Author: The REEF Team
Our annual summer fundraising match ended on July 31, and we have some exciting news to share. Thanks to the outstanding generosity and support of the REEF community, we reached our goal and were able to take advantage of the full match amount of $70,000! Thank you to The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, The Henry Foundation, and The Meyer Foundation for matching all donations received throughout July.
Thank you again to everyone who made a donation to REEF during our summer match! Your support went twice as far for our ocean conservation and education programs. We are so grateful to have you by our side as we work together to ensure a healthy future for the oceans.
Photo by Amanda Hosny.
Author: The REEF Team
We recently said a fond farewell to Madalyn “Moose” Mussey, who served as REEF Education Manager for the Ocean Explorers Program for the past five years. Moose started at REEF as a Marine Conservation Intern during the Spring 2019 semester. Following this, she served as Lead Intern for the Invasive Species Program, and joined the staff in November 2019.
As Education Manager, Moose empowered countless individuals, from young students to seasoned divers, to learn about the ocean and become active stewards for marine life. From leading meaningful field-based programs, classroom experiences, and workshops, to designing accessible and fun educational resources like Virtual Field Trips and Virtual Case Studies, her passion and dedication have helped connect people to the ocean in many ways.
Moose helped develop and oversee numerous community outreach events, starting with an Earth Day event that she planned and executed during her internship. Since then, she has been instrumental in creating and establishing many of REEF’s annual outreach events, including the Fish Out of Water Virtual 5K and Arts & Science Festival, both of which engage hundreds of participants each year.
She played a key role in overseeing education and outreach for the Invasive Species Program, from leading Lionfish Collecting & Handling Workshops and other lionfish education programs, to helping to coordinate the annual Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival, one of REEF’s largest multi-day events. Moose has also been an enthusiastic and supportive mentor and supervisor, who helped foster personal and professional growth for many Marine Conservation Interns and Fellows.
She leaves a lasting impact at REEF as a dedicated team member, enthusiastic lover of marine life, inspiring educator, and a wonderful coworker and friend, and we are going to miss her! Please join us in wishing Moose happiness, success, and “best fishes” in all her future adventures!
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're pleased to introduce Byron Bishop, the newest member of the REEF Board of Trustees. Byron has been a REEF member since 2013, and joined the Board of Trustees in May 2024. He conducted his first REEF surveys in 2017, and was instantly hooked. He was intrigued by REEF’s combination of both in-the-water conservation work and public outreach efforts. A software engineer by training, Byron started his career at Microsoft, where he was a founding member and lead engineer of the group that would create Expedia, Inc. He brings to REEF a broad range of corporate and non-profit experiences from large established corporations and non-profits, to small startup for-profit and non-profit organizations. Byron is a former chair of both The Nature Conservancy of Washington and Eastside Preparatory School, and has also served on the board of the Seattle Aquarium, where he is currently a volunteer diver. In addition to working for the conservation of nature, he enjoys the outdoors and has worked as both a divemaster and a ski instructor to share his passion with others. Byron and his wife Shelia live in Seattle, where they have called home for 40 years. He brings a wealth of diverse experience and we are very excited to welcome him to the REEF Board of Trustees! To learn more about Byron, you can read his REEF member spotlight from 2021 here. You can view bios of the full REEF Board of Trustees here.
Author: Carolyn Corley, Education Coordinator
The 15th annual REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival is quickly approaching! The event features two full days of lionfish hunting, plus a fun lionfish awareness night and an awards ceremony at the REEF Campus. You can check out all the details at www.REEF.org/derby. The weekend kicks off with a Captain's Meeting to discuss safe collecting and handling procedures and derby rules on Thursday, August 15. If you haven't yet signed up and want to participate in the derby, you can register a team of 2-4 people until 6:30pm on August 15. Registration is available online here.
Teams may hunt lionfish from sunrise to sunset on August 16 and 17, and the fun continues on Saturday evening. Join us at Florida Keys Brewing Company from 4-9pm on August 17 for Invaders on Tap, a lionfish awareness celebration. This free event includes live music, lionfish tastings, educational demos, games, trivia, and giveaways. $1 from each beer sold that night will be donated to REEF’s Invasive Species Program.
Come see who will be crowned 2024 Florida Keys Lionfish Derby champions! The weigh-in and awards ceremony will be at the REEF Campus in Key Largo from 10am-2pm on Sunday, August 18. All are invited to join us for lionfish scoring, educational demos, lionfish tastings, games, and more.
This event is made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, including Ocean Reef Conservation Association and Florida Keys Brewing Company, with advertising support from the Monroe County Tourist Development Council. Thank you to all sponsors for your support of the REEF Invasive Species Program!
