Author: Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Ph.D., Co-Executive Director: Science & Engagement
Last month, a team of scientists represented REEF at the 76th annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) conference, held in The Bahamas. REEF programs and data were represented by REEF Co-Executive Director, Dr. Christy Pattengill-Semmens, and Conservation Science Associate, Lex Bryant, as well as our partners from Scripps Institute of Oceanography (Dr. Brice Semmens) and Oregon State University (Dr. Scott Heppell).
The team started out the week by meeting with scientists from the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council to discuss our collaboration on the SMILE project, an innovative effort to incorporate size measurements as a companion to the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project. During the spawning aggregation session, Brice presented exciting findings from the Grouper Moon Project called "Evidence of cultural reorganization in a recovering population of an endangered reef fish." In the artificial reefs and invasive species poster session, Lex presented the results of a three-year study, "Testing the efficacy of lionfish traps in the Florida Keys." Christy, Brice, and Scott also attended a meeting to discuss the 'Regional Fish Spawning Aggregation Fisheries Management Plan: Focus on Nassau Grouper and Mutton Snapper' being coordinated by the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission.
The GCFI Conference brings together regional scientists, graduate students, management agencies, non-profits, and fishers to advance the goals of sustainable use, wise management, conservation, and restoration. REEF is proud to be a part of the GCFI community.
Author: Madalyn Mussey, Education and Outreach Program Manager and Hilary Penner, Conservation and Education Programs Manager
REEF Ocean Explorers Education Programs bring oceans to life through online and in-person learning. Our programs include hands-on lessons and activities to teach participants of all ages and backgrounds about ocean life and habitats, while empowering people to make a difference. We tailor programs to each group's unique needs and interests, creating a memorable learning experience and helping people to build connections to the ocean. 2023 was an amazing and impactful year for REEF Ocean Explorers Education programs, and we're proud to share some stats and highlights from the past year.
• 31 education sessions provided at no cost to participants, with support from the Oceans for All Fund, including 14 in-person Discovery Programs, 11 virtual Discovery Programs, and 6 live Virtual Field Trip sessions.
• 85 in-person programs taught in the Florida Keys. More than half of these programs were hosted at the REEF Campus in Key Largo.
• 18 online programs for students in grades 3-12, including both Virtual Field Trips and Virtual Case Studies.
• 46 organizations or schools served, including both local and out-of-state groups such as Therapeutic Scuba Institute’s Camp Open SEAS, Long Island Network Divers, The Greensboro Science Center, Road Scholars, Westcoast Connection, The Road Less Traveled, Community School of Naples, Broward County Public School, Diving with a Purpose, Dive N2 Life, Phelps Center for Gifted Education, North Stewart Elementary, Coral Shores High School, Ocean Studies Charter School, Plantation Key School, Key Largo School, and Georgia State University.
• Over 2,300 individuals engaged, from elementary school students to senior citizens.
This year we also expanded our resources for educators by offering a free online professional development workshop, designed for educators to incorporate REEF Virtual Field Trips and Case Studies into their classrooms and programs. Click here to view a recording of this webinar. To stay connected with our growing network of education partners and raise awareness about REEF education programs, we launched a free periodic Ocean Explorers newsletter for educators. Click here to join the email list.
To advance our growing education programs, this year we formed the REEF Education Advisory Panel, consisting of individuals from both formal and informal education settings. This group of volunteer educators will contribute to REEF's education efforts and programs by providing feedback and insight. Their input will help shape REEF Ocean Explorers Education programs while helping us stay up to date with trends and emerging opportunities in the field. Click here read more about the Education Advisory Panel.
To learn more about REEF Ocean Explorers Education Programs, visit www.REEF.org/explorers or check out the "Education" tab on our website.
Author: The REEF Team
This holiday season, give the gift of healthy oceans by supporting REEF! Thanks to the support and dedication of members like you, REEF is using science, education, and research to protect the oceans, and inspiring people to take action for ocean conservation. We're so grateful to everyone who has made a donation this season. If you have not yet made a gift, please consider donating to REEF today. Your year-end contribution will help us keep our amazing momentum for marine conservation in the new year.
To show our appreciation, when you give $250 or more this winter, you will receive a signed copy of a limited edition marine life image from REEF Co-Founder Paul Humann. Each year Paul chooses a photo from his personal library as a special gift for donors. This year's image is a pair of Pennant Bannerfish photographed in Fiji. Visit www.REEF.org/donate to make a gift today. We hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful holiday, and thank you for supporting REEF!
Author: The REEF Team
This month, we say a fond farewell to David Ehlert, who served as REEF Campus Coordinator for the past four years. Originally from Kentucky, he first came to REEF as a Marine Conservation Intern during the summer of 2018. After graduating from the University of Kentucky with a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Science, David returned to REEF for the summer of 2019 as the Education and Outreach Program Lead Intern. We were thrilled to have him officially join the staff in November 2019.
