Divetalking » Artificial Reefs
New Artificial Reef off NE Florida
July 28th, off Duval County, Jacksonville Florida in an area known as Floyds Folly (FF), over 700 tons of concrete culvert pipes, pill boxes and more were placed. The second placement in two weeks for NE Florida. Pictures of that days event may be see at the TISIRI web site. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs
Making It Count — June 2011
Please support REEF and the critical work we do by donating generously. Making It Count – June 2011 Support Marine Conservation and Your Donation Will Be Doubled By Paul Humann, REEF Board of Trustees During our Summer Fundraising Campaign, we reach out to you, our valued members, and ask for your financial support. Your contribution will ensure that our important marine conservation work can continue. Donations made during the campaign will be matched dollar for dollar by the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, doubling the impact of your support. You can donate securely online at www.REEF.org/contribute, mail your donation to REEF at PO Box 246, Key Largo, FL 33037, or call us at 305-852-0030. REEF is making a difference in the marine environment. We strive to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Fish, Grouper, Lionfish, Manatee, Photography, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Report
REEF Database Hits Landmark
On behalf of all of us at REEF, we would like to thank everyone who has already donated to our summer matching campaign. All donations have been matched dollar for dollar by the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation! If you haven’t yet had a chance, please donate today – either through our online secure donate form (https://www.REEF.org/contribute), or by calling REEF HQ at 305-852-0030. Financial support from members like you ensure we can continue our valuable data collection programs. Yesterday, we celebrated REEF’s 150,000th survey submitted to our database! The lucky 150k survey was conducted by Ross Whiteside on June 13 at Mixing Bowl in Little Cayman. Ross and his wife, Terri, have been active REEF members since 2002 and are members … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Report
Reef Environmental Education Foundation
Today is World Oceans Day! Join us at REEF in celebrating by reviewing just a few of our recent accomplishments. We also reach out to you, our valued members, and ask for your financial support to ensure that our innovative approaches can continue to make a difference. Donations made during the next 60 days will be matched by the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, doubling the impact of your support. You can donate securely online at www.REEF.org/contribute, mail your donation to REEF at PO Box 246, Key Largo, FL 33037, or call us at 305-852-0030. Our innovative approach to marine conservation is illustrated by REEF’s Grouper Moon Project. Endangered Nassau grouper are known to group spawn at sites where various currents converge. The resulting larvae then float away on these currents. For … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Featured, Reefs
Fishing for a cure
While I was participating a highway cleanup Saturday morning with the Jacksonville Reef Research Team, TISIRI’s Joe Kistel was present at the Fishing For A Cure with The David Garrard Foundation. The event is intended to show support for our foster kids and their parents. It was a great weekend of activities and the weather cooperated all weekend long. Saturdays fishing event had everyone who caught something being a winner. Pictures from Saturday fishing tournament may be found at tisiri.com. Sundays event had us beginning with breakfast, then a boat ride off shore St. Augustine. The kids were great and I believe all of the kids caught something. We did have a couple that caught Cobia (two) and a couple that caught Atlantic Spade (two – but one fell off the hook … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Boats, Events, Photography, Reefs, Report, Videography
TISIRI – Name YOUR Reef Program
TISIRI met with WJXT early Saturday morning to broadcast the following announcement, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Boats, Featured, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Report, Wrecks
REEF – Making it count – March 2011
Making It Count – March 2011 Putting It to Work: Who’s Using REEF Data, March 2011 By Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Ph.D., Director of Science Every month, scientists, government agencies, and other groups request raw data from REEF’s Fish Survey Project database. Here is a sampling of who has asked for REEF data recently and what they are using it for: – An educator and researcher from the University of Connecticut is using data as part of a field science class. His students will use the data to evaluate fish populations in advance of their field coursework. – A postdoc from the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce is using data from Stetson Bank in the Gulf of Mexico (part of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary) to evaluate changes … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Fish, Grouper, Manatee, Manta Rays, Open Water, Reefs, Reference, Report
Lionfish and Whaleshark Expeditions September 3-10, 2011
