Water temperatures were 55F. Nevertheless, members of the Pacific Northwest REEF Advanced Assessment Team (AAT) jumped off a perfectly good boat last month to count fish and invertebrate populations, all in the name of citizen science and fun! Expert Level surveyors (Levels 4 and 5) assisted with the annual Salish Sea monitoring project. This year’s effort was focused in the southern Salish Sea - South Puget Sound in Washington.
REEF's 16th annual Florida Keys Lionfish Derby will culminate on Sunday April 27, 2025 at the which will include a lionfish weigh-in and awards and conservation science and arts festival open to the public at the REEF campus.
Please contact lionfish@REEF.org with questions
Meet our festive December Fish of the Month, the Candycane Pygmygoby, Trimma cana!
Survey Regions: The Candycane Pygmygoby is found throughout the tropical Pacific, including Indonesia, the Philippines, and Micronesia, part of REEF's Central Indo-Pacific (CIP) region. Click here to see a distribution for this species in the REEF database.
Are you an educator with a passion for marine conservation and hands-on learning? Check out the REEF Educator in the Field Fellowship! This unique opportunity is a great way to deepen your knowledge of ocean citizen science.The Fellowship, awarded annually, enables a qualified educator to participate in a REEF Field Survey Trip. They will join other citizen scientist volunteers to learn about marine life and conduct fish surveys while scuba diving or snorkeling as part of the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project.
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.