As Campus Coordinator, David has been instrumental to the day-to-day operations and happenings at the REEF Campus in Key Largo. He welcomed Campus visitors with warmth and enthusiasm while ensuring that REEF members, partners, and surveyors received the tools and information they needed to actively engage with REEF’s marine conservation programs.
The REEF Campus is the central hub for our global conservation work, and David played an important role in many activities and projects, including organizing Florida Keys volunteer efforts, coordinating facility maintenance and upkeep, managing the REEF store, and assisting with donor relations and participant communications for the Field Survey Trips Program. He also served as a mentor for the REEF Marine Conservation Interns and helped develop the REEF Intern Alumni Network as a way to build and maintain connections with the 150+ individuals who have participated in the REEF Marine Conservation Internship since 1993.
We will greatly miss David’s outgoing personality, sociable nature, and love for marine life - especially Rusty, Dwarf, and Blue-gold Gobies! We’re so thankful for all that he brought to our team over the past four years, and we wish him “best fishes” as he begins his next chapter!
Author: Hilary Penner, Education and Conservation Programs Manager
We're excited to introduce our 2023 REEF Educator in the Field Fellowship recipients! This past summer, three educators joined us on REEF Field Survey Trips in Roatan and the Red Sea, where they participated in ocean citizen science and data collection, and explored how to incorporate these programs into their classroom. The 2023 REEF Educators in the Field are:
• Blair Stuhlmuller, a high school teacher from Portland, Oregon, who teaches biology and two self-designed science elective classes, marine biology and mass extinctions.
• Maki Kasai, who has a background in aquatic science and is in her 19th year teaching high school in Oakland, California.
• Jennifer Donahue, who is a school librarian and co-moderator of a marine science club in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Blair attended the REEF Field Survey Trip to Roatan, while Jennifer and Maki attended the REEF Field Survey Trip to the Red Sea. During their trips, Blair, Jen, and Maki participated in the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project and returned to their schools able to share about data collection methods and the importance of citizen science programs. Reflecting on her experience, Blair said, "I had a blast as the REEF Educator in the Field. Participating in the Roatan Field Survey Trip experience showed me the power of citizen science. It's incredible what data can be collected while doing something you love. I used to just dive for fun but after my week of surveying in Roatan, I much prefer diving with a purpose. I want to carry that underwater slate and pencil every time I dive now. I learned so much and am so happy that I could contribute to REEF's database. I can't wait to take this experience and share it with my students."
Since returning home, Blair, Maki, and Jen have implemented REEF Ocean Explorers Education activities and lessons into their classrooms and programs. They also serve as part of REEF's newly-formed Education Advisory Panel, where they assist our Ocean Explorers Education team with developing lessons and by providing valuable feedback and insight. We are thrilled to continue working with Blair, Maki, and Jen, and are thankful for their continued passion for boosting ocean literacy and furthering REEF's ocean education initiatives.
We are currently accepting applications for the 2024 REEF Educator in the Field Fellowship! This year's Educator in the Field Fellowship recipient will join the REEF Field Survey Trip to Bonaire on July 20-27, 2024, to learn about marine life and citizen science, and conduct fish surveys while scuba diving or snorkeling as part of the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project. Applications are due January 1, 2024. Visit www.REEF.org/educatorinfield to learn more and apply.
Author: Stacey Henderson, Program Services Coordinator
Want to make a difference on your next dive trip? Join a REEF Field Survey Trip to participate in meaningful ocean conservation and citizen science programs, learn about marine life, and have fun with friends. We have a year-round schedule of trips to fantastic locations all over the world. Several of our 2024 trips are already sold out, but there is still limited space remaining on some REEF Field Survey Trips next year. Below are our 2024 trips with availability. Trips are filling up quickly, so we suggest booking as soon as possible to secure your space! Contact trips@REEF.org to register, and visit www.REEF.org/trips for more details. We hope to see you on a REEF Trip soon!
Grenada: Jan 27-Feb. 3 -- 2 spaces remaining! More information here.
Galapagos: March 17-24 -- More information here.
Utila: April 6-13 -- More information here.
Indonesia - Misool, Ring of Fire, Alor, and more: April 12-24 -- 4 spaces remaining! More information here.
St. Lucia: May 4-11 -- More information here.
Bonaire: July 20-27 -- More information here.
Malta: August 24-31 -- More information here.
Grand Cayman: Sept. 28-Oct. -- More information here.
Lembeh Strait, Indonesia: Nov. 2-13 -- More information here.
Dominica: Nov. 2-9 -- More information here.
Cozumel: Dec. 7-14 -- More information here.
Author: Amy Lee, Communications Manager
REEF members are the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. A diverse community of divers, snorkelers, and ocean enthusiasts support our mission to conserve marine environments worldwide.
This month we highlight Pieter Booth, a REEF member from Washington. He is an active surveyor in the Pacific Coast of the US and Canada (PAC) region, where he has conducted more than 120 surveys. He enjoys exploring the nearby waters of the Puget Sound. We're thankful that Pieter is a part of REEF, and look forward to seeing more surveys from him in the future!
