Author: Christy Pattengill-Semmens, REEF Director of Science
As another amazing year draws to a close, we are reaching out to our valued members to contribute financially. REEF is a member-driven organization that is focused on the conservation of our world's ocean environments. The key to our 20-year success story is a close partnership between our volunteers, contributors, and staff, who share both an affinity for marine wildlife and a commitment to its sustainability. As never before, we are counting on your tax-deductible financial support, which is the cornerstone of our grass-roots efforts to protect the marine environment. Watch your mail for REEF's Fall fundraising drive, or better yet, donate today using our secure online form.
We are lucky once more that REEF co-founder and marine life photographer, Paul Humann, has donated a special signed print as a premium gift for REEF members who contribute $250 or more. This year's print features a beautiful South Pacific reef scene, illustrating a diversity of colorful coral and tropical fish.
Since its inception, REEF’s accomplishments have been powered by volunteers and donations from members like you. We attribute our longevity to service, ethics, innovation, and the wise use of your funding. We are proud to maintain one of the lowest administrative to program cost ratios in the non-profit sector. Yet we are still able to increase our services and support long-term projects, such as:
The Volunteer Survey Project;The Grouper Moon Project, and;The Lionfish Invasion Research Program
We hope that we can count on your support during our Fall fundraising drive. We are tightening our belts and doubling our efforts to keep our long tradition of service alive during these challenging financial times. Please consider REEF’s unique environmental mission, our 20-year track record of service and growth, the power of volunteers, and our sterling reputation as a can-do, no-nonsense organization that appreciates, respects, and gets the most out of your contributions. Thank you for considering a gift of any size, we truly appreciate your support and your belief in our mission. Donate today using our secure online form - https://www.REEF.org/contribute.
Author: Lad Akins, REEF Director of Special Projects
REEF is working in close partnership with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) to diligently track lionfish reports and initiate removal efforts in South Florida. The first confirmed lionfish in the Florida Keys was reported and captured within 24 hours in January 2009 (see previous enews article). Subsequent early reports in March-June were met with successful rapid response. However, beginning in July, reports began to increase beyond the capacity and range of available trained responders. To help combat the growing problem, REEF introduced over 100 on-the-water professionals to the latest lionfish information and collecting and handling techniques during workshops held in Key Largo, Marathon and Key West earlier this Fall. The workshops were funded by the NOAA Aquatic Invasive Species Program.
Because most Florida Keys reefs are managed under the guidance of the FKNMS and some of the most visited sites are no-take Sanctuary Protected Areas, special protocols and permits were developed to allow removal of lionfish in safe, effective and environmentally considerate manners. The goal of the program is to continue to track sightings and remove lionfish as soon as they are sighted to minimize impacts on key reef areas. Successful control of invasive lionfish requires adaptive management to include involving the general public and REEF is proud to be a part of this effort. With a large corps of dive professionals trained and additional workshops planned for early next year, the Keys are working to stay ahead of the invasion through early detection and rapid response. To report a lionfish sighting, visit REEF's Exotic Species Sighting Form -- http://www.reef.org/programs/exotic/report For more information on the program or to join in future workshops, contact Lad Akins at Lad@reef.org or call REEF HQ at (305) 852-0030.
Author: Heather George, REEF Board of Trustees
Our t-shirt may say, “It’s all about the fish”, but if you’ve been on a REEF trip, you know it’s about the people too. Diving with like-minded enthusiasts who share your interest in learning more about our underwater world is one of the best ways to spend your dive vacation! Our recent trip to Curacao was no exception – a great group of surveyors of all levels came together to share their knowledge, fish encounters, and a lot of fun. Experts Doug Harder and Kay Tidemann showed us some of the unusuals, including the delicate Pale Cardinalfish and a rare reverse-pattern Goldentail Moray. We even taught our divemaster Elric about some of the various phases of wrasses and parrotfish. At the end of the week, our sister team of Helen and Sally Davies both passed their Level 3 tests, and beginning surveyors Amy Kramer and Norm Valor are now officially at Level 2.
If you are interested in taking a “dive (trip) that counts” and making new friends, there is no better way than to join us on a REEF trip next year. Our diverse schedule has something for everyone, and some trips are already starting to fill up…only a few spots are left on the Belize Lionfish trip for example. To see the full 2010 trip calendar, just click here and scroll down the page to find a trip that fits your schedule!
Please call 1-877-295-REEF (7333) to make your reservations or you can e-mail our dedicated REEF Travel Consultant at REEF@caradonna.com.
REEF Trip Schedule 2010 -- Prices, package details and more available online.
Dominica with Dive Dominica and Ft. Young Hotel -- April 17-24, 2010. Led by Heather George. Belize with Sun Dancer II Liveaboard -- May 1-8, 2010. Lionfish Research Expedition, Led by Lad Akins and Peter Hughes. Roatan with Turquoise Bay Resort -- July 17-24, 2010. Led by Paul Humann. Cozumel with Aqua Safari and Safari Inn -- August 14-21, 2010. Led by Sheryl Shea. Key Largo with Amoray Dive Center -- August 26 - September 2, 2010. Sea Critter Seminar, Led by Ned and Anna DeLoach. Bonaire with Buddy Dive Resort -- September 26 - October 2, 2010. Field Survey and Coral Spawning Expedition, Led by Jessie Armacost. Sea of Cortez/Baja Mexico with Rocio del Mar Liveaboard -- October 9-16, 2010. Led by Drs. Christy and Brice Semmens. Grand Cayman with Dive Tech and Colbalt Coast -- November 6-13, 2010. Led by Lad Akins.
