Spring has been a rewarding and productive season for the REEF Campus-based Ocean Explorers Education team! From traveling to the Florida panhandle to lend a hand with measuring fish at the world's largest lionfish derby, to attending a conservation-based music festival on the beach in south Florida, we have been spreading the word about REEF’s programs far and wide. Here are some recent education and outreach highlights.
The Conservation Challenge is a fun way to get involved in marine conservation and citizen science. You can earn collectible stickers by participating in various REEF programs and events! There are some great opportunities coming up this fall to earn different Conservation Challenge stickers, including:
Mark your calendars! The 16th Annual Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Arts Festival is coming up this month, on April 24-27, 2025. This event blends ocean conservation, art, science, and community fun, and it's free and open to the public! Join us for a weekend of lionfish hunting, eco-art, ocean education, and family-friendly festivities. The Lionfish Derby engages divers in a thrilling competition to remove as many invasive lionfish as possible, helping protect native marine ecosystems.
Calling all lionfish hunters - you're invited to participate in the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival on Sept. 8-11, 2022. The event includes two days to collect as many invasive lionfish as possible, followed by a family-friendly festival hosted at Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada. The festival is open to the public and features lionfish tastings, drink specials, educational demonstrations, games, interactive booths from environmental vendors, live music, and more.
We are excited to welcome Carolyn Corley to the REEF staff team as an Education Coordinator. You may recognize Carolyn, as she served as a REEF Marine Conservation Fellow for Education & Outreach from August 2023 to June 2024. During the summer of 2023, 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 graduated in May 2023 from the University of San Diego with a B.S.
Earth Day is just a few days away. You can celebrate our environment by helping us reduce our carbon footprint at REEF Headquarters through a one-time, tax-deductible donation to support renewable energy.
Your generous contribution of $500 or $1,000 will go directly toward the installation of solar panels on the roof of REEF's Interpretive Center, reducing our monthly energy costs by an average of 55%!* Donors will be honored on a commemorative plaque at REEF Headquarters.
REEF's Volunteer Fish Survey Project (fish surveys) and Invasive Species Program (invasive lionfish removals and derbies) are highlighted in this article about ways to participate in citizen science as a diver in the Florida Keys.
We're counting down to the 2025 Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Arts Festival this April! This event uniquely combines invasive lionfish removal with vibrant local arts and conservation efforts, aiming to engage the community in ocean conservation through interactive and educational activities. Here's what to expect:
It's finally here: our biggest REEF Lionfish Derby of the year, the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival, is taking place this weekend! This is our 13th annual REEF Lionfish Derby hosted in the Florida Keys. Participants will take to the to hunt lionfish from sunrise to sunset this Friday and Saturday. Eighteen teams are competing in this year's derby, and we can't wait to see how many invasive lionfish they collect! The derby weekend will conclude on Sunday with a lionfish festival at the picturesque Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada, Florida.
As an environmental leader in our Florida Keys community, we are excited to share that REEF is taking a big step toward sustainability by making improvements to our Headquarters in Key Largo. You can help us reduce our carbon footprint by making a one-time, tax-deductible donation to support renewable energy.