When and how did you first volunteer with REEF or become a REEF member? How did you first hear about REEF?
I have been a REEF member since 2006. I joined REEF after attending an in-person ID class with Janna Nichols. I heard about REEF through fellow divers with the Boeing Seahorse Scuba Club, one of the oldest scuba clubs on the West Coast of the US.
What inspires you to complete REEF surveys? What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned doing a REEF fish survey?
I understand the value of doing REEF surveys for the learning experience as well as the importance of the data to scientists. As an environmental scientist, I have used REEF data in evaluations of marine biodiversity in the Tropical Western Atlantic.
In your opinion, what is the most important aspect of REEF’s projects and programs?
At this time, I believe the REEF database is invaluable, given the period of acceletaed diversity loss that our planet is experiencing.
Do you dive close to where you live, and if so, what is the best part about diving there?
I dive on an almost weekly basis within two hours of my home in the Puget Sound region. I feel very fortunate to be able to observe the seasonal (and longer term) cycles of diversity and abundance in our waters. And of course, seeing iconic creatures such as Giant Pacific Octopus, Grunt Sculpin, Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers, and Sixgill Sharks.
What is the most fascinating fish encounter you’ve experienced?
Diving with the large pelagics in the Revillagigedos, in particular the Oceanic Mantas who love getting tickled by divers' bubbles and come back for repeated passes.
What is your favorite fish or marine invertebrate
My first and enduring favorite is the Grunt Sculpin. It is not only fascinating morphologically, with its armored horse-like head and bent body, but also the way it moves - by scuttling along the bottom to with lighning-fast charges to capture prey. Not to mention, it is a bit of an evolutionary enigma because its family consists of only a couple of species.
What is your most memorable fish find and why?
My first encounter with an 8-10 foot Sixgill Shark in Puget Sound. I surprised myself with my very calm and even reverential attitude, especially given that the encounter occurred in less than three feet of visibility!
Author: Sierra Barkdoll, Citizen Science Coordinator
Our online programs are free and open to all! Check out what's coming up, and view the entire schedule of Fishinars and other online programs here.
Into the Blue Book Club
Thursday, January 18, 8pm EST
Click here to register.
We're kicking off the new year by reading Rain: A Natural and Cultural History by acclaimed environmentalist Cynthia Barnett. She will be joining our meeting for a Q&A, and all are invited to join, whether or not you have read the book.
Fishinar: Look Twice - and Take Pictures! Indo Pacific/South Pacific Fish Lookalikes
Wednesday, January 24, 8pm EST
Click here to register.
Many fishes in the tropical Pacific can look remarkably similar. Chuck Curry, one of REEF's most active tropical Pacific surveyors, will share some of his tricks for distinguishing between these tricky species.
Fishinar: Common Fishes of the Galapagos
Tuesday, February 20, 8pm EST
Click here to register.
The Galapagos Islands are known for their biodiversity, endemic species, and large pelagic fish. Join us to learn about some of the most commonly seen species there.
Author: The REEF Team
There are just a few weeks remaining in the year, and if you have any REEF surveys that you haven't yet entered, it's an excellent time to dust them off and submit them into our online database. As a REEF surveyor, each survey you conduct can help make a difference in the health of the ocean, but these data must be submitted to the REEF database to make an impact! The marine life information collected by REEF volunteers is used by scientists and researchers protect our oceans. 2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project, and to celebrate, you can take part in the 30 for 30 Challenge. If you conduct and submit 30 surveys in in 2023, you are eligible to receive a special Conservation Challenge sticker and a dry bag! Click here for more info.
Did you know that your REEF surveys never expire? That means it is never too late to submit your survey data, no matter how old your surveys may be.
Author: The REEF Team
We're unwrapping a special treat for our December Fish of the Month: presenting the Ribbon Eel, Rhinomuraena quaesita!
Survey Regions: Ribbon Eels are found throughout the tropical Pacific and parts of the Indian Ocean, in REEF's Central Indo-Pacific (CIP), South Pacific (SOP), and Indian Ocean & Red Sea (IORS) survey regions. Click the links to view sightings reports for this species in each region: CIP and SOP. Ribbon Eels have not yet been reported on a survey in the IORS region, but they are known to live in the waters around East Africa.
Size: They grow to about 4 feet long.
Identifying Features: Ribbon Eels have various color phases, depending on their life stage! Juvenile Ribbon Eels are solid black. As they age, they develop color. The most recognizable color phase is that of the male, with a brilliant blue body and yellow dorsal fin, snout, lower jaw, and eyes. Female Ribbon Eels are completely yellow. Males and females also have large, fan-shaped nostrils and chin barbels.
Fun Facts: All Ribbon Eels are born male. As they get older and larger, they develop female organs and are able to lay eggs. Ribbon Eels are thought to live up to 20 years! They are rarely seen swimming and spend most of their times in burrows on the sea floor. They can be found on coral reefs as well as areas with sand or rubble, and occasionally two Ribbon Eels will occupy the same burrow.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for our next Fish of the Month.
Photos by Florent Charpin.
