EDT
REEF Campus - 98300 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo, FL 33037

This month we are excited to welcome Sara Ayers-Rigsby as our guest speaker. As Director for the Southeast/Southwest Regions of the Florida Public Archaeology Network, Sara designs educational outreach and programming for Florida’s nine southernmost counties. Before this role, she spent 10 years working as an archaeologist, focusing on the southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. She holds an M.A. in Archaeology for Screen Media from the University of Bristol and a B.A.