Making It Count — November 2010

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Making It Count – November 2010
Putting it to Work: Who’s Using REEF Data, November 2010
By Christy Pattengill-Semmens, 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 at the World Resources Institute are using western Atlantic REEF data in an analysis of threats to the world’s coral reefs called Reefs at Risk Revisited.

– A scientist from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is evaluating population trends of rock scallop in preparation for harvest rule updates.

– Researchers from the Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands GAP Analysis Project are creating species range maps that will be used with habitat information to model species distributions. The goal of this project is to keep common species common by identifying those species that are not adequately represented in existing conservation places.

– A researcher from Cascadia Consulting Group is using data on three invasive tunicate species collected by REEF surveyors in the Pacific Northwest to prepare for a baseline assessment for the Washington Invasive Species Council.

The Faces of REEF: Member Spotlight, Flo Bahr
By Sasha Medlen, REEF Membership Coordinator
REEF members are at the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. Over 43,000 divers, snorkelers, students, and armchair naturalists stand behind our mission.

This month we highlight Flo Bahr (REEF member since 2001). Flo lives in Kihei, Hawaii, has conducted 186 REEF surveys, and is a Level 5 Expert surveyor. Along with Rick Long and Liz Foote, Flo started the Fish Identification Network (FIN). FIN provides an opportunity to join friends and fellow fish lovers in exploring the coral reefs of Maui. There are monthly, sometimes weekly, dives at various beaches. At every event, volunteers set up a REEF station with survey materials and identification reference guides in an attempt to lure in new afishionados! Here’s what Flo had to say about diving with REEF:…

When and how did you first volunteer with REEF or become a REEF member? How did you first hear about REEF?

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Outstanding in their Field: Featured REEF Field Station, Horizon Divers
By Alecia Adamson, REEF Field Operations Coordinator
REEF is proud to partner with over 130 dive shops, dive clubs, individuals, and other organizations as REEF Field Stations.

This month we feature Horizon Divers in Key Largo, FL. Just down the street from REEF Headquarters, they have been a long-time supporter of REEF’s efforts. One of their hallmark efforts is supporting the REEF Marine Conservation Internship Program by allowing REEF Interns to come out on the boat for free and conduct fish surveys. Horizon dive instructor, Mike Ryan, says, “It’s a lot of fun having them out on the boat regularly and getting to know them. When other divers see their slates and see them tallying fish underwater, they become curious…

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REEF Data Document Declines in Yellow Stingray
By Christy Pattengill-Semmens, Director of Science
World-wide declines in shark and ray populations have prompted the need for a better understanding of their patterns of distribution and abundance. While much of the focus has been on the larger species of sharks, little attention had been paid to the most frequently sighted elasmobranch species in the greater-Caribbean, the yellow stingray (Urobatis jamaicensis). Despite being relatively common and listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, little was known about the status of this species. Unfortunately, it has been quietly declining. Dr. Christine Ward-Paige and her colleagues at Dalhousie University worked with REEF’s Director of Science, Dr. Christy Pattengill-Semmens, to examine the status of yellow stingray. The results of this study were recently published in the scientific journal, Environmental Biology of Fishes.

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The Blue Heron Bridge — A Dive Site to be Thankful For
By Mike Phelan, REEF Advanced Assessment Team Member
Some of the best dive sites for fishwatching are in the least obvious places. The Blue Heron Bridge in Palm Beach, Florida, is one such biological hotspot. This is a top dive destination for sighting unusual species that can be added to your lifelist. Mike Phelan, REEF Expert surveyor, and two other REEF members, often dive this site. The day before Thanksgiving, they were treated to quite a sight – a large school of Cownose Rays! This is a rare sighting in Florida, but it’s just another day at the Blue Heron Bridge. Some of the more unusual and recent sightings include the Blackwing Searobin, Roughtail Ray, Northern Stargazer, Orangespotted Blenny, Polkadot Batfish, and the Chain Pipefish…

A school of cownose rays seen at the Blue Heron Bridge. Photo by Mike Phelan.
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Please support REEF and the critical work we do by donating generously.

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