Palm Beach Florida Bring in over 1000 lionfish to help control population
Filed under: Events, Fish, Lionfish, Reefs, Reference, Report
Cozumel Lionfish and Whaleshark Expeditions + More
You are invited to join a group of divers on a number of expeditions September 3-10, 2011. The adventure begins Saturday September 3rd when you arrive on the island of Cozumel Mexico. Your all expense paid package includes an all inclusive week of 8 days, 7 nights hotel with meals and drinks, plus 10 dives. Sunday we are offering an all inclusive adventure to the whaleshark migration. This is an all day event where we shuttle over to the mainland and are brought up north to the boats to be shuttled out to locate migrating whalesharks. You will have the opportunity to get into the water an film the majestic creatures and they feed and migrate. You are then brought to an island where we will enjoy a delicious lunch before heading back to Cozumel. Monday offers an opportunity … Read entire article »
Filed under: Adv. Open Water, Boats, Cavern, Diver, Drift, Events, Featured, Fish, Lionfish, Master Diver, Open Water, Photography, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Sharks, Specialties, Travel, Trip Invitations, Videography, Whaleshark
7 Days Left in Summer Matching Campaign
Reef Environmental Education Foundation There are only 7 days left in our Summer Fundraising Campaign, and we have an additional $10,000 to raise in order to reach our goal! REEF Board of Trustees and Staff send out a big thank you to all of those who have already donated. 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. Don’t forget that every contribution gets matched dollar for dollar by the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation! So double your donation today and help us meet our goal of raising $60,000 in 60 days. Support from members like you have made it possible for REEF to fill data gaps … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Fish, Lionfish, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Report, Volunteer
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 – 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
The exploitation of the Manta Ray
What is a Manta Ray? Click on this link R. Aidan Martin and the ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research and spend 15 minutes to read about Manta Rays. Facinating creatures. You may spend 15 more minutes to read on the Biology of the Manta Ray. These gentle giants are passive and impose no threat to humans. What I am about to describe is occuring in countries all around the globe, Manta Rays are being slaughtered in unlimited numbers. What is being spread is just like the exploitation of Shark Finning, Manta Rays are being killed off for the same reasons, their gills for soup and traditional medicines to the asian continents. We do know that the slow maturation and reproductive cycles are cause for concern. The reproductive rate of the Manta Ray is slow. With the slughtering occuring at rates … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Fish, Manta Rays, Reference, Report, Sharks
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
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
South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council
January/February 2011 Public Hearing and Scoping Meeting Series The Council will hold a series of public hearings and scoping meetings regarding fisheries management measure proposed for several federally managed species, including those within the snapper grouper management complex, dolphin (fish), wahoo, golden crab and octocorals within the South Atlantic region. These measures will impact both commercial and recreational fishermen. Members of the public are invited to attend the meetings at any time between the hours of 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM to learn more about the proposed actions and provide formal comments to Council members in attendance (See schedule below). Written public comments will be accepted until February 14, 2011. Email addresses for individual amendments are included below. Hard copies may be mailed to the Council office using the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Boats, Featured, Fish, General Question, Open Water, Reefs, Reference, Report
Sharks – What do you believe?
I am sitting here reading about one of my favorite species, Sharks. It does not matter which kind, any shark. What I am seeing and reading concerns me. This morning I was reading on a website dedicated to sharks. I went to the page in hopes to find resources on the subject. What I find are commercials to dive with the sharks. This is done by bating, bringing in food to attract the sharks so others may interact with them or photograph them. It is not natural for sharks to be fed by humans and to associate humans with food. The next association will be man is food. When this occurs, humans will scream sharks are human killers, never looking at the past for the cause and reasons for the … Read entire article »
Help REEF Make A Difference
Just a few days remain to get your donation in for the 2010 tax year. Please consider supporting the important marine conservation work that REEF conducts. Click here to donate using our secure online form, or you can mail your donation to PO Box 246, Key Largo, FL 33037. The REEF Survey Project database – the largest marine life species database in the world – is frequently used by the scientific community for a variety of studies that this year included the following scientific publications: An article on the decline of sharks and rays by Christine Ward-Paige et al. “Large-Scale Absence of Sharks on Reefs in the Greater-Caribbean: A Footprint of Human Pressures.” PLoS-ONE; An article evaluating patterns of hamlet distributions … Read entire article »
Filed under: Adv. Open Water, Artificial Reefs, Events, Fish, Open Water, Photography, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Report, Training, Videography, Wrecks