The 14th annual REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival is finally here! Participants will take to the water to hunt lionfish from sunrise to sunset this Friday and Saturday, Sept. 8 and 9, and we can't wait to see how many invasive lionfish they remove! So far, 26 teams are registered to compete in this year's derby. Teams may register until 6:30pm on Thursday, Sept. 7. The derby will end on Sunday, Sept. 10, with a lionfish festival at the picturesque Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada, Florida.
Submissions for the 2023 REEF Discover the Sea Underwater Photography Contest are now open! All ocean photographers are invited to submit their favorite photos. It’s free to enter, and you may submit up to three photos per person in each of the following categories:
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. Divers, snorkelers, and families are all welcome. Only a few spaces remain on our Field Survey Trip to the Southern Sea of Cortez, happening this fall from Sept. 29-Oct. 6. Warm waters and calm seas make this a great time of year to dive in the Sea of Cortez. This unique body of water is separated from the Pacific Ocean by Mexico's Baja Peninsula.
Meet our September Fish of the Month, the Rock Gunnel, Pholis gunnellus!
Survey Regions: The Rock Gunnel is found in the temperate and cold waters of the Northeast US and Canada region. Click here to view the REEF database sightings report for this species.
Size: They grow to between 5 to 8 inches.
REEF online programs are free and open to everyone! Here's what's coming up this month:
Fishinar: Life in the Hawaiian Surge
Thursday, September 14, 8pm EDT
Click here to register.
Shallow, surge-swept areas are home to plenty of fish life. Learn how to identify some of the species found in the surge zones of Hawaii in this special Fishinar presented by REEF surveyor and Hawaii resident Dennis Bensen, and REEF Citizen Science Program Manager Janna Nichols.
We are excited to welcome our Fall 2023 Marine Conservation Interns to REEF! They will assist with education, outreach, events, and daily operations around the REEF Campus in Key Largo, Florida. Pictured from left to right are Noah Herren, Asavari Shanker, Noa Parks, and Lily Fife Schaeufele. Here's a bit more about them:
The Golden Hamlet Club is a highly dedicated group of surveyors who have conducted 1,000 or more REEF surveys as as part of the Volunteer Fish Survey Project. We recently welcomed two new surveyors: Marta Bonatz and Joe Mangiafico. They join 40 other Golden Hamlet Club members.
Partnerships with the scientific community are a core value of REEF’s mission, and this collaboration has been essential for the success of the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project over the last 30 years. We are excited to share a recent monitoring effort undertaken by the Aquarium du Québec and Parc National de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher‑Percé, and coordinated by Dr. Michèle Doucet, a REEF member and retired professor of veterinary medicine. Dr.
Hello Everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed this week’s livestreams! Yesterday, we were able to take everyone out on the DOE’s boat, called the Sea Keeper, to the Nassau Grouper’s spawning aggregation on the west end of Little Cayman. If you were unable to catch our live broadcast, you can always head over to REEF’s YouTube page where each of our livestreams are archived. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/live/wdyE69rViIw?feature=share
KEY LARGO, FLA. – All are invited to celebrate ocean conservation during REEF Fest on Oct. 19-22, 2023, in Key Largo, Fla. Hosted by Reef Environmental Education Foundation, this annual event features educational ocean seminars, social gatherings, diving, snorkeling, kayaking, and a nature tour. Most events, including the seminars, are free and open to the public, although online pre-registration is requested. Please visit www.REEF.org/REEFfest for complete details.