Hello Everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed this week’s livestreams! Yesterday, we were able to take everyone out on the DOE’s boat, called the Sea Keeper, to the Nassau Grouper’s spawning aggregation on the west end of Little Cayman. If you were unable to catch our live broadcast, you can always head over to REEF’s YouTube page where each of our livestreams are archived. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/live/wdyE69rViIw?feature=share
As the Florida Keys began to open up, the summer Marine Conservation Interns moved in and began at REEF! Joining Lead Intern Maddi Piascik for the summer are Emily Wheat, Tasha McCluhan, and Stephanie Letourneau. These interns had a great orientation week meeting led by Intern Coordinator, David Ehlert. They met all the staff, learned about REEF programs and projects, created lionfish jewelry, dissected a lionfish, and of course, went on their first fish survey! The interns are excited to get involved this summer.
During this challenging time we hope all
of our intern alumni are staying safe and
healthy. Even though the REEF Campus
has been closed this past month due to
Covid-19, this hasn't stopped our
Marine Conservation Interns from
accomplishing so much. Amelia, Maddi
and Riley have all been working
diligently from home on graphic designs,
projects for Grouper Moon, online
outreach and plans for the future.
One way to stay connected with REEF
while staying safe at home is to join us
This past month the Marine Conservation
Interns as a team successfully planned and
executed a Lionfish Jewelry Workshop.
Twenty members of the local community
attended this event to learn about invasive
lionfish and had the opportunity to create
earrings and necklaces out of their fins.
Attendees received all of the materials
necessary to create the jewelry, were
presented with a short demonstration and
then given creative freedom. The final
products were all original and beautiful! The
From outreach events like the Baygrass Bluegrass
Festival, to Fish & Friends and educational programs,
January has been jam packed with events! With the
help and direction of their intern coordinator, David
Ehlert, and lead interns, Maya Ganapathy and Stacey
Henderson, the Spring 2020 Marine Conservation
Interns have already accomplished so much! Maddi,
Amelia and Riley have been working as a team to
successfully plan a Lionfish Jewelry Workshop, which
will take place at REEF HQ on February 27.
This past month while the REEF Campus has been closed, Maddi and Riley have been setting up the new educational display in the Interpretive Center. The display includes a dissecting and compound microscope connected to a new TV, which will enlarge what is on the microscope slide for all the visitors to view. This display was funded by a grant from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and will allow for more hands-on activities at the REEF Campus for all of our educational programming.
Text by Erin Spencer, Photos courtesy of Lad Akins
A recent study published in Ecology and Evolution offers a new approach to traditional mark and recapture studies while providing valuable insight into the growth and movement patterns of invasive lionfish. Lad Akins, Dr. James Morris, and Dr. Stephanie Green teamed up to develop a novel way of visually tagging fish underwater, minimizing both tagging time and fish trauma.
Do you know what to do if you are stung by a lionfish? REEF, DEMA, and DAN teamed up to release a new lionfish sting first aid poster. View the poster below, or visit this link to download a copy of your own. Remember: prevention is the best first aid. Always use proper tools and techniques to avoid stings!
Images and text by Erin Spencer
Check out some of the photos from our third day on the Lionfish Control Study in Curacao! After a two tank dive in the morning (where we collected 176 lionfish), the team celebrated with a Ceviche Party at Kura Hulanda Lodge. The event was attended by trip participants, local lionfish enthusiasts, and Lodge visitors alike.