REEF: How You Can Help to Protect Biodiversity and Ocean Life

 

The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) is an international marine conservation organization based in Key Largo, Florida. The mission of REEF is to protect biodiversity and ocean life. They do this through actively engaging and educating the public through citizen science. REEF is mainly focused on four ongoing projects: the Volunteer Fish Survey Project, the Grouper Moon Project, the Invasive Species Program, and the Ocean Explorers Education Program.

 

Volunteer Fish Survey Project

The Volunteer Fish Survey Project involves letting citizen scuba divers and snorkelers collect and report information on marine fish populations, as well as the populations of select invertebrate and algae species. The data that is collected is checked by a comprehensive experience rating system and QA/QC checks to ensure that the data is of high quality. In 2020, there were over 16,000 volunteers who had conducted over 250,000 at almost 15,000 sites around the world.

 

Getting involved with the Volunteer Fish Survey Project is easy. All you need is an underwater slate and pencil, a fish species reference book, and access to the internet to submit your data. You also need to familiarize yourself with the Rover Diver Survey Method, which is the method used by REEF to keep track of how many fish are identified. You can find a short video on the Rover Diver Survey Method here.

 

Grouper Moon Project

The Grouper Moon Project is a conservation science partnership between REEF and the Cayman Island Department of Environment (DoE) with the purpose of studying the Nassau grouper. The Nassau grouper is a social and ecological cornerstone of Caribbean coral reefs. Normally groupers are a solitary species, but on full moons in the winter the groupers come together in aggregation spots to breed. During these times, many fishermen will also aggregate on these sites in order to catch the normally elusive species. Now over 1/3 of the grouper breeding sites have been depleted or abandoned, and the Nassau grouper is endangered.

 

Since 2002, both REEF and the DoE have fielded research teams each winter to monitor Nassau groupers in spawning sites in the Cayman Islands. These areas are home to the last large reproductive population of Nassau groupers. The scientists perform tagging research projects, soundscape research, studies on the habitats and genetics of juvenile grouper, along with other oceanographic research on their species to better understand, and to ensure their continued survival and hopefully the restoration of their populations.

 

Invasive Species Program

The threat of exotic and invasive species has been a growing ecological threat in recent years. REEF has noticed that divers and snorkelers are a valuable resource in detecting species outside of their natural habitat. Through this they developed the Invasive Species Program, which gave a way for divers and snorkelers to easily report when they spot a non-native species when they are out on an excursion. The data is used to track where exotic species are showing up and provides an early warning system that allows for a rapid response to help remove non-native species before they become invasive.

 

REEF has been working closely with government agencies and partners to better develop early responses to non-native species. One species they heavily focus on is the Lionfish, trying to find better ways to slow their invasion and hopefully remove them from U.S. waters. If you are out diving or snorkeling and spot a species you know to be non-native, you can help by submitting an Exotic Species Sighting Form that can be found here.

 

Ocean Explorers Education Program

The Ocean Explorers Education Program is meant to inspire participants to engage with hands-on learning. The program offers multi-disciplinary programs for both individuals and groups that focus on biology, ecology, citizen science, invasive species, and service learning. The Ocean Explorers Education Program has both in-person and online programs. The program also does full-service multiple day travel programs to both international and domestic areas. These trips are customizable and can offer many different activities like snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving, and many others.

 

More pertinent to Stockton students would be the Ocean Explorers Field Survey Trips, which are geared to college-age students, ages 18-25. These trips are led by REEF’s Ocean Explorer Education staff and are geared to be equally fun and educational. Currently they have a trip planned to Costa Rica, from July 23^rd to July 30^th.  They also do virtual field trips for those who cannot go on the trips in person.

 

If you would like to learn more about the Reef Environmental Education Foundation or any of its projects, you can find more information on their website linked here.

Creating Ecosystems & Enriching Communities

 

Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary is an NGO in Florida that focuses on building public awareness of the importance of reef ecosystems. They do this through creating easily accessible reefs off the coast of Florida, there are three sites easily accessible to snorkelers of all levels. These sites are off the shores of Navarre Beach Marine Park, with 105 reef trees set up between three different reef sites. They also run a set of marathons in October for all experience levels. There is a 10k run, a 5k run/walk and even a one-mile fun run for the children! They host an afterparty for all participants and give out awards. Join them in the fun this year!

