Author: Amy Lee, Engagement and Communications Manager
REEF Fest 2021 is coming up on October 14-17. Many REEF members have already registered to join us in Key Largo, Florida, for this annual marine conservation celebration. If you haven't yet made plans to attend, we hope you will consider joining us. REEF Fest includes ocean seminars and educational workshops, evening social events with plenty of food and drinks, and opportunities for diving, snorkeling, and kayaking. Most REEF Fest events are free to attend, but pre-registration is requested. For complete event details and registration, please visit www.REEF.org/REEFfest.
The health and safety of our members, staff, and the local community remains our top priority. We’ve made modifications to the event set up and have taken additional measures to proactively support safety during the event. REEF will be following all CDC guidelines during REEF Fest, and we encourage participants who are eligible to get vaccinated to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. Participants are also encouraged to wear face masks when indoors, practice social distancing, and frequently wash and sanitize hands. All REEF Fest events will be held outdoors aside from the seminars, which are hosted in a large, well-ventilated venue. We are continuously monitoring the status of COVID-19 within the region, and will be in communication with all registered participants with additional details about safety measures in place during the event. The safety of our REEF family is our priority. After such a long stretch apart, we look forward to celebrating with you this fall.
If you have any questions, please contact events@REEF.org or call (305) 852-0030.
Author: Amy Lee, Engagement and Communications Manager
It's that time again: our biggest REEF Lionfish Derby of the year, the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival, is taking place next weekend, on Sept. 9-12. This is our 12th annual REEF Lionfish Derby hosted in the Florida Keys. With two full days of lionfish hunting and more than $6,000 in cash prizes up for grabs, plus a family-friendly festival, this is a great way for everyone to take a bite out of lionfish!
Teams of two to four people may register to compete in the derby. Registration is $100 per team. Teams may register in either the Apex Predators division (More competitive, higher prize money) or Reef Defenders (More casual, lower prize money.) Registration will close at 5pm on Thursday, Sept. 9. A Captain's Meeting to discuss safe collecting and handling procedures and derby rules will be held the same day at 6:30pm. Participants may choose to attend the meeting in person at the REEF Campus, or join virtually. More details will be emailed to registered teams. Derby participants may hunt lionfish from sunrise to sunset on Friday, Sept. 10 and Saturday, Sept. 11. Lionfish drop off stations will be available at designated hours throughout the weekend at the REEF Campus in Key Largo, Postcard Inn Resort & Marina in Islamorada, and Mote Marine Laboratory in Summerland Key.
The derby weekend will conclude on Sunday, Sept. 12 with a lionfish festival at the picturesque Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada, Florida. The festival is open to the public from 11am-3pm, and will feature lionfish tastings (individually portioned to ensure safe food handling), drink specials, demonstrations, games, interactive booths from environmentally-minded vendors, and live music from The Copper Tones, South Florida’s Soulgrass band. We'll also have an awards ceremony to announce the derby winners! Cash prizes will be awarded to the teams who harvest the most, largest, and smallest lionfish.
REEF is thankful for the support of our host venue, Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina. Home of the Original Rum Runner and World Famous Tiki Bar, this sprawling resort has a private sandy beach, two swimming pools, and onsite restaurants, as well as a marina and dive shop, allowing easy access to the ocean. Hotel guests will enjoy high-speed Internet, parking, access to beach chairs, bicycles, snorkel gear, kayaks, paddle boards, ping pong and corn hole, and more. For more information, visit www.holidayisle.com.
For more details about the event, check out the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival Facebook event. You can also stay up to date on derby info and connect with other teams by joining the REEF Invasive Lionfish Facebook Group.
For those who are not able to attend the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival in person, we will be livestreaming portions of the event throughout the weekend on Facebook and Instagram. All times listed below are in Eastern time.
2021 Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival Social Media Livestream Schedule
Saturday, Sept. 11 at 6pm: Lionfish dissection and anatomy lesson
Sunday, Sept. 12 at 11am: Lionfish scoring, overview of derby stations including fillets, dissection, and ceviche prep
1pm: Lionfish cooking demo with chef
2:30pm: Awards ceremony
If you have any questions, please contact lionfish@REEF.org or call (305) 852-0030. We hope to see you at the 2021 REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival!
PHOTO: Culinary tasting at a REEF Lionfish Derby (photo taken pre-pandemic)
Author: Amy Lee, Engagement and Communications Manager
There are still a few spaces available on the REEF Field Survey Trip to Gardens of the Queen marine park in Cuba, coming up on December 11-18, 2021. The Gardens of the Queen park is known as one of the best-preserved marine environments in the Caribbean, with frequent sightings of large predators like snapper, grouper, and sharks. It's also one of the few places where the rare Golden Fairy Basslet has been reported. Trip attendees will conduct fish surveys in this unique location and contribute valuable survey information to REEF's online database. Click here for more information about the trip.
Be sure to also check out the 2022 and 2023 REEF Trips by visiting 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. Snorkelers, families, and non-divers are also welcome. Contact trips@REEF.org for more information or to sign up for a trip today!
Author: Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Ph.D., Co-Executive Director: Science & Engagement
We are very excited to introduce the newest member of the REEF Team, Dr. Dan Greenberg. Dan will be working with REEF as a Research Associate for the next several months. He started work earlier this year to leverage REEF’s extensive Volunteer Fish Survey Project dataset, to estimate population trajectories and trends in abundance over space and time for various fish and invertebrate species. Prior to joining the REEF team, Dan was doing similar work as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. Dan is exploring how the Volunteer Fish Survey Project can fill in crucial data gaps for biodiversity science and applied ecology. One such example is his recent analysis of Goliath Grouper data collected by REEF volunteers in Florida to help inform whether a reopening of that fishery is warranted. (See www.REEF.org/goliath for more information). He is also wrapping up an analysis that compares REEF data from the Florida Keys with data collected by government researchers at NOAA as part of a systematic long-term monitoring program. Next, he will explore patterns that the REEF data show for the flora and fauna of the temperate waters of the Salish Sea in Washington and British Columbia.
