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Marine conservation with interactive games

Marine conservation with interactive games

Click on Image As students return to the classroom for the new school year, educators and parents can encourage continued learning with Gone Fishin’ games. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), in partnership with … … Read entire article »

Filed under: Aqualung, Artificial Reefs, Boats, Conservation, Divetalking, Earth, Education, Featured, Fish, Games, Grouper, Lionfish, Lobster, Manatee, ocean, Reefs, Reference, Training, Wrecks

REEF Webinars / Fishinars

REEF Webinars / Fishinars

Some call them webinars. We call ’em Fishinars! Fishie fun in the comfort of your own home. Great for first-timers or those wanting a review. These short, free webinars will teach you the finer points of identifying fish and invertebrates underwater. We use common names, not scientific names, and focus on how to ID each critter. Fishinars help divers learn how to become citizen scientists and help monitor marine life on their recreational dives. Data gathered goes into … Read entire article »

Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Dive Planner, Diver, Divetalking, Earth, Education, Featured, Fish, Grouper, ocean, Preservation, Quiz, Reefs, Reference, Sharks, Training, Tuna, Turtles

NE Florida Lionfish Derby, 2013

NE Florida Lionfish Derby, 2013

[singlepic id=965 w=320 h=240 float=center] It was Friday August 23, 2013 and we met at Nippers for the required Captains Meeting. The room was filled with guest speakers and participants from all across Florida and part of Georgia. It would be the last opportunity to signup and participate in the Derby with awards as high as $1500.00 going to the team with the most lionfish. During the evening, speakers Walt Quinn (2013 Derby Director and proprietor), … Read entire article »

Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Boats, Contest, Diver, Divetalking, Donation, Earth, Education, Events, extinction, Featured, Fish, Games, Grouper, Lionfish, ocean, Open Water, Promotions, Recognition, Reefs, Reference, Report

Goliath Grouper conservation survey

Please consider taking the time to complete this survey. It’s rather long but only took me about 15 minutes to complete. It was sent to saltwater fishing license holders in Florida. I’m disturbed by the sample of stakeholders for the survey. I hope that divers will participate to get a more diverse sample of opinions. Commercial fisherman are of the opinion that there are now too many goliath groupers and want to open the season to kill them. They complain that Goliath steal their catch. Scientific evidence has shown that although goliath grouper have made a miraculous recovery, the breeders are still rather young and cannot handle the pressure of a harvest. Click here to take the SURVEY     … Read entire article »

Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Conservation, Divetalking, Earth, Education, extinction, Featured, Fish, Grouper, ocean, Open Water, Preservation, Promotions, Reefs, Reference, Report

Submit news worthy event for 1000’s to see

So you believe you have something that is publishable? Are you privileged to new that is currently happening or worthy event occurring in your area that you would like to share? Send your story or news to story@divetalking.com Our Master Editor will review your submission. Candidates submissions of events and news are reviewed my the Master Editor and any submission chosen is then sent to the Chief Editor. If the Editor in Chief likes your submission, we may contact you for further details and publish your story/news on divetalking.com Subjects submitted should be related to ocean awareness, conservation or local events yet can be any subject if related to water, fresh or salt. For example: Diver finds lost ship, or whales found offshore, turtles begin breeding, and so on. They can be a long time … Read entire article »

Filed under: 3D, Adv. Open Water, Artificial Reefs, Badge, Boats, Candidate, Cave, Cavern, Computers, Conservation, Convention, Dive Planner, Divemaster, Diver, Divetalking, Dolphin, Drift, Earth, Education, Emergency/FirstAid, Events, Expo, extinction, Featured, Fish, Grouper, Indonesia, Instructor, Insurance, Killer Whale, Lionfish, Manatee, Manta Rays, Master Diver, ocean, Open Water, ozone, Photography, Preservation, Products, Promotions, Quiz, RDP, Rebreather, Rebreathers, Recall, Recognition, Recreational Dive Planner, Reefs, Reference, Regulators, Report, Rescue, Rescue Diver, SeaLions, Sharks, Shrimp, Specialties, Springs, Stories, Summit, Training, Travel, Tuna, Turtles, Videography, Whales, Whaleshark, Wrecks

