|
Ned and Anna DeLoach
Ned is a celebrated marine photographer who has made innumerable contributions to our understanding of the underwater world. Co-author of over nine marine life identification books and co-founder of Reef Environmental Education Foundation, Ned’s passion for the ocean seems to match his subject in one fundamental way: it knows no bounds. Ned spent his early adult life working as a teacher in Jacksonville, FL, a facet of his life that is still regularly manifested in his work today. He has an undeniable gift for didacticism, which, in combination with his inexhaustible enthusiasm for the marine world and all its inhabitants, makes him a skilled trip leader who makes studying the ocean accessible to people of all ages.
Ned’s extensive work in his field is evident in his contributions to a variety of media. He founded New World Publications in 1972 and published his Diving Guide to Underwater Florida in 1979. In 1985, he assumed the post of editor-in-chief of Ocean Realm magazine. He has written and supplied photos for numerous other literary publications as well, including Alert Diver and Scuba Diving. He has also produced multiple underwater documentaries.
Anna DeLoach is a talented videographer, underwater naturalist, computer scientist, and founder of the blog BlennyWatcher in 2011. She is a zealous traveler and a determined researcher, constantly striving to see even the most obscure species in their natural habitats. Anna is also a member of the Board of Trustees for REEF. She has been a very active contributor to a number of popular literary magazines, having written for Alert Diver, Ocean Realm, and Scuba Diving, among others. In 2004, Anna produced the DVD Sensational Seas, which was hugely successful and led to a sequel. The video she produced for REEF, REEF Fish Identification: A Beginning Course, won a Telly Award. National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, NOAA, and many other reputable organizations have utilized Anna’s exemplary work. In 2011, Anna was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame.
Ned and Anna write a regular column entitled "Critter Hunt" for Scuba Diving. For the past seven years, the pair have been the resident naturalists at Buddy Dive resort in Bonaire teaching fish identification and behaviors.
|
Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Ph.D. and Brice Semmens, Ph.D.
Christy Pattengill-Semmens has been a member of the REEF family since 1993. She served as REEF’s Director of Science from 1998-2019 and now serves as Co-Executive Director of Science and Engagement. Her commitment to the Volunteer Fish Survey Project and precise data collection make her an irreplaceable member of the organization. Christy was inducted into the Women's Diver Hall of Fame in 2020. She is an authority on fish identification, having completed more than 1,000 surveys in locations around the world. She is an expert-level REEF surveyor in all of REEF's project regions and has overseen the worldwide expansion of the Volunteer Fish Survey Project.
Brice Semmens, Ph.D., is an associate professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. Brice’s ongoing research focuses on quantitative ecology. He also is the lead scientist on REEF's Grouper Moon Project. Like his wife Christy, Brice has a keen interest in data collection. He has also studied fisheries management, which gives him a unique perspective to share with those participating in the Volunteer Fish Survey Project. Brice has been a REEF member since 1993, has completed nearly 800 surveys, and is an expert-level REEF surveyor in all of REEF's project regions. Together with Christy, Brice was named a Sea Hero in 2018.
|
Martha Klitzkie
Martha is REEF's Co-Executive Director of Strategy and Operations. Prior to joining the REEF staff team in 2011, Martha’s passion for teaching people about the oceans grew over ten years of leading residential marine science programs. She’s passionate about connecting people with the marine environment and building a sense of community amongst ocean enthusiasts. Martha’s undergraduate degree focused on environmental education, and her master’s was in Educational Leadership and Administration. She is enthusiastic about expanding REEF’s impact and reach to create a future where healthy oceans thrive. She believes it’s the little things that change the world and that small individual actions can have big impacts—like how a single fish survey adds up to the world’s largest marine sighting database.
|
Sierra Barkdoll
Sierra is REEF’s Operations Manager. Sierra joined the REEF staff team in May 2022. Growing up near the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, Sierra developed a deep passion for aquatic environments. In 2020, she earned her B.S. in Environmental Science and Geography from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, with a Biology minor and GIS certificate. Sierra’s journey with REEF began as a Marine Conservation Intern and Citizen Science Lead Intern in 2021, where she honed her skills and enthusiasm for marine conservation. On joining the REEF staff team, she served as Citizen Science Coordinator. In her current role as Operations Manager, she focuses on optimizing operations, improving system processes, and engaging the public in marine conservation efforts, driven by her love for fish and ocean preservation.
|
Alli Candelmo, Ph.D
Alli is REEF’s Director of Conservation Science. She attended Rutgers University where she obtained a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution and joined the REEF team in July 2018. She has studied the population dynamics and management strategies of invasive lionfish in the Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos, working with the local stakeholders and communities on both islands to help improve removal efforts and gain a better understanding of invasive lionfish. Her doctoral and postdoctoral research has examined a number of anthropogenic impacts on coastal ecosystems and the early life history of finfish, including; toxicants, ocean acidification, and increased temperatures. She had the opportunity to collaborate with REEF on the Grouper Moon project in 2016 and 2017 examining the survivorship of early life stages of Nassau and Tiger Grouper. She also has experience developing hands-on science activities. She is a strong advocate for the conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems, regularly volunteering for local community programs.