Dan will be discussing his work at REEF Fest in October, where he is part of our amazing lineup of seminar speakers. Click here to see the full REEF Fest seminar schedule.
Originally from Ontario, he completed his undergraduate degree in wildlife biology at the University of Guelph and his Ph.D. at Simon Fraser University. Before turning his focus to fishes, Dan's research focused on terrestrial systems. His graduate research focused on understanding how contemporary biodiversity is poised to change in human-dominated ecosystems, and how species' evolutionary histories contribute to their present fate in this world. He has been involved in a variety of research projects across taxa and ecosystems, ranging from climate change ecophysiology in amphibians to leading biodiversity surveys in the relict church forests of Ethiopia.
To read more about the entire REEF Team, visit www.REEF.org/reef-staff-bios.
Author: Amy Lee, Engagement and Communications Manager
We recently welcomed our Fall 2021 Marine Conservation Interns to REEF. They will support the REEF team by assisting with annual events like the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival and REEF Fest, as well as education and outreach programs and daily operations around the REEF Campus. This semester’s interns bring a unique set of skills and interests to REEF. They include:
Emily Boll graduated from Bowling Green State University with a B.S. in marine biology. During college, she participated in the Coastal Ocean Studies Program at Williams-Mystic in Connecticut, where she attended field seminars and classes, and conducted research on the importance of policies for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Monument off the New England coast. She observed the effects of microplastics in the ocean during a 12-day offshore voyage in the Gulf of Maine, and has also worked in Alaska, where she studied fisheries, researched environmental stressors, and learned from Alaskan natives. Emily is looking forward to being able to contribute to outreach and conservation with other passionate REEF interns and learn more about invasive lionfish.
Lauren Mahoney grew up in the Netherlands, and earned a B.S. in biology with a marine concentration and a minor in environmental science from Duke University. In college, she spent two summers at the Duke Marine Lab studying invertebrate zoology and sea turtle conservation, and even became a Marine Lab Ambassador at Duke's main campus. She also worked in a laboratory researching environmental interactions in plants, and spent a summer in Madagascar as a coral restoration intern. In the future, she hopes to attend graduate school and study marine biology. She hopes to pursue a career in conservation and research, and aspires to become a SCUBA instructor. Lauren is delighted to be part of the REEF team this fall and cannot wait to help make a difference, no matter how big or small.
Lauryn Magno graduated from Oakland University with a B.A. in international relations and a minor in music. Originally from Michigan, she is passionate about environmental stewardship, social sciences, and environmental policy. Lauryn has worked in various policy offices, including two summers on Capitol Hill and a year in the U.S. Embassy’s Pacific ESTH Hub in Suva, Fiji, where she completed research on international deep sea mining governance. Lauryn is interested in marine and coastal resource governance, and is excited to combine her research experience with her enthusiasm for education and community outreach. In the future, she plans to attend an interdisciplinary marine systems and policies graduate program.
Our interns are a vital part of REEF and we couldn’t accomplish our work without them. For more information about the Marine Conservation Internship or to apply for an upcoming semester, visit www.REEF.org/internship.
Author: Stacey Henderson, Program Services Coordinator
We are pleased to share the results of this year's 'Discover the Sea’ Photography Contest! Thank you to everyone who participated and a special thanks to all of the members who submitted photos. We had more than 225 entries submitted from all over the world, showcasing some incredible marine life. More than 2,220 votes were cast to choose the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners for each of our five photo categories: Fish Portrait, Macro, Invertebrate, REEF Themed, and Environment/Reefscape/Habitat. You can view the gallery of all the winning photos here. Congratulations to all of the winners, and thank you to everyone who entered or voted in this year's contest. See you next year!
Author: Sierra Barkdoll, Citizen Science Program Lead Intern
REEF's online programs are free and open to everyone! Here's what is coming up over the next several weeks:
Fishinar: Common Fishes of the Red Sea
Tuesday, September 7 at 8pm EDT
The Red Sea is full of fascinating fishes, making it a favorite spot for many divers. Learn how to recognize some of the fishes you may encounter there, including the Exquisite Butterflyfish, our September e-News Fish of the Month!
Register here.
Into the Blue Book Club Meeting
Thursday, September 23 at 8pm EDT
Into the Blue Book Club brings together readers who love the ocean. At this meeting, we will be discussing our September book selection, Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson. Robert is also attending the meeting for a Q&A!
Register here.
Author: The REEF Team
Introducing our September 2021 Fish of the Month, the Exquisite Butterflyfish (Chaetodon austriacus)!
Survey Regions: This species is found in REEF's Indian Ocean and Red Sea (IORS) survey region. It is common in the Red Sea, and also occurs in southern Oman, although sightings are rare. Check out the REEF database sightings report for this species here.
Size: They grow to about 6 inches.
Identifying Features: Exquisite Butterflyfish have a yellow body with gray stripes and a mostly white dorsal fin. They have a black tail and anal fin, as well as a dark blotch below their dorsal fin.
Fun Facts: Exquisite Butterflyfish are found in areas of rich coral growth, where they feed on sea anemone tentacles and coral polyps. They are territorial and like most Butterflyfish, are typically seen in pairs.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for our next Fish of the Month.
[Photo by Carol Cox]
