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 Nan Schmidt, a REEF member who lives in Arizona. She joined REEF in 2022, and since then she has conducted more than 100 surveys and achieved Expert Level status in the Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) survey region. We're so thankful to have a dedicated member like Nan!

When and how did you first volunteer with REEF or become a REEF member? How did you first hear about REEF?
I learned about REEF when my friend, Annette Felix, invited me on a REEF Field Survey Trip with her several years ago. Well, I guess a more truthful statement is that I paid attention to what she was doing with all those little white forms when we were diving after she invited me and I accepted! I'm pretty sure she had told me about REEF before that. Once I had signed up for the trip, I dove right into surveying.

If you have been on a REEF Field Survey Trip, where and what was your trip highlight?
All of my REEF Field Survey Trips have been in the Gulf of California, which is where I consider myself to be at home while diving. I have been diving in many other places since I started diving in 1986, but the Gulf is by far my favorite place. I love how it changes with the seasons (the water temps vary from over a 40-degree range) and how the desert and the sea combine together to make such a beautiful environment.

What is your favorite part about being a REEF member?
I have a Ph.D. in marine science and have always enjoyed fieldwork more than anything else. Now that I am retired, volunteering for REEF gives me a chance to scratch that itch, so to speak. Plus, I've enjoyed the ongoing (and perhaps never-ending) challenge of really learning to identify the fish of the Gulf. My only regret is that REEF doesn't collect data on the inverts in this region!

What is your favorite fish or marine invertebrate? Why is it your favorite?
I love the invertebrates most of all, and the Gulf of California has great invertebrates that aren't difficult to find - although, just like the fish, sometimes they are difficult to ID! Nudibranchs and snails are my favorites, but that is a pretty loose statement! I love the algae and the rocks and how it all fits together.

"One who was born by the ocean or has associated with it cannot ever be quite content away from it for very long." John Steinbeck, The Log from the Sea of Cortez.