An excellent review of the extent of the lionfish invasion and the importance of getting involved to save native species.
Whether you're diving for a cause of just because - being with good people makes for good times. Participate in REEF's 2013 Lionfish Derby Series and help reduce local lionfish populations. www.REEF.org/lionfish/derbies
Whether you're diving for a cause of just because - being with good people makes for good times. Participate in 2013 Great Annual Fish Count events. www.fishcount.org
Fisher-Mill Plain -- Maybe Janna Nichols spends more time underwater than she does up here. According to the Dive News Network, Vancouver resident Nichols is a scuba instructor, Diving Safety Officer for Washington State University Vancouver and a scientific diver for the American Academy of Underwater Sciences. As a volunteer, she has conducted more than 700 marine life surveys for the Reef Environmental Education Foundation; she has taught fish-identification classes and webinars ("fishinars"); and her underwater photography has appeared guidebooks, newspapers and websites.
Meet Jonathan Lavan, the 2012 Volunteer of the Year -- honored for his dedication to protecting marine environments through surveying fish and teaching fishinars!
Citizen science surveys compare well with traditional scientific methods when it comes to monitoring species biodiversity – according to new research from the University of East Anglia.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-03-marine-diversity-citizen-science.html#jCp
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-03-marine-diversity-citizen-science.html#jCp
A Humpback Grouper was recently captured off the Florida Keys. REEF's Lad Akins positively identifies the exotic fish, and encourages vigilant monitoring to prevent another invasive species.