Author: Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Ph.D., Co-Executive Director: Science & Engagement
Since its launch in 1993, the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project (VFSP) has generated one of the largest marine life databases in the world. The database currently includes almost 278,000 surveys, from more than 15,000 sites throughout the world’s oceans. More than 16,000 volunteer divers and snorkelers have participated in this citizen science project. Our Top Stats page features a variety of interesting stats for each of our 10 survey regions, including the 10 most frequently sighted species, the top 10 sites for species richness, the top 25 most active surveyors, the number of surveys conducted to date, and species documented in each region. Check it out at www.REEF.org/db/stats. You can view the REEF database by clicking on the "Explore Database" link under the Volunteer Fish Survey Project tab on our website. If you have entered your own surveys, you can also check out your own individual reports under the "My REEF" tab on the website to view your life list and survey log.
REEF citizen scientists make significant and ongoing contributions to our understanding of the marine environment. It's free to participate in the VFSP, and REEF has educational and training opportunities available for beginner and experienced surveyors alike. After a survey is submitted, it goes through a rigorous error checking process to ensure high-quality data. The survey methodology was developed with support from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and guidance by the Southeast Fisheries Science Center of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). To date, more than 150 scientific publications and other reports have included REEF data. To read more about the Volunteer Fish Survey Project or how to get involved, check out www.REEF.org/vfsp.
Author: Amy Lee, Communications and Engagement Manager
Congratulations to REEF surveyors Claude Nichols and Jonathan Lavan, who recently joined the Golden Hamlet Club! This is a highly dedicated group of surveyors who have conducted 1,000 or more REEF surveys. To commemorate this significant achievement, Golden Hamlet Club members’ names are engraved on a plaque displayed at the REEF Campus in Key Largo, Florida.
Claude Nichols did his first REEF survey in 2001 at Sunnyside Beach in Washington state, after his wife, Janna (a fellow Golden Hamlet and a REEF staff member) inspired him to start surveying. Although he did his landmark 1,000th survey in Fiji, more than half of Claude's surveys have been conducted in cold water, so to acknowledge this, we presented him with a Golden Lumpsucker Award. Reflecting on his experience surveying, Claude said, "I enjoy the hunt for new species and realizing that those species have been present on many dives, but perhaps I missed them because I didn’t know what to look for. Surveying makes my dives more enjoyable."
Jonathan Lavan conducted his 1,000th survey last month during the REEF Field Survey Trip in Grand Cayman. This dive was especially memorable because not only was it his 1,000th REEF survey, he actually saw a Golden Hamlet during the dive! Jonathan did his first REEF survey in The Bahamas in 2004. Some of his favorite places to dive are the Sea of Cortez and the house reef at Anse Chatanet Resort in St. Lucia. Now that he's a Golden Hamlet, Jonathan says his goals for the future are "to keep diving, keep taking photos, and share my images and knowledge with anyone who is interested."
Congratulations to Claude and Jonathan, and thank you for your contributions to citizen science! Click here to read more about the Golden Hamlet Club.
Author: The REEF Team
The holidays are nearly here, and we're excited to kick off this season of gratitude with Giving Tuesday on November 29. Giving Tuesday is an annual movement to recognize the power of generosity and make a difference in your community. Will you save the date and plan to celebrate Giving Tuesday with REEF on November 29?
When you donate to REEF on Giving Tuesday, your donation goes directly towards protecting marine life and environments through education, citizen science, and research programs. Your gift, of any amount, makes a difference for healthy oceans. Keep an eye on your email inbox because on Giving Tuesday, we'll also announce Paul Humann's limited edition, signed, and numbered photograph, given as a gift to those who give $250 or more this winter. Your generosity makes our conservation work possible. Thank you for your support, this Giving Tuesday and always!
Author: Sierra Barkdoll, Citizen Science Coordinator
All are invited to join in our annual Oceanside Chat with Ned and Anna DeLoach on Thursday, December 8, 8pm EST. Enjoy an evening with Ned and Anna as share stories of their underwater adventures, their holiday traditions, and reflect on REEF's programs and impact. We hope to see you for this virtual holiday celebration! Click here to register.
Author: Stacey Henderson, Program Services Coordinator
With its technicolor array of hard and soft corals, schooling pelagic fish, plentiful marine life, and clear water, the Red Sea is a spot on almost every diver's "must see" list. If you've dreamed of diving the Red Sea, now is your chance! There are just a few spaces left on our Red Sea Field Survey Trip happening on July 6-16, 2023. This ten-day liveaboard trip offers the chance to explore the shipwrecks, reefs, and pinnacles of the Egyptian Red Sea, part of REEF's newest survey region. This is just our second Field Survey Trip to the area, and we'll collect much-needed data to contribute to REEF's marine life database. If you're a fish enthusiast, you won't want to miss the chance to see endemics like the Red Sea Flasher Wrasse, pictured above. REEF Trips are a great way to learn more about the fish you see on your dives. Trips are open to all surveyor levels, from beginner to expert! You can view all the details for this trip here, and contact trips@REEF.org to book your space.
Author: Amy Lee, Communications and Engagement 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 Don McCoy, a REEF member from Oregon. He joined REEF in 2009, and has conducted more than 400 surveys. Most of his surveys are from the Pacific Coast of the US and Canada (PAC) region, where he is a Level 5 surveyor. Don has also surveyed in the Tropical Western Atlantic (TWA) and Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) regions. We're thankful that Don is part of REEF!
When and how did you first volunteer with REEF or become a REEF member? How did you first hear about REEF?