Explosive Fed. Mandate Killing Thousands of Red Snapper

MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) A federal mandate to remove old, abandoned oil and gas rigs in the Gulf of Mexico is blowing up a lot more than just the rigs. Undercover video obtained by Local 15 shows thousands of pounds of dead fish, mostly red snapper, floating to the surface after one of the controversial demolitions in the Gulf. “Good Lord,” marine scientist Dr. Bob Shipp said, when Local 15 showed him the video. “As a scientist, I think it’s abominable.” Shipp said the demolitions are frequent, sometimes three a week in the Gulf, but are seldom video-taped. Shipp also sits on the Gulf Fisheries Management Council, and has been a strong opponent of the demolitions. “It’s a double whammy,” Shipp said, “Not only are we killing a lot of snapper, but we’re also destroying … Read entire article »

Filed under: Alert, Artificial Reefs, Conservation, Divetalking, Earth, Education, Featured, Grouper, ocean, Preservation, Reefs, Reference, Report, Stories

Recreational Use of Artificial Reefs Contributes $253 Million to Six Florida Counties

By: Michelle Klug Many Floridians and visiting tourists enjoy the crystal blue waters that provide sunny days of fishing, diving and leisure time. Researchers have found that popular boating destinations are the artificial reefs that have been built around Florida. Artificial reefs attract locals and tourists alike, pulling in $253 million to six Florida counties in one year, as well as providing habitat for sealife. These infrastructures are built using man-made materials such as concrete blocks, tires, PVC piping, old sunken ships or sunken oil rigs. They provide a habitat for an array of algae, coral, fish and shellfish, as well as preventing erosion. IFAS researcher Bob Swett and his team investigated the economic impact artificial reefs provide, as well as who is using the reefs and what components are generating economic profit … Read entire article »

Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Conservation, Diver, Divetalking, Education, extinction, Featured, Fish, Grouper, Lionfish, Manatee, ocean, Open Water, Photography, Preservation, Recognition, Reefs, Reference, Report, Training, Wrecks

Cozumel September 2011

In September 2011, a team of divers visited Cozumel Mexico. Our goal was many fold. We all arrived Saturday the 3rd except for one diver who arrives Sept. 1st and departed on the 5th, while the remaining departed Sept 10, 2011. Our first full day was dedidcated to vsiting and hopefully getting into the water wih Whale Sharks. Our Second day (9/5) was spent hunting and harvesting Lionfish and the evening consuming them, ceveche style, kabobed and fried. The ceveche style was my favorite. Had a slght reaction to the toxin which made my throat swell slightly. The feeling was like the tiny bones found in anchivies. I recovered a few days later… Wednesday Afternoon I spend diving with the Marine Park Services hunting and filming lionfish for a documentary, separate from … Read entire article »

Filed under: Artificial Reefs, Boats, Cavern, Drift, Events, Featured, Fish, Grouper, Instructor, Lionfish, Master Diver, Open Water, Photography, Reefs, Report, Sharks, Specialties, Stories, Travel, Trip Report, Videography, Whaleshark, Wrecks

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

Making It Count – May 2011

Putting It to Work: Who’s Using REEF Data, May 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: -Researchers used data on yelloweye rockfish frequency of occurrence in the San Juan Islands in Washington to evaluate population status for the San Juan County Community Development and Planning Department. – The Tunicate Response Action Committee (TRAC) in Washington State evaluated data on three invasive tunicates that are included REEF’s Pacific Northwest program. – A scientist from Florida Fish and Wildlife requested data on yellowtail snapper populations in the Southeastern US to conduct analyses for a stock assessment.   The Faces of REEF: Member … Read entire article »

Filed under: Adv. Open Water, Artificial Reefs, Events, Fish, Grouper, Lionfish, Open Water, Photography, Promotions, Reefs, Stories, Trip Invitations, Volunteer

Divetalking looking for experienced contributors

Divetalking is looking for individuals experienced in all things related to the ocean to be experienced contributors to Divetalking. This could be dive professionals who would like to contribute their experiences on techniques, videographers who would like to share their must knows and how to’s. Marine Scientists, biologists, research members and so forth on field observations and studies, artifacts hunters. Any topic that is water and marine related is needed. There are a lot of resources out in the minds of experienced individuals and Divetalking is looking for contributions from anyone willing to spend the time sharing their knowledge and experiences so that others may learn from them. It doesn’t matter what the subject is as long as it relates to our world oceans. With your help and contributions, we can make … Read entire article »

Filed under: Adv. Open Water, Artificial Reefs, Boats, Cave, Cavern, Divemaster, Diver, Drift, Emergency/FirstAid, Events, Featured, Fish, Grouper, Instructor, Lionfish, Manatee, Manta Rays, Master Diver, Open Water, Photography, Promotions, Rebreathers, Reefs, Reference, Report, Rescue Diver, Sharks, Specialties, Stories, Training, Travel, Videography, Volunteer, Whales, Whaleshark, 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

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

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