Author: Amy Lee, Engagement and Communications Manager
Last Friday, April 30, was REEF's first Give BIG for the Oceans event. On this day, the REEF community came together to show support for marine conservation. As a result, our members set a REEF record for most funds raised in a single day. More than 100 people donated during Give BIG for the Oceans, allowing us to exceed our fundraising goal! We are so grateful to our members for their incredibly generous support. Thank you for helping to make our first ever Give BIG for the a Oceans a BIG success!
Give BIG for the Oceans was REEF's largest single-day matching opportunity to date, with all donations being doubled up to $15,000. Thank you to the Pelton Charitable Foundation and an anonymous supporter for providing these matching funds, allowing our conservation impact to go twice as far.
If you made a donation to REEF during Give BIG for the Oceans, please keep an eye on your mailbox. As a token of our thanks, all who gave on April 30 will receive a signed photo of a Broomtail Wrasse, photographed in the Red Sea by REEF Co-Founder Ned DeLoach.
Going forward, Give BIG for the Oceans will be an annual event, with even more ways to get involved. Stay tuned for more information, and thank you to all who supported REEF during Give BIG for the Oceans!
Author: Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Ph.D., Co-Executive Director: Science & Engagement
REEF recently collaborated with the Northeast Regional Ocean Council to contribute data to the Northeast Ocean Data portal, an interactive, decision-making mapping tool. As part of the effort, a new map layer showing survey locations and observations from REEF's Volunteer Fish Survey Project was added to the Portal. The map layer depicts over 250 scuba diving locations, from Newfoundland to Virginia, where REEF volunteers have submitted reports of their observations of fish and other marine life during dives. Users can click on each location in the REEF Dive Sites and Reports layer, view the site name, and access a summary of diver surveys at that location.
Established in 2009, the Northeast Ocean Data Portal provides free, user-friendly access to interactive maps and data on the ocean ecosystem, economy, and culture of the northeastern United States. The maps show the richness and diversity of the ecosystem and illustrate the many ways that humans and environmental resources interact. The Portal is accessed by government agencies, businesses, non-government organizations (NGOs), academic entities, and individuals, and is used to inform fisheries management, maritime safety, aquaculture siting, offshore wind development, ocean planning, and other processes. Click here to visit the interactive map.
Author: Stacey Henderson, Program Services Coordinator
If you are itching to don your mask and snorkel and get back in the water, consider joining a REEF Field Survey Trip later this year! You can view the full schedule at www.REEF.org/trips. REEF Trips are led by marine life experts, and include diving, seminars about fish identification, and plenty of fun with friends. Not a scuba diver? No problem. Snorkelers are welcome on REEF Trips and any of the destinations below would be great for non-diving companions. To book your space, send an email to trips@REEF.org. More questions? Visit our FAQs page.
A sample of upcoming trips with space:
June 19 - 26 -- San Salvador, The Bahamas -- Riding Rock Resort & Marina - Click here for trip details
July 3 - 10 -- St. Eustatius -- Scubaqua & The Old Gin House - Click here for trip details
Oct. 2 - 9 -- Cayman Brac -- Cayman Brac Beach Resort - Click here for trip details
Nov. 6 - 13 -- St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands -- St. Croix Ultimate Bluewater Adventures & The Company House Hotel - Click here for trip details
Author: Amy Lee, Engagement and 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 REEF member David Meyer. David has conducted more than 450 REEF surveys, from the Tropical Western Atlantic, Hawaii, and Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean regions. After living in Bermuda for many years, he now lives in Morocco and submitted some of the first REEF surveys from Cyprus!
When and how did you first volunteer with REEF or become a REEF member? How did you first hear about REEF?
I was a member of a dive club in Bermuda when, in October 2012, Ned and Anna DeLoach brought a REEF group for a week of surveying. I was invited to join them diving one day, and I followed the REEF group fascinated. Ned hovered above a piece of rubble at North Rock, holding a mirror. A small fish came out of a hole in the rubble and scolded its mirror image. How did he know that? Another REEF diver found an octopus by spotting its eye peering out of a hole in the reef. These divers were traveling reefs and sand flats that I had dived all summer and they were seeing things I never knew were there. Onboard, everyone was excited about the fish they had spotted and the Bermuda host, Camilla Springer, offered me a yellow survey slate and a few sheets of Tropical Western Atlantic survey paper. I took them on my next dive and that changed me. Now there is never a bad dive, because there is always something to see - REEF taught me that.
