REEF’s in-person programming is on hold until further notice, but there are still ways you can stay engaged in marine conservation from home.
2020 Underwater Photo Contest Winners
Thank you to everyone who voted in our 2020 Underwater Photography Contest! We had over 170 photos entered this year and over 1,500 votes cast. Check out the winning photographs in each category here. Congratulations to all of the winners!
Monitoring fish species to track population growth and general health is vital, and our Conservation Science team has commenced field testing for a new pilot study called SMILE (Size Matters: Innovative Length Estimates). The SMILE Project incorporates the collection of fish length data with the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project, using a special FishSense camera.
The Reef Environmental Education Foundation recently received a large donation through a creative fundraising project. Chesterton High School in Chesterton, Indiana, celebrated its 51st Homecoming this fall and decided to deviate from normal festivities. The homecoming theme was “CHS Gives Back,” and the week centered on raising money for charity.
We are all connected to REEF for one reason or another, either we care for marine conservation or are avid divers who want to see our beloved coral reefs and fish species. However, it is difficult to imagine how life-changing diving and conservation work can be until you have heard it from the prospective of a special operations combat veteran. Last month, REEF was privileged to work closely with Force Blue Team 2 during their recent deployment in the Florida Keys.
Seventeen dedicated REEF surveyors recently visited the beautiful Caribbean island of Grenada for a week of diving and fish surveying. The results from the trip were recently processed into REEF's database, adding to the survey count for the largest marine life sightings database in the world. Altogether, the group conducted 181 surveys at 15 sites and recorded 208 different species. Several of the reports were new records for the area, including the Greenbanded Goby, Bridled Burrfish, Striped Grunt, Red Banner Blenny, Goldline Blenny, Molly Miller, Bantam Bass, and Bluelip Hamlet!
We’re excited to introduce our Fall 2019 Marine Conservation Interns. These individuals will support the REEF team in mission-oriented tasks and daily office operations at REEF Headquarters, as well as play an integral role in our annual four-day event REEF Fest, as well as the Upper Keys Lionfish Derby and Festival and other education and outreach opportunities throughout the semester. They will also have the chance to scuba dive, conduct fish surveys, and volunteer with environmental organizations in South Florida and the Florida Keys.
Divers and marine researchers at the Key Largo-based nonprofit Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) are to celebrate the success and impact of marine conservation programs in the Florida Keys during REEF Fest, Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 24-27.
Activities and education initiatives include a lineup of seminars, social gatherings and diving opportunities at America’s best dive sites along fish-filled coral reefs, accompanied by some of the most prestigious names in diving and marine preservation.
REEF surveyors will enjoy the fish diversity found in San Salvador, voted one of the best wall-diving locations in the Caribbean. The island, located in the southeastern Bahamas, is the tip of a submerged mountain that plunges more than 15,000 feet below the ocean's surface. Shark lovers will especially enjoy this location, as it is one of the few places known to attract Scalloped Hammerheads, which are seen more frequently during the winter months. Family-owned and operated Riding Rock Resort is one of only two resorts located on the San Salvador waterfront.
