Author: Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Ph.D., Co-Executive Director: Science & Engagement
We are excited to honor Dennis Bensen as 2021 REEF Volunteer of the Year. Dennis joined REEF in 2001, and quickly became an avid REEF surveyor as part of the Volunteer Fish Survey Project (VFSP). Through the years, he has earned Expert level surveyor status in both Hawaii (HAW) and the Tropical Western Atlantic (TWA) survey regions, and he is one of the few surveyors who has conducted REEF surveys in most (7) of REEF’s 10 survey regions worldwide. After living in New York for decades, Dennis moved to the Big Island of Hawaii when he retired in 2015. This move enabled him to be in the water often, and he has a weekly “Ohana” survey dive with many of his local REEF friends. In 2021, Dennis achieved a long-time goal of becoming a Golden Hamlet, when he submitted his 1,000th survey. He currently has 1,109 surveys in the REEF database. He also frequently attends REEF Field Survey Trips, having gone on 28 trips over the last two decades!
In addition to his contributions to the REEF database, he is a standout VFSP ambassador who regularly introduces new volunteers to the program. He even co-taught a REEF Fishinar about eels of Hawaii in 2021. Dennis is strongly committed to REEF’s mission and is a proud member of the REEF Legacy Society, joining others who have included REEF in their estate plans. Thank you Dennis, for your two decades of service to the organization! It’s an honor to recognize you as our 2021 Volunteer of the Year! To read more about Dennis, you can check out his Golden Hamlet Club profile here.
Author: Stacey Henderson, Program Services Coordinator
We are excited to share the 2023 REEF Field Survey Trips schedule! REEF Trips are led by marine life experts, and include diving, fish ID classes, and fun with friends. Divers, snorkelers, and families are welcome on REEF Trips. To find out more or book your space, email trips@REEF.org. We'll send you an invoice to submit a deposit to secure your space. For individual trip details and more info, please visit the links below.
We also have exciting news for educators. Teachers can earn professional development credit by joining in any REEF Field Survey Trip. 2.5 units are available from the University of California at San Diego. Contact explorers@REEF.org for details.
2023 REEF Field Survey Trips
January 21-28 -- Belize -- Belize Aggressor IV - Click here for trip details
February -- St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands -- Full details coming soon
March 18 - 28 -- Fiji -- NAI'A Liveaboard (sold out) - Click here for trip details
April 1 - 8 -- Guanaja, Honduras -- Cabanas on Clark's Cay - Click here for trip details
April 22 - 29 -- Saba -- Sea Saba Dive Center & Juliana's Hotel - Click here for trip details
May 6 - 16 -- Solomon Islands -- Bilikiki Liveaboard - Click here for trip details
May 20 - 27 -- Grand Cayman -- Cobalt Coast - Click here for trip details
June 24 - July 1 -- Costa Rica Eco-Adventure - Click here for trip details
July 6 - 16 -- Red Sea -- Grand Sea Explorer Liveaboard - Click here for trip details
July 15 - 22 -- Roatan -- CoCo View Resort - Full details coming soon
July 30 - August 5 -- Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary -- Fling Liveaboard - Full details coming soon
August 5 - 13 -- Dumaguete, Philippines -- Atlantis Dumaguete Resort - Click here for trip details
September 18 - 27 -- Misool, Indonesia -- Misool Eco Resort (sold out; rescheduled from 2021) - Click here for trip details
September 29 - October 6 -- Southern Sea of Cortez -- Rocio del Mar Liveaboard - Click here for trip details
November 4 - 11 -- Curacao -- Ocean Encounters and LionsDive Beach Resort - Click here for trip details
December 2 - 9 -- Cozumel -- Chili Charters & Safari Inn/Casa Mexicana - Click here for trip details
2024 and 2025 REEF Field Survey Trips Preview
March 17 - 24, 2024 -- Galapagos -- Galapagos Sky Liveaboard - Click here for trip details
April 13 - 24, 2024 -- Indonesia -- Blue Manta Liveaboard (sold out; rescheduled from 2022) - Click here for trip details
September 12 - 25, 2025 -- Indonesia -- Arenui Liveaboard - Full details coming soon
Can't wait until next year? The following 2022 REEF Field Survey Trips have limited space remaining:
May 7 - 14 -- St. Lucia -- Anse Chastanet Resort - Click here for trip details
July 23 - 30 -- Costa Rica - Ocean Explorers Trip -- Open to participants ages 18-25 - Click here for trip details
October 1 - 8 -- Grand Cayman -- Sunset House - Click here for trip details
Dec. 3 - 10 -- Cozumel -- Chili Charters & Safari Inn/Casa Mexicana - Click here for trip details
We hope to see you on a REEF Field Survey Trip in the future!