What inspires you to complete REEF surveys? What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned doing a REEF fish survey?
REEF taught me to become sensitive to changes in the patterns of what I see so that I can spot the movement of a Slender Filefish in a gorgonian – something I never would have spotted before.
What is the most fascinating fish encounter you’ve experienced?
I spent half an hour in outer Hanauma Bay snorkeling alone with a large ray swmming 20 feet below me. He could have left at any time but he stayed with me. Another time, a spinner dolphin came close, and I had heard that they liked humans to twirl in the water so I twirled. It stayed close until I tired. It looked at me not with fish-like concern but with a mammalian consciousness in its eyes.
What is your favorite fish or marine invertebrate? Why is it your favorite?
The sea cucumber. I used to hate them after I picked one up in the British Virgin Islands, pressed it against my bare arm, and felt 100 little prickles dig into my skin. I bore a grudge for years, but when I moved to Harrington Sound in Bermuda and began to dive every other night, I discovered a population of sea cucumbers that spawn for several days during full moons each summer. I would invite friends to join me to watch these echinoderms, sometimes 100 at a time, swaying like Little Stevie Wonder singing “My Cherie Amour” with spawn or eggs floating and dissolving in the water column. I knew I was privileged to witness a phenomenon that had been occurring for many years, just out of sight.
Do you have any surveying, fishwatching, or identification tips for REEF members?
Have a good light. Go in at night with a friend once you know the waters. Relax your eyes sometimes and be aware of movements in the periphery. Enjoy the subtle changes in color and shade and tone that is often occurring so subtly. Donate to REEF.
Author: Madalyn Mussey, Education and Outreach Program Manager
There's still time to register for the second annual Fish Out of Water Virutal 5K, coming up on June 7-13, 2021. If you haven't registered yet, click here to do so now. Be sure to sign up soon - early bird registration rates end on May 10! When you sign up, you will choose to join one of five Fish Teams. Each fish is a popular species found in REEF's Volunteer Fish Survey Project regions.
What Fish Team will you choose? Check out the descriptions below to learn more about each fish. You can also read about each fish's "race personality" by visiting our 2021 Fish Teams page. Whether you are drawn to the fish because it's one of your favorites, it’s found in the region where you live or dive, or you connect with the fish's race personality, we look forward to seeing which Fish Team you join.
2021 Fish Out of Water 5K Fish Teams:
Bandit Angelfish are found only in Hawaii. They are often seen swimming out in the open and in pairs, and sponges are one of their favorite snacks.
China Rockfish are a solitary species found on rocky reefs from Alaska to California. They can live for a long time - in fact, the oldest China Rockfish ever documented was 79 years old!
Spiny Lumpsuckers have a small, globular body, with suckers that allow them to attach to rocks or kelp. There are various species in the northern Pacific as well as the north Atlantic. They can be a variety of colors, such as red, green, purple, or brown.
The Golden Hamlet is found throughout the Caribbean, although it is rarely seen and is a highly sought-after fish for REEF surveyors. They are a type of Seabass and can interbreed with other Hamlet species.
The Mandarinfish is a small, vibrantly colored fish species found in the western tropical Pacific. During the day they are secretive, but at dusk they emerge from their hiding places to perform an elaborate, bouncing mating dance.
Fish Teams are just for fun; there is no competition involved. You can also form a Fish Shoal to participate in the 5K with friends! Online registration is open until May 28, and in-person registration at the REEF Campus in Key Largo will be open through June 11. All participants receive a limited-edition shirt, finishers' medal, and bib. Premium registration includes a retro fanny pack and waterproof sticker set.
If you've already registered for the Fish Out of Water 5K, be sure to download our Social Media Kit and share your Fish Team with friends!
Author: Amy Lee, Engagement and Communications Manager
Fourteen teams of divers persevered through windy conditions to bring in 494 invasive lionfish during the 2021 REEF Earth Day “Locals” Lionfish Derby. Teams were permitted to fish in Monroe County waters from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, April 24. More than $2,500 in cash and prizes was awarded to teams who brought in the most, largest, and smallest lionfish.
