Researchers and volunteers from REEF, along with staff from the Cayman Islands Department of the Environment, have just wrapped up another year of study on Nassau grouper spawning as part of the Grouper Moon Project. Our work this year focused on the spawning aggregation in Little Cayman, which is the largest (and one of just a few) known remaining aggregations of Nassau grouper in the Caribbean. Highlights from this year’s work include:
The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) announces the launch of the Baby Grouper Adrift! webpage - http://www.REEF.org/programs/grouper_moon/adrift
Shore REEF Survey Dive (1) - Junkpile - April 24, 2011
~~~~ Open to Open Water Divers with cold water experience ~~~~
Join REEF Fieldstation Seattle Scuba for a REEF Pacific Northwest region Invertebrate ID class!
There will be an evening of lecture (Saturday 6 - 9:30pm), followed by a day of diving (Sunday am to ~4pm). During the classroom portion we will introduce you to ~ 40 of the most common local invertebrates, along with easy ID tricks to make figuring out who is who down there less daunting. We will follow our lecture up with 2 dives in the local area working on identifying invertebrates.
Join REEF Fieldstation Seattle Scuba for a REEF Pacific Northwest region basic Fish ID class!
Come check out the REEF booth at the Our World Underwater Dive Show!!!
Almost 10 years to the day of launching the Fish Survey Project in Hawaii, the 10,000th REEF survey was conducted at Palauea Beach on Maui this past weekend! The landmark survey was conducted by long-time REEF member, Flo Bahr, who was diving the site with a group of active Hawaii REEFers. Flo was recently featured in our Member Spotlight (read her profile here). A huge thanks to Flo and all of the surveyors who have been busy in Hawaii.
Remember to join REEF in our online communities on Facebook. Anyone can visit our Facebook page, even if you don't have a Facebook account. We also maintain a Facebook page specifically about the Lionfish program. If you do have a Facebook account, click the icon below to "like" us!
Winter full moons mean that it's grouper spawning time! Since 2001, REEF has led the Grouper Moon Project, a multi-faceted, collaborative research effort with the Cayman Islands Department of the Environment (CIDOE) aimed at better understanding Nassau grouper reproduction and the role that marine reserves can play in the long-term protection of this endangered species.