Author: Madalyn Mussey, Education and Outreach Program Manager
You’re invited to join in the third annual REEF Fish Out of Water Virtual 5K on June 6-12, 2022. You can get moving any way you like - run, walk, hike, bike, swim, or even paddle! You can complete the 5K (3.1 miles) in one day or throughout the week. It's a great way to celebrate World Oceans Day and make a difference for yourself, others, and the marine environment.
When you register for the 5K, you’ll choose to join one of five Fish Teams. This year's teams are: Whale Shark, Manta Ray, Ocean Sunfish, Lionfish, or Nassau Grouper. Fish Out of Water 5K participants receive a limited edition long-sleeved shirt, customizable race bib, and a waterproof set of Fish Team stickers. Registration packages start at $35. Be sure to sign up by April 30 to take advantage of the early bird discount! You can also participate in the 5K as a group by gathering your friends, family, dive buddies, or co-workers to form a Fish Shoal.
Proceeds from the Fish Out of Water 5K support the REEF Oceans for All Fund, which promotes inclusive opportunities for people to connect with, enjoy, and learn about the underwater world. By participating in the Fish Out of Water 5K, you can join in REEF's commitment to increasing inclusive programming in science, diving, and conservation. For more details and registration, visit www.REEF.org/5K. See you on the starting line this June!
Author: Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Ph.D., Co-Executive Director: Science & Engagement
Our Grouper Moon Project team returned to the Cayman Islands around the full moon in February for another month of research on the Nassau Grouper spawning aggregation on the west end of Little Cayman. Because this year was a "split moon" year, we weren't quite sure whether the major spawning activity would happen in January or February. While a few thousand fish showed up at the spawning aggregation in January, there was no spawning activity - but the fish made up for it in February. Many thousands of Nassau Grouper were present at the site, with spawning starting just two days after the full moon - the earliest our team has even documented it! Because the fish do not stay at the aggregation site longer than three or four days after they start spawning, the team worked hard to get our annual monitoring done in the condensed time the fish were present. Our team documented populations and fish sizes, and collected eggs from the spawn to conduct water temperature experiments. This was the 20th year of the Grouper Moon Project, a collaborative conservation science effort between REEF and the Cayman Islands Department of Environment, with help from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Oregon State University, and many local businesses including Southern Cross Club, Peter Hillenbrand, Little Cayman Beach Resort, and Reef Divers. To learn more, see amazing underwater footage of the Nassau Grouper aggregation, and read about what makes this project a blueprint for conservation success in the Caribbean, visit www.REEF.org/groupermoonproject.
Author: Amy Lee, Engagement and Communications Manager
Attention REEF surveyors: keep an eye out for the non-native Regal Demoiselle while surveying in the Tropical Western Atlantic (TWA) region. The Regal Demoiselle, Neopomacentrus cyanomos, is a damselfish native to a wide area of the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea. First reported as an exotic species in the Gulf of Mexico in 2016, recent reports show that the Regal Demoiselle has expanded its non-native range to southeast Florida. The species was reported in the Florida Keys in 2020 and has since moved up Florida's east coast to Blue Heron Bridge near West Palm Beach, where it was reported by a REEF member and surveyor in February. Through a collaborative effort with a team at the United States Geological Survey and Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, the Regal Demoiselle was quickly located and captured alive, operating under a Special Activity License from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The fish is now in quarantine and will soon be on display in the non-native species exhibit at the Frost Museum.