Author: Jane Bixby, REEF HQ Office Manager
Once again, REEF participated in the dive industry show, DEMA. We showed off all of the cool REEF gear, including our new lionfish t-shirts, which were a hit, as well as all of the REEF survey essentials. We also spoke with many dive instructors who were looking for new types of classes to teach. The REEF Fish ID curricula certainly fit the bill. A lot of networking was done and new friends made. And lots of people signed up for a free REEF membership. Thanks to generous sponsorship by Sherwood Scuba, we were able to host visitors and spread the word about REEF in a large double booth. As always, we couldn’t have done it without the help of several REEF volunteers. A big thank you goes to Jim and Mary Jo Davis, Robyn Churchill, Tom and Kay Wells, Lureen Ferretti, Deb Deavers, Beth Olsen, Andy Dehart and Park Chapman for all of their help at the REEF booth. Paul Humann and Anna DeLoach also spent a considerable time in the booth, to the delight of the dive community that happened to pass by! All in all, a truly enjoyable experience!
Author: Lad Akins, REEF Director of Special Projects
REEF is continuing our ground-breaking research and outreach on the lionfish invasion with projects in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. The project is supported with funding from the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Grant and the Buck Island REEF National Park and long-time supporters Henry Foundation, Oceans Foundation and Munson Foundation. REEF researchers have teamed with Simon Fraser University (SFU) and will be collaborating with the St Croix Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources to implement an 18 month project aimed at increasing awareness, conducting hands-on training and determining effectiveness of removal strategies to deal with the recent lionfish invasion.
In August and October of this year project teams joined up with local dive operators, NGOs, and state and federal agencies to conduct numerous lionfish workshops and seminars as well as initiate studies of local reef areas. REEF volunteers and researchers from the National Aquarium, National Park Service, and SFU spent more than 24,000 minutes underwater conducting detailed surveys of 16 sites in each area. In addition, the team initiated meetings to develop response plans and increase awareness of local communities about the lionfish issue. REEF is looking for funding to continue this effort beyond the current December 2010 project endline. For more information or to contribute to this or other lionfish research efforts, contact lad Akins at Lad@reef.org or call (305) 852-0030.
If you see a lionfish on a survey while in the western Atlantic, or any non-native species, please report it through REEF's Exotic Species Sightings form here -- http://www.reef.org/programs/exotic/report
Author: Christy Pattengill-Semmens, REEF Director of Science
Active REEF surveyor, Mike Bear, and other San Diego area divers started noticing something unexpected earlier this year -- increasing numbers of encounters with the Bluntnose Sevengill Shark, Notorynchus cepedianus, also known as the Broadnose Sevengill shark. Knowing first hand the impact that divers and snorkelers can have as citizen scientists, Mike set up a website - http://sevengillsharksightings.org -- to serve as a central repository for photographic, videographic and written data on these magnificent creatures. Submissions on the site will allow REEF surveyors who are lucky enough to encounter this prehistoric species to provide additional information and images beyond the sighting and abundance information recorded as part of their REEF survey. It will also enable divers who were not doing a REEF survey to report their encounter. One of the most interesting parts of the website will be the development of an informal photographic database of Sevengill sightings that will facilitate the comparison of photographs and the potential identification of individual sharks using the unique pattern of dark "freckles" on the backs of each shark, similar to the patterns seen on whale sharks. To date, six REEF surveys in San Diego have reported a Sevengill (click here to see the sightings report).
Author: REEF Staff
Check Out the REEF Store! It's your one stop shop for all of your REEF Gear, ID Books and REEF Survey Supplies. Just added - "Not On My Reef" Lionfish Invasion Research T-shirts.
Remember REEF in Your Year-End Giving We need your help to continue REEF's important marine conservation work. Please donate during our Fall campaign using our secure online donation form, by mailing a check to REEF HQ, PO Box 246, Key Largo, FL 33037, or call the office at 305-852-0030. Every amount helps and donations are 100% tax-deductable. Donations of $250 or more will receive a limited edition signed print of a South Pacific coral reef by Paul Humann. Our secure online donation form is https://www.reef.org/contribute
Holiday Open House at REEF HQ If you will be in the South Florida area next week, please join us at REEF Headquarters in Key Largo (MM 98.3) for our Holiday Open House on December 8 from 6 - 8 PM. Ned and Anna DeLoach will be on-hand to sign books and talk fish, and our Gift Shop has lots of unique holiday gifts. Call REEF HQ at 305-852-0030 or email reefhq@reef.org to find out more information
Become a Fan of REEF on Facebook. The REEF Facebook Page gives you the latest information about REEF's programs and events, our marine conservation work, and see exclusive content and stories. It's also a great place for our members to post pictures, fish stories and whatever is on their mind.
