REEF members are the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. A diverse community of divers, snorkelers, and ocean enthusiasts support our mission to conserve marine environments worldwide.

This month we highlight Michèle Doucet, a REEF member who lives in Quebec, Canada. She joined REEF in 2019 and has conducted more than 150 surveys in the Tropical Western Atlantic (TWA) and Northeast US & Canada (NE) regions. In addition to being an active surveyor, she also teaches her students how to conduct REEF surveys in Canada and the Caribbean. We are proud to feature Michèle this month and are glad that she is part of REEF.

How did you first hear about REEF?
It was a series of coincidences. In 2018 I became a PADI instructor. As a veterinary researcher in my day job, one of the specialties that I wanted to teach was Fish ID. While doing my fish ID instructor course, I learned that the theory portion could be fulfilled by teaching the REEF fish ID curriculum. That got me on the REEF website where I joined as a member and learned about REEF Fest. I decided to go to REEF Fest and after attending a seminar with Janna, I discovered the excellent educational approach of the REEF fish ID method.

If you have been on a REEF Field Survey Trip, where and what was your trip highlight?
I have never been on a REEF Field Survey Trip, but I have conducted several field trips for my students in our scientific diving program which is an optional rotation in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at the Université de Montréal’s veterinary college. So far, we have used REEF surveys to collect data in Bonaire in 2022 and recently returned to Bonaire in May 2024 as part of a longitudinal study.

What inspires you to complete REEF surveys?
I am inspired to do the REEF surveys and especially motivated to submit the data by knowing that the data is useful to researchers in the advancement of our general knowledge of the ocean. I emphasized the fact of submitting the data because it’s fun to do the surveys and to share our sightings with fellow surveyors after a dive but the important part of surveying (i.e. entering the data) is sometimes set aside or forgotten because it isn’t as fun to most people. Motivation is essential to get this part of the job done otherwise, surveying is just an activity with no greater purpose.

What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned doing a REEF fish survey?
Doing REEF surveys makes one focus on the fish so we get to observe their behavior while we’re trying to figure out what species they are. Some of the fish behaviors that I have observed are fascinating and always a learning experience. It is also a great privilege to be able to observe fish in their natural environment and to be there live instead of watching it on screen in a nature show.

What is your favorite part about being a REEF member?
I love the sense of community and shared values among fellow fish and ocean lovers. It’s fun to be among other people who are as passionate about what they do and see in the ocean as I am.

What is the most fascinating fish encounter you’ve experienced?
In Turks and Caicos, I “befriended” a Nassau Grouper who seemed to be intrigued by my yellow REEF slate and pencil. We dived several times at the same dive site and it was always in the same spot near the mooring. My husband and I would find it almost as if it was waiting for us and it would follow us for the entire dive until we returned to the mooring to ascend. It was especially magical for me because our trip to T&C was the first return to the ocean after the pandemic and I was very emotional and touched by this fish who was acting like a cat and connecting with me. Almost like it was saying ‘welcome back” .

Do you have any surveying, fish watching, or identification tips for REEF members?
Start with a handful of families at first and get to know and differentiate the different species before expanding to other families. When I started, I would do angelfish and butterflyfish only dives, then surgeonfish and parrotfish dives otherwise it became too overwhelming. Once I was comfortable with one family, I would add a new family to my list. Another thing that I emphasize when I teach fish ID courses is also to use the habitat and behavior of specific families to help narrow down the species.

What is your most memorable fish find and why?
The first time I saw an oceanic manta ray was magical. In 2015, I was diving in Kona and encountered a male juvenile manta ray. It was not only my first manta but it also played with us for 15 minutes. I got a picture of its belly and submitted it to the Manta Ray Identification project in Hawaii. Since it had never been identified, I got to name it in memory of my grandmother who had just passed away the previous month. His name is Yvet and he’s still being sited to this day in the same area that he was first identified. On a totally different scale, the first time I saw a Regal Angelfish in Indonesia was very exciting as it is one of the most beautiful fish I have ever seen.