I belong to a local dive club called the Portland Sea Searchers, which has been around since 1965. We started out as spearfishers who dove off the Oregon Coast. I joined the Club in 1971. Janna Nichols came to one of our meetings in 2009, and I decided at that time that doing REEF surveys might help document what we see in the areas that we dive. I try to do a couple of dives a month and do surveys on those dives. Over the last 13 years, I have done 295 surveys in the Pacific Northwest. Some of my favorite sites are in Canada. I have also done surveys in Cuba, the Sea of Cortez and Socorro Islands.
What inspires you to complete REEF surveys? What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned doing a REEF fish survey?
Since I am a veterinarian, I was attracted to the SeaDoc Society, which fellow veterinarian Joe Gaydos runs out of Orcas Island. They have supported some of the REEF Advanced Assessment Team projects in the San Juan Islands at the University of Washington Campus in Friday Harbor. I think REEF surveys were quite helpful in the documenting of the devastation of Sea Star Wasting Disease on the Sunflower Sea Star, which used to be abundant in our area. They are coming back, but slowly. Sunflower Sea Stars are a keynote species and their loss has resulted in urchin barrens and the loss of many kelp forests.
Fishing regulations in Puget Sound and Hood Canal have proven to be very helpful in protecting the resident fish. I think our surveys prove that. Rockfish are protected year-round and lingcod are only available three weeks out of the year. Most fishermen concentrate on Salmon and Steelhead, which spawn in the streams and the young go out to the ocean to feed and grow. When they come back, then they become targets for the sports and the commercial fishermen.
What is your most memorable fish find and why? Is there a fish (or marine invertebrate) you haven’t seen yet diving, but would like to?
I have seen a lot of fish and invertebrates in the fifty years I have been diving here in the Northwest. I have had octopus come after me, and have seen fish in Hood Canal gasping for breath because the oxygen level is so low. Probably my favorite fish is the Wolf Eel, maybe because it is grizzled like me. I still haven’t seen a whale underwater, but that keeps me diving. Since I dive in a dry suit, climbing back in the boat is the main challenge. The tank and weights weigh 65 pounds, and I only weigh 150 pounds. I realize that at 78 years old, my dive days are limited, but will continue to dive as long as I can.
Author: Katie Barnes, Communications and Engagement Fellow
The holidays are here, and REEF has plenty of great gifts for the ocean lover in your life! Check out our new Ocean Icon Rash Guards, featuring charismatic megafauna like the whale shark, manta ray, and sunfish. These rash guards are breathable and comfortable to wear while relaxing at home or during a day on the water. You can pair it with a visor, beanie, or a colorful REEF trucker hat for extra sun or wind protection. We also have a fun, bright blue rash guard featuring our colorful pop art-style lionfish, as well as a women's racerback-style tank top in the same design.
For your conservation-minded friends and family, we have t-shirts highlighting our programs - the Grouper Moon Project, Invasive Species Program, and Volunteer Fish Survey Project. These designs are printed on Comfort Colors shirts, which are pre-shrunk and get softer with each wash. If you're looking for a field guide, we carry a wide assortment of marine life ID books for locations all over the world. You can also symbolically adopt a Conservation Creature stuffed animal, which includes a plush, adoption certificate, sticker, and animal fact sheet. Visit www.REEF.org/store to shop our online store today!
Author: Amy Lee, Communications and Engagement Manager
We had such a blast last month at REEF Fest! Thank you to everyone who joined us in Key Largo for our annual marine conservation celebration. Check out the REEF Fest 2022 photo album to see all the fun we had throughout the weekend, including diving, snorkeling, kayaking, seminars, and socials. We had four amazing seminar speakers at this year's event, and thanks to the help of some amazing volunteers, we were able to livestream their presentations. You can view the recordings on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.
REEF Fest was made possible thanks to our sponsors, including First Horizon Foundation, Florida Keys Brewing Company, A Moveable Feast, Divers Alert Network, and Keys Weekly. Thank you to all of the attendees, sponsors, event partners and volunteers for helping to make REEF Fest 2022 a success! We're already looking forward to next year, so be sure to mark your calendar for REEF Fest 2023, on October 19-22! Keep an eye on www.REEF.org/REEFfest for more information.
Author: Sierra Barkdoll, Citizen Science Coordinator
REEF Into the Blue Book Club brings together readers who are interested in the ocean and conservation. Each quarter, we meet virtually to discuss a book related to the ocean, marine science, conservation, or diving - and the author often joins in! Click here to join the book club. As a member, you will receive emails with information on our chosen books, meeting reminders, and discussion questions. Members are also invited to join the Into the Blue Facebook group, which is the best way to stay up to date and share thoughts on the books as you're reading.
Did you know that you can earn a Conservation Challenge sticker for attending a virtual book club meeting? Visit www.REEF.org/conservationchallenge to claim your Into the Blue Book Club sticker and see other stickers you can add to your collection.
Author: The REEF Team
Meet our November Fish of the Month, the Giant Damselfish, Microspathodon dorsalis!
Survey Regions: Giant Damselfish are found throughout the Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) survey region, including the Sea of Cortez, Central and South America, and offshore islands. Click here to view a report for adult Giant Damselfish, and click here to view a report for juvenile Giant Damselfish.
Size: True to their name, they are "giant" - at least for a damselfish. They can reach over one foot long when fully grown!
Identifying Features: Giant Damselfish have a large, bluish gray to gray body. They have long, trailing tips on their dorsal, anal, and tail fins, often with thin, pale blue to white borders. Juveniles are bright blue with a couple scattered, brillant blue spots along their back.
Fun Facts: Giant Damselfish live on boulder-strewn rocky reefs and slopes, often in areas with surge and algae growth. They are most common in shallow water (25 feet or less.) Like some other damselfish species, they are terriorital and aggressvely guard their nests. Breeding males often have a pale gray head with a dark body.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for our next Fish of the Month.
Photo by Jeff Haines.
