Located in remote Raja Ampat, Indonesia, Misool is known for its pristine reefs and abundant marine life. All of the dive sites are protected by the resort's own Misool Private Marine Reserve, including the House Reef, a world-class shore dive with the opportunity to see unique animals including Black Tip Reef Sharks, Bargibanti and Denise Pygmy Seahorses, and even mating Mandarinfish!
Our annual Cozumel trip is known for its many unique fish finds, including the Cozumel-endemic Splendid Toadfish as well as high concentrations of other interesting species like Cherubfish, Blackcap Basslets, and Sargassum Triggerfish. When not diving, you will enjoy all the wonderful food and culture that Mexico has to offer, as well as daily fish ID classes. Reserve your spot today because this popular trip is sure to sell out quickly.
REEF Into the Blue Book Club will discuss our latest book selection, Monarchs of the Sea, The Extraordinary 500-Million-Year History of Cephalopods by Danna Staaf.
All are invited to join in this meeting, whether you have read the book or not. For more details about Into the Blue Book Club, visit www.REEF.org/bookclub.
This meeting will be led by Hilary Penner, REEF Education, and Conservation Programs Manager, and Katie Barnes, REEF Communication and Engagement Fellow.
Citizen science is growing increasingly important for managers and conservation science. The REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project provides an accessible and flexible way for divers to contribute observations to a large database. This flexibility comes with challenges for analysis, but these challenges can be addressed with analytical models that account for variation in survey effort in time and space.
From walls adorned with spectacular corals, wrecks that are home to a diverse array of marine life, or shallow reefs teeming with tropical fish species, the dive sites of Grand Cayman will delight REEF surveyors. Participants may take advantage of the unlimited shore diving directly in front of Sunset House. While Grand Cayman has hundreds of dive sites, this destination also has plenty of activities to enjoy during surface intervals or to entertain non-divers, including Stingray City, Pedro St.
Maldives liveaboard diving is a must-do for every avid scuba diver! REEF has arranged for this trip to follow one of their southern itineraries, which is perfect for fish enthusiasts. The South Ari, South Male, Vaavu, and Meemu Atolls are dreamy tropical oases above and below. The Maldives atoll offers world-class diving experiences, wowing with an abundance of marine life. Made up of nearly 1,200 islands, the inner and outer reefs of the atoll are a haven for wildlife.
Fiji is known as a hotspot for diving, with massive schools of pelagics such as Bigeye Trevally, Scad, and Barracuda, Gray Reef and Whitetip Reef Sharks, and unusual creatures like the Leaf Scorpionfish and Ornate Ghost Pipefish. Fiji's Bligh Waters even has a dive site called Humann Nature, named after REEF Co-Founder Paul Humann! The luxurious NAI'A is world-renowned for her crew of experienced Fijian divers and sailors known for their friendliness and expertise.
REEF is committed to using our programs, platform, and voice to support foundational change in marine conservation. In 2020, we launched the Oceans for All initiative, which includes a a pooled scholarship fund dedicated to supporting the core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in marine conservation, and to help communities and individuals cultivate connections with the marine environment, regardless of zip code.
REEF programs use citizen science to engage and inspire the public, while improving our understanding of ocean creatures and habitats. Members like you are a critical part of this work, and we are so thankful for the generosity of all who have made a donation to REEF this winter. Your financial support helped us to start this year off strongly. If you have not yet contributed, will you consider making a donation now to support our ocean conservation work? You can visit www.REEF.org/donate to contribute securely online.