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.
Learn all about the invasive lionfish during this free, online workshop. Topics include background of the invasion, lionfish biology, ecological impacts, current research, and safe collecting and handling techniques.
We recently added a few new products to our online store, including t-shirts and neck gaiters featuring colorful and unique designs that showcase each of of our core programs - the Grouper Moon Project, Invasive Species Program, and Volunteer Fish Survey Project. The new designs are printed on Comfort Colors brand t-shirts, which are soft, cozy, and pre-shrunk.
REEF is proud to highlight one of our outstanding Conservation Partners: Scuba St. Lucia at Anse Chastanet Resort. REEF Conservation Partners are active organizations and dive shops committed to protecting marine environments worldwide. As valued REEF ambassadors, they serve as centers for marine conservation actions, outreach, and education. You can view the full listing of Conservation Partners or register your organization as a REEF Conservation Partner here.
Join us for a free screening of the NOVA Documentary Ocean Invaders! Lionfish, long prized in home aquariums, have invaded the Atlantic and are now one of the ocean's most successful invasive species. Join ocean explorer Danni Washington on a journey to discover how they took over, why they are doing so much damage, and what can be done about it.
Join us for a fun afternoon and evening of drinks, food, friends, and lionfish during Sharkey's annual Rockin' the Dock celebration! Visit our REEF booth to learn all about lionfish and play fun games, and stick around as we announce the winners of our Florida Keys Lionfish Sweeps. We'll be giving away prizes to the contestants who removed the most invasive lionfish from Florida Keys waters between April 1-June 30.
