REEF Director of Science, Dr. Christy Pattengill-Semmens, and Grouper Moon Scientists, Dr. Brice Semmens (NOAA) and Dr. Scott Heppell (Oregon State University), participated in the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) meeting earlier this month in the Dominican Republic. This annual meeting brings together scientists, fishermen, resource agency managers, and marine conservation organizations to present and discuss current topics and emerging findings on coral reef resources of the tropical western Atlantic waters.
Happy holiday week! I hope you are looking forward to Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season.
REEF is pleased to bring you our monthly update on the many projects that continue to actively engage you, our valuable members, in marine conservation. Before we get there, though, I want to ask for your help in meeting an ambitious but critical goal to keep these projects going: please help REEF raise $100,000 by the end of the year. Please click here to make a secure, tax-deductible donation today.
If you plan to be in the Keys at the end of the month, please join us!
What: REEF Holiday Open House
When: Friday, November 30 at 5 PM
Who: Friends, family, members of REEF
Where: REEF HQ: 98300 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL (yellow conch house on the median)
Why: Educate the community about REEF conservation programs
REEF will be making changes to the REEF Store over the next few months in an effort to streamline order processing and provide REEF members with the highest quality merchandise. We will keep you posted as these changes occur. A few highlights:
1. The apparel section of the store is temporarily unavailable. Please look for unique REEF apparel in January.
By popular demand, REEF has adapted its classrrom course into a home study DVD course package for beginning "fishwatchers" in the Caribbean, Florida and Bahamas. Click here to read the press release; click here to purchase the DVD course. This would make an ideal holiday gift for your favorite fishwatcher!
REEF Executive Director, Leda Cunningham, is featured in the latest edition of Sanctuary Watch, the quarterly publication of the National Marine Sanctuaries Program. Read about how REEF volunteers actively contribute to preserving the natural heritage of these national treasures.
KEY LARGO, Fla. – The Reef Environmental Education Foundation has adapted its popular classroom course into a home study DVD package aimed at beginning “fishwatchers.” Reef Fish Identification – A Beginning Course teaches the basics of “fishwatching,” including identification of 50 commonly sighted species found in the tropical western Atlantic. A waterproof fish identification booklet, underwater survey slate and REEF survey materials are included. The DVD course is available online at www.REEF.org and at dive retailers and resorts.
REEF is asking any interested REEF members to submit to us a Field Survey T-shirt design for our upcoming 2008 season. Those of you who have participated in the past on a REEF Field Survey know that you receive a t-shirt as part of your participation in the program and every year we have a different design. There are only a couple of guidelines for you. Our new REEF Shirt must incorporate our REEF flag with our slogan, Diving That Counts! (I will send interested parties the jpeg file upon request).