|
Carolyn Corley
Carolyn is a REEF Education Coordinator. Carolyn joined the REEF staff team in June 2024, after serving as a REEF Marine Conservation Fellow for Education & Outreach. Before that, she participated in the REEF Marine Conservation Internship program as the 2023 Dr. Jamie L. King REEF Marine Conservation Intern through Our World Underwater Scholarship Society. Carolyn grew up in Southern California and graduated in May 2023 from the University of San Diego with a B.S. in Environmental and Ocean Sciences. While in college, she spent two summers in Utila, Honduras for a marine conservation internship with REEF Conservation partner, the Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center (WSORC), and completed her PADI Divemaster certification while researching invasive lionfish and community involvement in invasive species education and removal. Carolyn will support the growing Ocean Explorers Education Program at the REEF Campus. She will also support college student engagement in the Volunteer Fish Survey Project, as well as provide member services through the support of the REEF Store.
|
Tracey Griffin
Tracey is a REEF fish expert who loves sharing her passion for marine life. A full-time local resident of Cozumel, she has led the REEF Field Survey Trip there for many years. Under Tracey’s leadership, the Cozumel Field Survey Trip has become one of REEF’s most popular trips. Having completed more than 1,000 surveys, Tracey is a member of the Golden Hamlet Club. She is part of the Advanced Assessment Team in the Tropical Western Atlantic region, and shares her fish identification expertise in REEF’s Fishinars. Over the years, she has actively participated in of REEF’s projects including the Volunteer Fish Survey Project, Grouper Moon Project, and Invasive Lionfish Program.
|
Stacey Henderson
Stacey is REEF’s Field Survey Trips Program Manager. He grew up in a small town in Vermont and graduated from Wheaton College in Massachusetts in 2015 earning a BA in Biology. Stacey first joined REEF as a Marine Conservation Intern in the summer of 2019 and stayed on after as the Volunteer Fish Survey Project Lead Intern. Stacey became an official part of the staff team in April 2020. Before joining REEF, Stacey worked as a dive instructor both in Tropical Western Atlantic and in the Central Indo-Pacific regions. He taught his students the importance of marine conservation while introducing them to the underwater world. He now works managing REEF's Field Survey Trips Program organizing trips all over the world. He is an experienced diver, expert fish enthusiast, and accomplished underwater photographer.
|
Mead Krówka
Mead joined the REEF team based at the REEF Campus in early 2024 to assist with our growing Explorers Education Programs. Mead grew up in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina where he spent countless hours hiking, backpacking, and falling in love with the outdoors. This led to him getting his first PADI certification at age 13, leading to hundreds of dives around the world. In May 2021, Mead graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with degrees in Environmental Science and Biological Anthropology. His time at UNCW led to volunteer work with the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees and the Surfrider Foundation, as well as a research publication in the American Association for Biological Anthropology. Before joining the REEF team, Mead was a Program Coordinator for residential marine science summer programs through Sea Turtle Camp and WB Surf Camp, where he developed an educational curriculum and taught marine science classes. Here, mead also assisted in leading a surf expedition to Costa Rica, introducing students to the world of ocean watersports and the importance of sustainability associated with it. In his free time, Mead enjoys traveling, reading, diving, surfing, and spending as much time outdoors as possible. Mead is excited to share his passion for education and conservation!
|
Amy Lee
Amy got her start with REEF as a Marine Conservation Intern in 2014, and joined the staff in 2015 as the Trips Program Manager. In her current role as Communications Manager, she oversees REEF's communication and outreach efforts. She has more than ten years of communications experience and has also spent several years teaching virtual and in person marine science lessons for school groups. Amy graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in public relations and journalism in 2012, followed by a B.S. in marine science in 2014. She is currently completing an M.Sc. in science communication and public engagement. Amy has surveyed extensively throughout REEF’s Volunteer Fish Survey Project regions, and loves sharing her fish knowledge with others by instructing Fishinars and leading REEF Trips in destinations all over the world. Her writing and underwater photography has appeared in numerous publications including Alert Diver and Earth is Blue. In 2019 she received the Wave Makers Award from the Dive Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA). When she isn’t underwater searching for the latest fish to add to her life list, she can be found reading or exploring with her dog, Pinecone.
|
Janna Nichols
Janna is REEF's Citizen Science Program Manager, working extensively with the Volunteer Fish Survey Project. She coordinates REEF's social media and was also the creator of REEF's popular Fishinar (webinar) program. Although Janna officially joined REEF staff in 2010, she has been conducting surveys, teaching fish ID classes, and giving REEF presentations as a volunteer since 2000, and is based in Vancouver, Washington. Janna is passionate about underwater photography and marine life identification, and many of her photos appear in west coast marine life ID guides, publications, and online resources. Her efforts were integral to the design and photography of REEF's many laminated fish identification cards. She has personally completed over 1,100 REEF surveys and is a REEF expert-level surveyor in the Pacific Northwest, California, Hawaii, Northeast US & Canada, South Atlantic States and Tropical Western Atlantic regions. Janna is a PADI certified SCUBA instructor (retired), a past AAUS Scientific Diver and DSO, and the leader of REEF's Pacific Coast Advanced Assessment Team. In 2003, she received REEF's Volunteer of the Year award, in 2013 she received Dive News Network's Diver of the Year Award, and in 2015 she received the Golden Hamlet award from REEF.
|
Hilary Penner
Hilary Penner is the Education Manager: Program Development, working to develop new community partnerships, create new youth learning opportunities, and engage members to support REEF's ocean conservation mission. She started an ocean education business before teaching middle school science for seven years. She has a M.ED in Environmental Education from Florida Atlantic University and a STEM Leadership Graduate Certificate from Teachers College, Columbia University/US Satellite Laboratory. Hilary joined the staff in 2021 after being involved with REEF for over two decades as a volunteer.
|
