Please join me this year by giving a gift to REEF this holiday season! I want to thank all those who have been so generous and have donated already. If you haven’t given yet, we are still a long way from our goal. Your donation this winter is critical so we can continue protecting marine species all year. Click here to donate now.
Examples of REEF’s important work that directly benefit marine species include:
We are proud to share news of a new scientific publication using REEF data that was recently published in the top-tier science journal, Ecology. The paper, "Demographic modeling of citizen science data informs habitat preferences and population dynamics of recovering fishes", was co-authored by fisheries scientists from NOAA Fisheries and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, along with REEF's Director of Science, Dr. Christy Pattengill-Semmens.
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.
We have just the thing for after the holiday rush is over -- free, educational REEF Fishinars. These hour-long sessions let you learn and have fun from the comfort of your living room. Check out the full schedule at www.REEF.org/fishinars. And keep an eye on that space because we will be adding new ones for 2015 soon. On the schedule so far....
While we can't do much about dreary winter weather, booking a trip for the coming year might be just the trick to lift your mood. REEF trips are a diver's dream vacation! Destinations include Fiji, Hawaii, the Bahamas, Roatan, Cozumel and more. Expert-led fish identification education combined with citizen science and world-class diving make our trips unique. Visit www.REEF.org/trips to find out more, and then contact us at trips@REEF.org or 305-588-5869 to book your space.
If you haven't checked out the online REEF Store recently, now is a great time to do some shopping. It's a great place to get field ID reference guides, REEF survey materials, REEF gear, and lionfish field gear. We have added several new items recently, including:
- Ray Troll's "Dive Bar" shirt with REEF logo, click here
- Lionfish 3-D Puzzle, Lionfish Plush, and Lionfish Phone Case, click here
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 Roger Skillman. Roger has been a REEF member since 2009, and has conducted 45 surveys. Despite being landlocked in the Smoky Mountains, he is an active surveyor in the Carolinas and Florida. He also teaches SCUBA and incorporates REEF in to his classes! Here's what Roger had to say about REEF:
What’s your favorite part of REEF surveying?
Every month, scientists, government agencies, and other groups request raw data from REEF’s Fish Survey Project database. Here is a sampling of who has asked for REEF data recently and what they are using it for:
- Scientists from NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center are evaluating the status of Lesser Electric Ray in the Caribbean.
- A scientist from NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center Fisheries Conservation Biology Division is including REEF data in an evaluation of threatened rockfishes in Washington State.
As the year winds down, we still have a few educational REEF Fishinars remaining. Check out the full schedule at www.REEF.org/fishinars. And keep an eye on that space because we will be adding new ones for 2015 soon. Fishinars coming up include:
