REEF members are the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. A diverse community of divers, snorkelers, and ocean enthusiasts support our mission to conserve marine environments worldwide.
Looking for an adventure to explore both the ocean and the rainforest? REEF’s eco-adventure to Costa Rica includes diving or snorkeling plus land-based tours through a vibrant tropical rainforest and a wildlife-watching boat trip! This weeklong trip includes four days of diving/snorkeling to conduct REEF surveys and a variety of tours through the diverse Guanacaste region, and is a great fit for divers, snorkelers, and families.
Meet our November Fish of the Month, the Cabezon, Scorpaenichthys marmoratus!
Survey Regions: The Cabezon is commonly found throughout REEF's PAC region, from southern California to British Columbia, and occasionally north to Alaska. Click here to see a distribution for this species in the REEF database.
We recently hosted our annual REEF Fest in Key Largo, and we want to thank everyone who joined to celebrate marine conservation. We had an amazing time enjoying seminars, socials and nature tours, while connecting with our amazing REEF members and the Keys community. Our seminar speakers shared some excellent presentations, on topics ranging from Upside-down Jellyfish, Diving With a Purpose's citizen science program, the importance of museum collections in science, the history and future of Key Largo's marine environment, and REEF's exciting conservation science work.
GivingTuesday is coming up on December 3! This global day of giving is a great way to show your support for REEF’s marine conservation and education programs. You don't want to miss the chance to join in this year, because your GivingTuesday donation to REEF will make double the impact! Thanks to an anonymous donor, all gifts received in honor of GivingTuesday 2024 are being matched dollar for dollar, up to $40,000! We hope you'll make a gift to REEF in honor of GivingTuesday. Keep an eye on your email inbox as GivingTuesday approaches.
Our online programs are free and open to all! Check out what's coming up, and view the entire schedule of Fishinars and other online programs here.
We are excited to share that Michaela Koessler Peterson has joined the REEF team as Director of Education. She is based at the REEF Campus in Key Largo, Florida. Michaela is passionate about connecting people of all backgrounds to science and nature through place-based educational initiatives. Originally from Montana, Michaela earned a BFA at the University of Montana, and then moved to Seattle in 1991, where she fell in love with the ocean and all things marine.
Looking for a fun dive trip in 2025? Kick off your year by joining us in the Maldives on January 12-22 aboard the Empreror Explorer liveboard! Made up of nearly 1,200 islands, the reefs of the Maldives are a haven for wildlife like Whale Sharks, mantas, and more. In February, join us to explore the beautiful dive and snorkel sites of Belize, where our home base will be the charming SunBreeze Hotel on Ambergris Caye. Then in March, we're headed to Villa on Dunbar Rock in Guanaja, Honduras!
REEF Fest is nearly here, and we couldn't be more excited for our annual marine conservation celebration in Key Largo! If you're planning to attend, we look forward to seeing you soon. If you haven't yet registered, you can still make plans to join us Oct 17-20 for ocean presentations, diving, snorkeling, kayaking, and fun evening socials. Check out all the details and register for REEF Fest at www.REEF.org/REEFfest.
The votes have been counted, and we're excited to share the 2024 Discover the Sea Photography Contest results! This year's contest had an amazing turnout, with nearly 500 stunning photos submitted and over 4,500 votes cast! First, second, and third place winners were selected via popular vote for each photo category, including Fish Portrait, Macro, Invertebrate, REEF Surveyor, and Habitat/Seascape/Environment. Click here to view all the winning photos.