                                        

Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary also has reefs one mile offshore to assist in restoration after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Funding came from the Damage Assessment (NRDA) Early Restoration funds. They have established 557 artificial reefs in their mile off the coast site. They are going strong with 47 reef structures being set up in January of 2021! These reef structures are made domestically in Alabama with concrete and covered in limestone to mimic the normal substrate that the organisms in the area are used to attaching to.

To top it off Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary also has an Adopt a Reef program where you can adopt one of the 183 artificial reef trees available to adopt at this point for a tax deductible 500-600 dollars. You can have your name or even a saying you like placed on a kiosk in the area with the donation! These reefs help enrich the community and ecosystem at the same time. For the enthusiasts, Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary gives three local easily accessible snorkeling sites. For academics, it opens up research opportunities and can pull in grant funding. Finally it gives shelter and a new ecosystem for thousands of tropical marine organisms!

If you enjoyed reading this post and would like to learn more about artificial reefs, NOAA has splendid resources to learn more.

  

Sea Turtles! We all love them, so how can we save them?

 

 

Everyone loves beautiful sea turtles. How could you not? That being said, all turtle lovers need to help ensure they survive and do not go extinct.

The Not-So Happy Part

Unfortunately, sea turtles have not always the best chances of survival. When you add humans into the equation, their chances of surviving decrease drastically. Natural predators pose a threat to the turtle hatchlings in and out of the nest. This makes it difficult enough for these babies to make to the water and there are many threats they will face after throughout their lives. Some of the threats to sea turtles caused by humans include; harvesting for food, illegal shell trade/sale, commercial fishing, debris and pollution, artificial lighting, coastal armoring, beach erosion, beach activities, invasive species predation, marine pollution, oil spills and climate change.  That being said, there are many ways we can help sea turtles defeat these odds. 

                                                Sea Turtle Conservancy                                    

Luckily, there are many non-profit organizations (NGO's) that
want to help save these beautiful creatures! The Sea Turtle Conservancy is a NGO that conserves and recovers sea turtle populations. This organization is the oldest sea turtle research and conservation group in the world. It was founded in 1959 by Dr. Archie Carr with the goal of saving the Sea Turtle from extinction. 

    HOW CAN YOU HELP?

1. Adopt-A-Turtle to support the Sea Turtle Conservancy

2.Reduce Plastic Waste 

3. Inform/Educate Others

4.Reduce the Amount of Chemicals You Use

5.Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

6.DONATE TO THE SEA TURTLE CONSERVANCY

7.Use Coral-Reef Friendly Sunscreen

8.Vote for leaders who want to protect marine life

9.Use Turtle Friendly Lighting

10.Use Caution When Boating (do not anchor in seagrass/ obey speeding signs)

These are just 10 simple ways YOU can help ensure the survival of Sea Turtles. There are many others ways to help also. It is so very important that we continue to educate others. It is so simple to be mindful of our everyday plastic usage in order to reduce our plastic waste. These animals are not only beautiful but are extremely important for marine life. 

For more information, visit https://conserveturtles.org/. 

                                            SKIP THE STRAW!

The Hollywood of Florida Aquariums

 

    

              The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a non-government organization located in Clearwater, Florida. The aquarium has been around since 1972 and got its start when a group of volunteers wanted to create a marine biology education center out of an old, abandoned water treatment facility that was donated to them. After many years of adapting the location for marine wildlife, they finally opened their first exhibit to the public in 1981. 

One of the main mission goals of CMA is the rescuing of marine life with the help of volunteers, helping to care for and rehabilitate the injured or sick wildlife at their marine hospital, and ultimately releasing them back into their natural environment. Some of this marine life is unable to be able to live in their natural habitat and are permanently cared for at the aquarium and visitors can view and learn the backstories of these animals. One of the animals that was cared for by CMA just happened to be a movie star. This was Winter the dolphin who starred in the movie Dolphin Tale and was well known for her prosthetic tail that was attached to her to help with swimming. Unfortunately, Winter passed away in November 2021 due to a complication she acquired because of her injury. She was 16 years old at the time.                                          

 CMA is also involved with conservation and research of marine mammals and the environment throughout Florida. They work with scientific partners and volunteers to help protect marine species and raise awareness through education of the environment and the marine life to the public. They are also involved with tagging, tracking, and research to help with learning more about species like manatees and sea turtles to continue to provide towards their conservation efforts. CMA also sponsors beach cleanup programs and provides classes for education to schools on and off site.