The “Most Lionfish” category included the competitive Apex Predators division, as well as the Reef Defenders division for more casual lionfish hunters. Cash prizes were awarded for first through fourth place in the Apex Predators division. Team Forever Young led the Apex Predators with 269 lionfish. Team Bottle Buddies finished second with 120 lionfish, team Lion Kings placed third with 37 lionfish and team South Dade Spearfishers took fourth with 12 lionfish. In the Reef Defenders division, team Wild Hogs won first place with 23 lionfish. Team Pirates Cove brought in 20 lionfish for second place, and team Lion & the Ladies took third place in the division with seven lionfish.
Team Lion Kings won first place in the “Largest Lionfish” category with a 434 millimeter lionfish, which is just over 17 inches long. The smallest fish of the derby was 97 mm, harvested by team Bottle Buddies, who also caught two tiny, live lionfish to be displayed in an educational exhibit at the REEF Campus.
Due to COVID-19, this year’s event was socially distant, and all fish were received via a drop-off station at the REEF Campus in Key Largo. Although the event did not include any public festivities, plenty of photos and live video footage were shared on social media, including lionfish scoring and dissections. The awards presentation was also conducted virtually and streamed live.
Lionfish, native to the Indo-Pacific, are an invasive species in the Tropical Western Atlantic and are causing significant negative impacts to native marine life throughout the region. REEF Lionfish Derbies educate the public about invasive species, gather important scientific information on lionfish populations, and promote a consumer market for lionfish. Regular removals and events like derbies have been found to significantly reduce lionfish populations at the local scale and engage communities to continue supporting the effort and management. 2021 is the 12th year that REEF has hosted a Lionfish Derby in the Upper Florida Keys. To date, nearly 60,000 lionfish have been removed from REEF-supported derbies, outreach and research programs.
The 2021 Lionfish Derby Series will culminate with the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival on Sept. 9-12 at Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada. This 12th annual event includes two full days of fishing and a public festival with lionfish scoring and tastings, educational demos, games, crafts, raffles, and activity booths from environmentally-focused vendors. For more information, visit www.REEF.org/derby.
2021 REEF Lionfish Derby Series sponsors include Ocean Reef Conservation Association, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Postcard Inn Resort & Marina, Sharkey’s Sharkbite Grille, Forever Young Charter Company, Triad Foundation, and Mesara Foundation. All activities occured within NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary under permit.
Author: Amy Lee, Engagement and Communications Manager
REEF's online programs are free and open to everyone! Here's what is coming up over the next several weeks:
Fishy Hour: Tropical Western Atlantic Fish Jeopardy
Tuesday, May 18 at 8pm EDT
Hang out with your fellow fish geeks as we play a Jeopardy-style trivia game about Tropical Western Atlantic fishes, hosted by the always entertaining Christy and Brice Semmens.
Register here.
Fish Out of Water 5K Pre-Race Social
Wednesday, June 2 at 8pm EDT
This is a great way for Fish Out of Water 5K participants to meet their fellow Fish Team members and other race mates. Webcams are encouraged. For more info or to register for the Fish Out of Water Virtual 5K, visit www.REEF.org/5Krace.
Register here.
Into the Blue Book Club Meeting
Thursday, June 10 at 8pm EDT
Into the Blue Book Club brings together readers who love the ocean. At this meeting, we will be discussing our June book selection, Into the Planet by legendary cave diver Jill Heinerth. Jill is also attending the meeting for a Q&A!
Register here.
Author: The REEF Team
Introducing our May 2021 Fish of the Month, the Bluebanded Goby (Lythrypnus dalli)!
Survey Regions: The Bluebanded Goby is found throughout REEF's Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) survey region, where it has been reported in just over 20% of surveys. Click here to see a distribution report for this species throughout the TEP. They are also found in California, part of REEF's US and Canadian Pacific Coast (PAC) region. Click here to see a distribution report for California.
Size: They grow up to about 2.5 inches.
Identifying Features: Bluebanded Gobies have a bright red to orange body with several iridescent blue bands on their face and head.
Fun Facts: These small, brightly colored fish live on rocky reefs throughout the eastern Pacific. They eat tiny crustaceans and often hide near or underneath sea urchins. They can be territorial when defending their mating area from other Bluebanded Gobies.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for our next Fish of the Month!
[Photo by Amy Lee]