September 3 – 10, 2011 I will be visiting Cozumel to create a documentary on the subject of Lionfish. Lionfish I am opening the Lionfish expedition up to individuals who have a need to experience Lionfish handling and would like to experience the consumption of any lionfish caught the day of your expedition. Your time will begin with about a 1 hour introduction to the nature of Lionfish, where they are from, what they mean to the local environment, techniques for safely handling. We will then proceed to the boat, heading to locations to begin the hunt for the lionfish. The days diving ends with the proper handing to clean and prepare the lionfish caught that day for consumption. Yes, you will be eating any lionfish caught that day. A lionfish cookbook … Read entire article »
Filed under: Adv. Open Water, Artificial Reefs, Boats, Cavern, Divemaster, Diver, Drift, Events, Featured, Fish, Instructor, Master Diver, Open Water, Photography, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Sharks, Specialties, Training, Travel, Trip Invitations, Videography, Whaleshark, Wrecks
Artificial Reefs
In the February issue of National Geograhic is the article “From Relic to Reefs” in it you will find an exciting story of what artificial reefs do for our ecology and economy. If you are a diver, you will understand the approach from underwater on a sunken object. Some placed there intentionally and some unintentional. The research is in studying the benefits of such placements and the reasons why. Besides bringing pleasure to divers, artificial reefs aid in building homes and safety stops or stations for nomadic creatures as well as those looking for a safe place to setup residence. They also provide a place for fisherpeople to go to catch bait and to catch prey. The economy prospers wth the increase of sales in sporting goods, fishing and diving, boating … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Featured, Reefs, Reference, Report
Reef Research and Reef Building Opportunities
Hello, I want to provide you with an update to our artificial reef projects. To date, we have 100’s of tons of concrete looking for a home. We have willing receipients, we have no money for the projects. While we investigate available avenues for the income, we continue to hunt for material suitable for reefing. Though concrete is a favorite, other material may do, such as steel. Should you learn of any opportunity around the state of Florida in need of experience people to work side by side in placing a reef in your area, please feel free to contact me or visit the TISIRI web site. If you line in or near Jacksonville, Florida and would like to become involved with reef research and artificial reef creation, please visit the Jacksonville Reef Research … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Featured, Fish, Reefs, Report
REEF Making It Count — February 2011
Making It Count – February 2011 Exciting Results from the 2011 Grouper Moon Project By Brice Semmens, Ph.D., Grouper Moon Project Lead Scientist Researchers and volunteers from REEF, along with staff from the Cayman Islands Department of the Environment, have just wrapped up another year of study on Nassau grouper spawning as part of the Grouper Moon Project. Our work this year focused on the spawning aggregation in Little Cayman, which is the largest (and one of just a few) known remaining aggregations of Nassau grouper in the Caribbean. Highlights from this year’s work include:- REEF launched the Baby Grouper Adrift! webpage, which shows the results of state-of-the-art satellite drifter research being conducted. Working with scientists from Oregon State University, the Adrift project aims to better understand where Nassau grouper larvae end up … Read entire article »
Filed under: Adv. Open Water, Artificial Reefs, Events, Grouper, Open Water, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Report
Divers want marine sanctuary in waters around Blue Heron Boulevard bridge
RIVIERA BEACH — Scuba divers are asking Palm Beach County to begin the process of designating the waters around the Blue Heron Boulevard bridge and Phil Foster Park as a marine sanctuary. The move is intended to stop the collection of tropical fish for aquariums. County Commissioner Karen Marcus said divers approached her to request the sanctuary designation, which the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission would have to approve. She was surprised to learn that the waters around the park and the bridge have become an internationally recognized hot spot for divers and underwater photographers. “This is a beautiful place, and I think biologically it’s very important,” said George Burgess, a zoologist who studies fish and the director of the Florida Program for Shark Research … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Diver, Fish, Open Water, Photography, Reefs, Reference, Report, Training, Videography
Urgent Legislative Alert Regarding Goliath Grouper
Next week, the State of Florida will decide the goliath grouper’s fate. Since 1990, possessing or harvesting this fish has been prohibited by law. After reviewing the available studies and reports, the PADI organization believes it is prudent to maintain the current “no-take” status quo until compelling evidence that the population has satisfactorily recovered to levels that would sustain harvesting is presented. The PADI organization believes it is premature to opening the fishery now because: – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s staff analysis indicates there is insufficient data to use detailed assessment methods, thus requiring more assumption-based (rather than data-based) assessments. 2011 Goliath Grouper presentation – page 9<http://myfwc.com/docs/CommissionMeetings/2011/Feb/GoliathGrouperStock_presentation.pdf> – In the required formal review of the State’s goliath grouper population assessment, the appointed independent scientific panel deemed the assessment was not suitable because of these data … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Events, Featured, Fish, Reefs, Reference, Report