Hello REEF Members. In this edition of REEF-in-Brief, we reflect on some of our recent activities, remind you about some great upcoming travel opportunities and let you know about some exciting new ways that REEF programs and data are being used to help protect endangered species. One such example, the Grouper Moon Project, will be presented tomorrow (Wednesday May 20) as part of a full day symposium on marine conservation success stories being held at the National Museum of Natural History in the Sant Ocean Hall.
Greetings REEF Members. This issue of REEF-in-Brief brings you updates on several of REEF's programs as well as announcements of upcoming events. Earlier this month, we launched a new lecture series, REEF Fish and Friends. These informative presentations will be held the second Tuesday of every month in the Florida Keys. Our invasive lionfish work has expanded to begin working with countries on the forefront of the invasion.
Greetings Valued REEF Members,
We are proud to bring you this special edition news flash with exciting and ground-breaking results from this year's Grouper Moon Project. Project scientist, Dr. Brice Semmens, sent in this field report. We also share with you our selection for 2008 Volunteer of the Year and new milestones achieved in the REEF Survey Project database.
Best Fishes,
Lisa
Happy New Year! We hope that all of our members had a joyous holiday season. In this first edition of REEF-in-Brief 2009 we bring you news that everyone knew was just a matter of time -- the invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish has been confirmed in the Florida Keys. Thanks to her experience as a REEF fishwatcher and the numerous outreach stories that REEF has issued to our members, REEF surveyor Becky Fowler knew just what she was looking at last week while diving during her vacation off Key Largo, Florida.
As 2008 draws to a close, I look back over the last 6 months since I have been at the helm of REEF. It's amazing what a few dedicated staff, a network of incredible partners and a corps of thousands of dedicated volunteers can do! In this issue of REEF-in-Brief, we bring you highlights from a few of the most recent accomplishments. There is also a notice to save the date and join us in February for the 2nd annual For the Love of the Sea Benefit and Auction to be held in Key Largo, Florida.
Greetings from REEF HQ. This month we bring you highlights from our recent trip to DEMA, the dive industry trade show, where we shared results from REEF's research on Indo-Pacific Lionfish and the urgency of the threat that the invasion of this unwanted species into the Bahamas and Caribbean poses. We are also excited to announce that two REEF member, Lad Akins and Anna DeLoach, were inducted as a Platinum Pro5000 Diver by SSI. The REEF 2009 Trip schedule offers a wide array of destinations.
- Ocean Science 2.0: REEF Pioneers New Approach to Understanding Ocean Ecosystems
- REEF.org Redefined: REEF Launches New Website
- Studying MPAs in the Channel Islands
- Monitoring Artificial Reeefs
- Putting REEF Data to Work
- Online Mapping - A New Data Tool
- REEF's Grouper Moon Project: Conserving a Caribbean Icon
- Lionfish Expeditions Lead to New Information
- REEF Field Stations: Partners on the Ground, In the Water
- Capacity Building in New England
Hello and Happy Fall! In this issue of REEF-in-Brief, we remind you of the many ways to make dives that count, and share secrets for success in using the Online Data Entry program. While we still process paper survey scansheets, we highly recommend that our surveyors submit their data to the Volunteer Survey Project through the online program. Not only is it faster and more accurate, it requires less REEF staff resources and saves money on postage and paper.
Summer is becoming a fishy memory as we get ready for back to school and fall. Here in the Keys that could mean some trying to reason with hurricane season moments but we will still get some great survey dives in.
Dear Reef Members: