We are proud to announce that on July 1st 2017, the number of REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project surveys conducted by volunteers in the Tropical Western Atlantic (TWA) region topped 150,000! The 150k surveys have been conducted by 11,123 volunteers at 8,837 sites in the TWA region (which includes the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Gulf of Mexico). The first surveys in the TWA were conducted 24 years ago in Key Largo. Since then, REEF's citizen science program has grown to ocean waters world-wide and has generated the largest database on marine life population status and trends, recently surpassing 217,000 surveys! Visit our Top 10 Stats page to see the most frequently sighted species, the most species-rich locations, and our most active surveyors. We would like to say a huge thank you to all of our volunteers, supporters, and those who make use of these data! We couldn't have done it without you.
REEF's mission is to protect biodiversity and ocean life by actively engaging and inspiring the public through citizen science, education, and partnerships with the scientific community. The REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project is a key component of our success. The program allows volunteer SCUBA divers and snorkelers to collect and report information on marine fish populations in marine waters world-wide (and invertebrates and algae in temperate waters). Visit the About REEF page to find out more and to see where our volunteers are conducting surveys.