Key Largo, FL. On November 4, 2002, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) surpassed a long awaited milestone. On that date, the 50,000th volunteer fish survey was entered into the REEF database! REEF's Field Operations Coordinator, Leslie Whaylen reports "When I was hired by REEF in 1999, approximately 20,000 surveys were housed in REEF's database. Each year, the numbers of surveyors and surveys have increased exponentially". Historically, most surveys were conducted during the Great Annual Fish Count and REEF Field Surveys.
REEF celebrated the Great Annual Fish Count 10th year with great success! The 2002 GAFC included over 90 seminars, 300 scheduled dive events, and over 1500 surveys throughout REEF's survey regions. Due to the increased international interest over the past few years, this year we changed the name of the Great American Fish Count to the Great Annual Fish Count (GAFC). Events took place throughout the US, British Columbia, Ontario, Cozumel, Gulf of California, Jamaica, Belize, Honduras, Bermuda, Bonaire, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the Cayman Islands.
- Fish Count Crossing Geographic Boundaries
- GAFC Photo Contest Winners
- Third in a Series of Fish and Benthic Monitoring Workshops Held on San Andres Island
- Symposia and Workshops
- Dry Tortugas National Park Monitoring
- MPA News - The San Andres Archipelago and the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve
- REEF's 2003 Grouper Moon Project Needs You
- Wellwood Restoration Monitoring
- Spiegel Grove Finally Down!
- Great Annual Fish Count - 10 Years and Counting
- American Samoa - REEF Visits South of the Equator
- Jean Michel Cousteau Dives with REEF and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
- Exotic Species Sighting Program
- MPA News - Diver Group in British Columbia Working to Create Reserve Boundaries Around Buoys
- Instructor Training Workshops
- SPAG Update
- Bicolor Damselfish Tumors
- REEF a Big Hit with High School Students
- Sustainers Event and Volunteer of the Year
During recent months, there have been many reports of non-native indo-pacific and Red Sea fishes including the lionfish, which have been sighted in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The number of lionfish observed indicates that some are surviving the winter water temperatures and expanding their range. Recreational divers and snorkelers are a valuable source of information for tracking fish species including exotic fish because they are looking, taking notice of rare things, and often know what does not belong.
- Grouper Moon Project
- 2nd Fish and Benthic Monitoring Workshop
- Survey Expedition to Venezuela Yields Exciting Finds
- REEF Marine Conservation Center
- Aquarius
- The Evolution of Fishwatching
- Member Article - Ma and Pa Dive Site #1
- GAFC is turning 10!
- Fishwatching in our National Marine Sanctuaries Photo Contest
- Science Update - Applications for Pacific Northwest Invertebrate Data
- MPA News- California Marine Life Protection Act
- New Staff Additions
- WWW.REEF.ORG - What's New
- REEF Headquarters Relocates
- Divers and Snorkelers Make the GAFC a Great Success
- REEF Goes to the Boy Scout Jamboree
- REEF Adds New Components to the Fish Survey Project
- Pacific Northwest Invertebrate Monitoring
- Sea Turtle Sighting Program
- Jewfish Now Called Goliath Grouper
- Member Article - Hawaiian Parrotfish....Not Your Typical Fish Story
- Chevron Conservation Award
- Science Update
- MPA News
- Third Annual Event Celebrates REEF's Success
- Volunteer of the Year - Audrey Smith
- REEF Tours California
- The Great American Fish Count is Here!
- Fish and Benthic Monitoring Workshop Conducted in La Parguera, Puerto Rico
- MPA News
- Tortugas Ecological Reserve Becomes a Reality
- Member Article - Fish Identification Skills
- REEF Wins Gulf Guardian Award
- REEF Internship
- School Groups Participate in Fish Survey Project
- Vandenberg Survey Project
- You're Never Too Old...Or Too Young
- Recycling at REEF
- Books Benefit