Located on a secluded key in Roatan, Honduras, CoCo View Resort is well known among divers for its excellent house reef. Guests will enjoy two daily boat trips and unlimited shore diving at CoCo View’s front yard reef, where more than 300 fish species have been recorded. Fish enthusiasts will be delighted to search for species like the Redcheeck Goby, found in the Bay Islands. The resort is an excellent fit for non-diving companions as well, who may enjoy front-yard snorkeling and access to ocean kayaks.
REEF is proud to partner with educational institutions, dive operators and club, and conservation-focused groups all around the globe to engage individuals in ocean conservation, education and citizen science. REEF Ocean Explorers Education Program staff work with groups to implement the Volunteer Fish Survey Project into their existing curriculums and courses. This month, we are pleased to highlight two partners who recently incorporated REEF lessons and materials into their programming.
With heavy hearts, we share the news that REEF Co-Founder Paul Humann passed away on February 5, 2024. Paul was a passionate advocate for the oceans, a visionary scuba diver, and pioneering underwater photographer. His enthusiasm for the underwater world touched countless lives, and his dedication was a driving force in advancing the dive industry, ocean citizen science, and natural history.
REEF recently concluded the annual field season for the Grouper Moon Project, a highly successful conservation science collaboration between REEF and the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DOE) to study one of the largest and last known spawning aggregations of endangered Nassau Grouper in the Caribbean. The research team, made up of REEF staff and volunteers, along with our collaborators from DOE, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Oregon State University, conducted daily dives on the aggregation off the west end of Little Cayman, and visited the an active aggregation on Caym
REEF programs use citizen science, research, and education to engage peope in marine conservation. REEF members like you are an essential part of our work, and we are so thankful for the generosity of all who have contributed to REEF this winter. Your support helped us kick of 2024 on a strong note! If you have not yet made a gift this winter, will you consider making a donation now to support our ocean conservation mission? You can visit www.REEF.org/donate to contribute securely online.
Classrooms and students throughout the Cayman Islands have dived into conservation by taking part in this year's Grouper Moon Project! While the Nassau Grouper were spawning during the January full moon, REEF and the Cayman Islands Department of Environment partnered to host three livesteam sessions as an opportunity for students to interact with Grouper Moon Project researchers, learn about pathways to becoming marine scientist, and share the importance of collaboration to protect endangered Nassau Grouper.
You may have seen via email or on social media that the REEF logo has a new look! We are so excited to share this new logo with the REEF community. The new logo represents REEF's unique role in conservation. The vibrant blue hues and sun rays streaming through the water inspire feelings of hope, and the fish symbolizes our shared love of ocean life and the transformative impact of citizen science.
This month, we welcomed Mead Krówka to the REEF team as Education Coordinator. Mead is based at the REEF Campus in Key Largo, Florida. As Education Coordinator, Mead will support and conduct REEF Ocean Explorers Programs, and coordinate community education programs such as workshops, seminars, and other outreach and tabling events.
REEF Field Survey Trips are eco-vacations led by marine life experts. Each trip features daily dives and fish ID classes for both beginners and experienced surveyors. This spring, we're headed to the stunning Caribbean island of St. Lucia for a week of fish surveys and fun! We'll stay at Anse Chastanet Resort and take in beautiful views of both the ocean and the mountains while enjoying daily dives with Scuba St. Lucia. The entire region is a protected marine area and excellent, easily accessible beach diving is available directly in front of the resort.