We're a little over a week away from REEF Fest 2021, and if you haven't yet made plans to attend, there is still time to register to join us in Key Largo! REEF Fest will take place October 14-17 and includes ocean seminars and educational workshops, evening social events with food and drink, and opportunities for diving, snorkeling, and kayaking. Most REEF Fest events are free to attend, but pre-registration is requested. For complete event details and registration, please visit www.REEF.org/REEFfest.

The health and safety of our members, staff, and the local community remains our top priority. We’ve made modifications to the event set up and have taken additional measures to proactively support safety during the event. REEF will be following all CDC guidelines during REEF Fest, and we encourage participants who are eligible to get vaccinated to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. Participants are also encouraged to wear face masks when indoors, practice social distancing, and frequently wash and sanitize hands. All REEF Fest events will be held outdoors aside from the seminars, which are hosted in a large, well-ventilated venue. We are continuously monitoring the status of COVID-19 within the region, and will be in communication with all registered participants with additional details about safety measures in place during the event.

For those who are not able to attend in person but still wish to join in, REEF Fest seminars and workshops will be livestreamed on the REEF Facebook page and YouTube channel. The livestream schedule is below.

Thursday, Oct. 14
1:00pm - Fish Identification Class
2:30pm - Invasive Lionfish Collecting & Handling Workshop

Friday, Oct. 15
3:30pm - Conservation Stories from the Field, presented by Drs. Alli Candelmo and Christy Pattengill-Semmens, REEF; Dr. Brice Semmens, Scripps Institution of Oceanography; and Dr. Scott Heppell, Oregon State University
6:00pm - The Heady Hunt for 5000 Fishes, presented by Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach, REEF Co-founders, Marine Life Authors, and Renowned Underwater Photographers, with REEF Board Members Jim Dalle Pazze and Anna DeLoach

Saturday, Oct. 16
2:30pm - Keynote Seminar - The Role of Citizen Science in Monitoring and Protecting our Ocean Biodiversity, presented by Dr. Dan Greenberg, REEF Research Affiliate and Postdoctoral Researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography