This summer, REEF will host our second Reef Fish Field Methodology Course in Key Largo, Florida. This one week hands-on course is designed for college undergraduates and recent graduates aspiring towards a career in marine biology or a related field. The course covers commonly used tools and techniques for visual assessments of reef fishes.
Explorers will be exposed to the underwater world, all of its amazing creatures, and a week filled with creative activities and adventures. Discover all that the ocean has to offer and experience conservation actions in the sunny, salty, and wonderful Florida Keys. REEF will offer four sessions of summer camp - two weeks at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo and two weeks at Postcard Inn in Islamorada. Please tell the young explorer in your life about this amazing opportunity to snorkel, kayak, and explore this summer. REEF welcomes campers ages 7-13.
Every month, scientists, government agencies, and other groups request raw data from REEF’s Fish Survey Project database. Recent examples of data requests and uses include:
- Data on several species of grouper species world-wide were requested for use in the IUCN Red List Assessments.
- Survey effort data from Veracruz, Mexico, are being used as part of a monitoring gap analysis being conducted by The Nature Conservancy.
- Data from Florida and the Bahamas were requested by researchers from Rutgers University to understand bio-cultural homogenization on reefs.
REEF members are at the heart of our marine conservation programs. Over 50,000 divers, snorkelers, students, and armchair naturalists stand behind our mission.
This month we highlight Deb Hebblewhite, a REEF member since 1999. Deb lives in Denver, Colorado. She has conducted 129 surveys and has participated in several REEF Field Survey Trips. Here's what Deb had to say about REEF:
When and how did you first volunteer with REEF or become a REEF member?
REEF members are at the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. Over 50,000 divers, snorkelers, students, and armchair naturalists stand behind our mission.
REEF's fourth Field Survey to Fiji is sure to be a fantastic 10 days of diving, camaraderie, surveying, and fun! Central Fiji is known as a hotspot for diving, due to a combination of unique characteristics, including nutrient-rich runoff, deep-ocean upwelling, tidal and wind-driven currents and numerous barrier islands to offer protection. The South Pacific is a highly diverse region with massive schools of pelagics such as Bigeye Trevally, Scad, and Barracuda; Gray Reef and Whitetip Reef Sharks, and unusual creatures like the Leaf Scorpionfish and Hairy Ghost Pipefish.
REEF continues to expand the Volunteer Fish Survey Project throughout the Central Indo-Pacific (CIP) reigon with our first-ever Field Survey to Thailand! Known as the "Land of Smiles", Thailand is only 8 degrees north of the Equator and is home to some of the most species-rich waters and reefs in the world. Our special 10-day charter aboard the Thailand Aggressor is not available during any other time of year. The boat will follow its North Andaman Sea itinerary, with chances to dive sites in areas such as the famous Richelieu Rock and Similan Islands.
REEF's first Field Survey to the Philippines was in April 2016, and we loved the area so much we have decided to return! Surveyors on our 2016 trip recorded an astounding 885 species throughout the two-week trip, including some previously unidentified fish! REEF surveyors joining the second Field Survey to the Philippines will be treated to an educational adventure led by REEF Board of Trustees members, Ned and Anna DeLoach, who are known for their engaging stories and talks on fish behavior.
Aloha! From wrasses to butterflyfish, discover the many endemic marine species of Hawaii while diving the volcanic underwater reef topography around the Big Island, including favorite sites such as Au Au Crater, Amphitheater, and Turtle Pinnacle. A fantastic backdrop of lava flows will provide a picturesque landscape for surface intervals aboard the comfortable Kona Aggressor II liveaboard.