Author: Amy Lee, Communications Manager
Our annual REEF Fest celebration is coming up on October 17-20 in Key Largo, Florida. Join us for free, educational ocean seminars, diving, snorkeling, kayaking, nature tours, and socials! You can see all the details and register at www.REEF.org/REEFfest. We're excited to host free ocean seminars at Murray Nelson Government Center on Oct. 18 and 19. Our seminar speakers include:
- Stephen Frink, Underwater Photographer and Publisher of Alert Diver Magazine
- Natalia López Figueroa, Ph.D. Candidate, University of South Florida College of Marine Science
- Kramer Wimberley, Founder, Diving with a Purpose-Collective Approach to Restoring our Ecosystems (DWP-CARES)
- Rob Robertson, Ichthyology Collection Manager at the Florida Museum of Natural History
- Dr. Alli Candelmo, REEF Director of Conservation Science
In addition to these free seminars, REEF Fest includes plenty of chances to dive, snorkel, and kayak. Limited space is still available on our REEF Fest trips with Quiescence Diving Services and Pirates Cove Waterspots, and Florida Bay Outfitters, so be sure to book your eco-excursions soon. Tickets are also on sale for the Saturday evening celebration, For the Love of the Sea, on Oct. 19. This event is held at a beautiful location overlooking Florida Bay, and includes dinner, an open bar, and a silent auction. You can purchase tickets online when you register for REEF Fest. We hope to see you at REEF Fest in Key Largo this fall!
Author: Stacey Henderson, Field Survey Trips Program Manager
The 2024 REEF Discover the Sea Underwater Photography Contest is coming soon! Starting September 1, all photographers, regardless of skill level or experience, are invited to submit their best ocean-themed photos for this year's contest.
We will be accepting photo submissions in the following categories:
• Fish Portrait: Portrait shots of fish only; may include the fish's whole body or be framed around the head only
• Macro: Close up shots that make the subject appear "larger than life"
• Invertebrates: Photos featuring ocean life with no spine
• REEF Survey: photos may include divers or snorkelers participating in the Volunteer Fish Survey Project as citizen scientists, including conducting REEF surveys in the water, or topside survey activities such as data entry or fish ID classes.
• Habitat/Seascape/Environment: Photos of an ocean environment or seascape. They do not have to be underwater but must be marine-focused, such as over/under shots, mangroves, or topside water shots.
Be sure to save the date, and keep an eye on your inbox and our social media channels for more info!
Photo: "The Queen of Spiegel Grove" photographed in Key Largo, FL by Jack Teasley - 2nd Place, Fish Portrait category, 2023
Author: Stacey Henderson, Field Survey Trips Program Manager
There are just a couple spots left on our upcoming REEF Trip to the Maldives, coming up on January 12-22, 2025. Maldives liveaboard diving is a must-do for every avid scuba diver! This trip will follow a southern itinerary including South Ari, South Male, Vaavu, and Meemu atolls, perfect for fish enthusiasts. Made up of nearly 1,200 islands, the inner and outer reefs of the atoll are a haven for wildlife like Whale Sharks, mantas, and more!
REEF Field Survey Trips are eco-vacations led by marine life experts. Each trip features daily dives and fish ID classes for both beginners and experienced surveyors. Join us in the Maldives, or check out other upcoming trips with open space below. To book your space on a REEF Trip, email trips@REEF.org. We hope to "sea" you underwater soon!
Malta: August 24-31 -- More information here.
Maldives: Jan. 12-22, 2025 -- More information here.
Belize: Feb. 15-22, 2025 -- More information here.
Guanaja: March 22-29, 2025 -- More information here.
Nevis: May 17-24, 2025 -- More information here.
Costa Rica: June 21-28, 2025 -- More information here.
Yap: June 21 - July 2, 2025 -- More information here.
Author: The REEF Team
It's back to school time, and our August Fish of the Month is the Schoolmaster, Lutjanus apodus!
Survey Regions: Schoolmasters are common throughout REEF's Tropical Western Atlantic (TWA) survey region, and can also be found as far north as Massachusetts and as far south as Brazil. Click here to see a distribution report for this species in the TWA region.
Size: They can be 10-18 inches long and grow to a maximum of 2 feet.
Identifying Features: Schoolmasters are silver to gray and may have a yellow or reddish tint. Their fins are yellow and they can display vertical bars on their back. They also have visible teeth.
Fun Facts: Schoolmasters are in the Snapper family. They can often be seen drifting in groups near sea fans or coral heads, sometimes mixing with other Snapper or Grunt species. Juveniles can be seen in shallow bays or mangrove areas.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for our next Fish of the Month.
Photo by Janna Nichols.