Similar in appearance to the native Brown Chromis, the Regal Demoiselle is distinguished by a yellow or white spot at the rear base of the dorsal fin, a dark spot behind the gill cover, and yellow or pale rear margins on the fins and tail. In contrast, the native Brown Chromis is identified by dark margins on the tail and a dark spot at the base of the pectoral fin. For more information about the Regal Demoiselle, check out this page, which includes a helpful table showing how to tell the difference between it and the native Brown Chromis.
Experts think that the Regal Demoiselle was introduced into the TWA by hitchhiking on oil and gas platforms relocated from their native range. Some experts also believe that the Regal Demoiselle has the potential to place mild competitive pressure on native fishes. It is important to track the spread of the Regal Demoiselle to understand the impacts it may have on native species and habitats. If you see the Regal Demoiselle while doing a REEF survey, be sure to report it by entering it under the "unlisted species" section. Please also report detailed information on the sighting to REEF through the Exotic Species Sighting Form.
Author: Amy Lee, Engagement and Communications Manager
Let's take a bite out of invasive lionfish! Please save the date and plan to join us for our 2022 Lionfish Derby Series in the Florida Keys:
Earth Day Lionfish Derby: April 22-24 at Sharkey’s Sharkbite Grill in Key Largo
This event is our 9th annual "Keys locals" derby; fishing is allowed in Monroe County waters only. Derby team registration is now open - register your team today! Click here for more info and registration.
Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival: Sept. 8-11 at Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada
Our 13th annual Florida Keys Lionfish Derby includes two full days of fishing, followed by a family-friendly festival with lionfish scoring, fillet and dissection demos, lionfish tastings, games, crafts, raffle prizes, and booths from environmentally-minded vendors. Click here for more info.
Author: Sierra Barkdoll, Citizen Science Program Lead Intern
REEF's online programs are free and open to everyone! Here's what is coming up in the next several weeks:
Tropical Pacific Damselfishes Pt. 2
Monday, April 4, 8pm EDT
Click here to register.
Join us for part 2 as Christy Semmens teaches us how to ID even more Tropical Pacific Damselfish, Dascyllus, and Demoiselles! You can also view the recording of Part 1 here.
Author: Sierra Barkdoll, Citizen Science Program Lead Intern
Join in a REEF Field Survey Trip to experience an unforgettable fish watching adventure - and complete this month's featured Conservation Challenge! Divers, snorkelers, and surveyors of all experience levels are welcome on these educational citizen science trips, led by REEF fish ID experts. Check out the full trip schedule at www.REEF.org/trips, including our newly released 2023 (and beyond) trip schedule! You are eligible to receive this sticker if you have attended any REEF Field Survey Trip in the past, or you're registered for an upcoming trip. You can see the other challenges and request Conservation Challenge stickers here: www.REEF.org/conservationchallenge.
Author: The REEF Team
The brightly colored and feisty Garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus) is our March Fish of the Month!
Survey Regions: Garibaldis are found in subtropical waters of California, part of REEF's PAC region, and can also be seen on the west coast of Baja California, which is part of the Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) survey region. You can view the Garibaldi distribution reports from the REEF database here: PAC region and TEP region
Size: They are the largest members of the Damselfish family, growing up to 15 inches.
Identifying Features: Garibaldis have a uniform bright orange body with a heart-shaped tail. As juveniles, they are covered with electric blue spots, which disappear with age.
Fun Facts: Garibaldis inhabit kelp forests and rocky reefs. Adults, especially egg-guarding males, are known to be extremely territorial. In fact, after spawning, the male Garibaldi will chase the female away almost immediately to prevent her from eating the eggs. The Garibaldi is also the state marine fish of California.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for our next Fish of the Month.
Photo by Janna Nichols.
