Get Ready For the Great Annual Fish Count 2016

During the entire month of July we encourage you to try your hand at conducting your first survey if you're new to our Volunteer Fish Survey Project, or to do a few more if it's been a while.

The GAFC began in 1992 when a small group of recreational divers and marine biologists conducted a visual fish count in California's Channel Islands National Park. The effort was modeled after the Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count and has now grown into an international event.

The ideas behind the GAFC are to:

Making It Count - April 2016

REEF Fest 2016 - Make Your Plans

We hope to see you in Key Largo this Fall for REEF Fest 2016! Mark your calendar -- September 29 – October 2, 2016. Our annual celebration of marine conservation includes diving, educational seminars, and social gatherings! Check out www.REEF.org/REEFFest for more information.

The Faces of REEF: Mary Korte

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.

This month we highlight Mary Korte. Mary, and her husband Don, have been REEF members since 2001. Both are active surveyors, and Mary is a Level 3 surveyor in the TWA who has completed 284 surveys (all on snorkel!). Here’s what Mary had to say about REEF:

What is your favorite part about being a REEF member?

Announcing 2017 REEF Trips Schedule

We are excited to share our 2017 REEF Trips Schedule, with a fantastic lineup of destinations planned. These Field Survey Trips offer a great introduction to fish identification for novice surveyors, and are a fun way for experienced surveyors to build their life list while interacting with fellow marine life enthusiasts. We also offer several Lionfish Research Trips each year. REEF staff, board members, and other REEF experts lead these trips, and each trip features daily educational seminars and a full diving schedule.

Upcoming Fishinars: Hawaii, Wrasses, the US Northeast, and Blue Heron Bridge

Check out the great Fishinars we have planned for May! We invite everyone to join in the fun of learning in the convenience of your home, with these energetic and informative online webinars. Our Fishinars are free to REEF members, interactive (so you don't fall asleep), and chock full of tips and tricks to help you learn fish ID in many areas of the world.

Putting It To Work: New Study Documents Decline in Sunflower Stars and Resulting Impacts in the Ecosystem

Between 2013 and 2015, the US Pacific Northwest and western Canada experienced a mass mortality of sea stars. The Sunflower Star (Pycnopodia helianthoides), a previously abundant predator, began to show signs of a wasting syndrome in early September 2013, and dense aggregations disappeared from many sites in a matter of weeks. REEF surveyors certainly noticed, and the decline was reflected in the REEF database. The authors of a new publication just out in the journal PeerJ used the REEF database to document the decline at a regional scale.

Evidence for a trophic cascade on rocky reefs following sea star mass mortality in British Columbia

The US Pacific Northwest and western Canada experienced a mass mortality of sea stars between 2013 and 2015. The sunflower star (Pycnopodia helianthoides), a previously abundant predator, began to show signs of a wasting syndrome in early September 2013, and dense aggregations disappeared from many sites in a matter of weeks. REEF surveyors certainly noticed, and the decline was reflected in the REEF database.

Cozumel - Chili Charters & Safari Inn or Casa Mexicana

Join REEF's annual Field Survey Trip to Cozumel for a wonderful week of camaraderie, diving and citizen science! Enjoy the fabulous drift diving in warm, clear waters that have been protected as a marine park for nearly 20 years. The dive staff at Chili Charters are avid REEF supporters and are always eager to help surveyors discover new fish! Many great fish finds await, including the endemic Splendid Toadfish, found only in this area.

GO WEST Diving and Kura Hulanda Lodge & Beach Club

 

In 2017, REEF is offering an Invasive Lionfish Research Trip, once again in partnership with the fabulous Go West Diving and Kura Hulanda Lodge.

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