A segment featuring REEF's research on the invasion of the Indo-Pacific Lionfish into the western Atlantic and Caribbean was featured on NBC Nightly News June 30th. Click here to view the segment online.
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REEF staff and volunteers are attending several events in the Northwest this winter and spring to spread the word about the Volunteer Survey Project. These include scientific conferences and dive shows. REEF volunteer and instructor, Janna Nichols, represented REEF at the Puget Sound Georgia Basin (PSGB) Ecosystem Conference last month in Seattle, Washington. Over 1,000 scientists, decision-makers and others attended the PSGB and the overall conference theme was to share knowledge and commit to action to protect the region's marine environment.
Divers successfully removed 531 invasive lionfish from Florida Keys waters on May 14, during the first event of the Second Annual Florida Keys Lionfish Derby Series in Long Key, Fla., organized by Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF).
Want to get the latest news and updates from REEF? Then be sure to check out the REEF Facebook Page. You don't have to have a Facebook account to view the page, anyone can look at the content. If you do have a Facebook profile, be sure to "like" us so that all of the latest information about REEF's programs and events, our marine conservation work, and exclusive content and stories will go straight to your feed. It's also a great place for our members to post pictures, fish stories, and whatever is on their mind.
A diminutive, non-native damselfish (Neopomacentrus cyanomos) was recently discovered inhabiting coral reefs near Veracruz, Mexico—far removed from where it is native in the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific. This publication, co-authored by REEF's Director of Special Projects, Lad Akins, evaluates the threat of establishment and spread in the invaded range.
REEF members are at the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. Over 60,000 divers, snorkelers, students, and armchair naturalists stand behind our mission.
This month we highlight Adam Nardelli. Adam has been a REEF member since 2009, and he served as a REEF Intern in 2014. He has conducted 54 surveys and has participated in several of REEF's programs. Here’s what Adam had to say about REEF:
When and how did you first volunteer with REEF or become a REEF member?
We are in the last few weeks of our summer fundraising campaign, and we need your help. Donations from our members are critical to REEF’s marine conservation efforts. In addition to supporting programs for marine biodiversity, fisheries management, and invasive species control, we are asking our members to make an extra donation this summer to help us build an Interpretive Center on the REEF Campus in Key Largo. Please help us continue to build our legacy of ocean conservation by being a part of this special campaign.
On Thursday, April 19, REEF partnered with Whole Foods Market® for 5% Community Giving Day. The event was a great success, resulting in more than $47,000 raised between nine Whole Foods Market locations throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties. These funds will go to benefit REEF’s many marine conservation projects, including the 2018 Lionfish Derby Series. REEF representatives were present at several of the participating store locations to spread awareness about invasive lionfish and other marine conservation efforts.
REEF’s 2018 Lionfish Derby Series presented by Whole Foods Market® is in full swing, and we are excited to share that so far, derby participants have already removed more than 1,770 lionfish from Florida's coastal waters this year! Thank you to everyone who has participated in this effort to combat invasive species. With the Palm Beach Derby happening this weekend at Loggerhead Marinelife Center, we will add even more lionfish to the current total.
Lionfish derbies and tournaments were first implemented in 2009 with the intent of increasing public awareness about the lionfish invasion in the western Atlantic, gathering specimens for research, and training volunteers to safely and effectively collect the venomous species. Since then, REEF has coordinated a series of derbies each year and assisted other organizations and groups in organizing and running their own derbies, resulting in the removal of tens of thousands of invasive lionfish.