  On top of helping marine life, the aquarium also does all they can to help people with special needs and disabilities with inspiration and education through efforts with organizations like the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They allow these individuals to get hands on experiences with the dolphins and other wildlife at their facility to give the experience of a lifetime.

Oh, the Hu-Manatee! How Save the Manatee Club is saving manatees and how you can help!

So, let's get some bad news out of the way first. Manatees are a vulnerable and threatened marine mammal. People have contributed to manatee deaths directly, through physically harming individual manatees by hitting them with boats and propellers, and indirectly, by destroying the places they live and the things they eat.

Ready for the good news? The Save the Manatee Club, a nonprofit organization based in Florida, is here to help! This dedicated group of people aim to protect manatees, their habitat, and their food all over the world. They are educating the public, funding research and rescue efforts, and getting involved legally when it benefits manatees the most.

Now, you may be asking, "how can I help Save the Manatee Club save manatees?" You can do any combination of these three things!

1. You can donate to the nonprofit to help them fund their research, education, legal fund, rescue efforts, and everyday operations. By clicking the link above and going to the "Donate" page, you can help the Club help manatees.
2. 
   You can participate in their "Adopt-A-Manatee" program where you can adopt a specific, living manatee of your choice! The adoptable manatees on the Club's website all have their own stories and can be adopted for yourself or on someone else's behalf. By clicking the link above and navigating to the "Adopt" page, you can see all the adorable sea cows up for adoption.
3. Lastly, you can "Take Action" yourself by getting involved and contacting policy makers and political representatives. You can make a difference in manatee conservation by letting representatives know that you want them to support legislation and policies that protect manatees and their habitats and food. The Club has an "Act" page where they outline how you can further get involved and help save the manatees.

For further information on how manatees and their food sources are being affected, check out this video created by Save the Manatee Club on seagrass loss, algal blooms, and manatees.

Get out there and help save the manatees today!!

Check Out this Fin-tastic Organization: The American Shark Conservancy

 The American Shark Conservancy (ASC) is a nonprofit organization located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Their goal is to use research and education to increase awareness and understanding of our oceans and support the conservation of sharks and rays. 

Founded in 2014 by conservation scientist Hannah Medd, the diverse "Shark Squad" now consists of scientists, entrepreneurs, business owners, dive instructors, and educators, all with a similar passion for conservation. They all envision a world with healthy marine ecosystems in which people understand and want to protect our oceans. They believe that the way to achieve this is through both research and public outreach. 

Although they have done several projects over the years they are currently focusing on three major projects, all of which are highlighted on their website. One of their current projects is the Sharksmarts project, which focuses on education through professional development and public outreach. They created an education program called the SharkSmarts program with a vision of using it to train educators and professionals in industries such as scuba diving, fishing charters, and zoo/aquarium staff. This training would arm these professionals with the greatest knowledge available so they could educate people about the importance of sharks each day during their jobs and everyday lives. People with an interest in sharks can also use this program to learn more informally, allowing them to spread the information as well. The program comes in various forms such as seminars, online courses, and research experiences. 

Another project ASC is currently working on is the Shark Survey, a collection of in-water data, capturing images with an underwater camera and using lasers to determine measurements. The goal is to monitor the biodiversity of shark populations along the Florida coast and use this information for management decisions and education programs. 

Finally, the third major project they are working on focuses on the impacts of recreational shark fishing. Working with a group of volunteer anglers, they are collecting data about the survival rates of released sharks, the number of sharks caught, the frequency that shark fishing occurs, and the amount of money being spent on it. They hope to gather data about shark fishing and use it in future management decisions regarding regulations on recreational fishing. 

In addition to these projects, ASC has a newsletter and a blog that teach the public valuable information about sharks, conservation news, and how they can get involved. 

Click here if you would like to donate to ASC or check out their website to learn more!

Check out this article from the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida to learn more general information about the critical role that sharks play in the Florida ocean ecosystem. 

#sharks #rays #NGO #AmericanSharkConservancy #ASC #education #conservation #research 

Connect with a Sea Turtle at Coastal Connections!

Connect with a Sea Turtle!

Coastal Connections provides different ways for you to connect with sea turtles. 

During the day, they offer educational sessions called "Daytime Turtle Digs" where you get to observe turtle nests in the wild. Learn about what you can do to help protect the sea turtles while enjoying a walk on the beach to find their nests. The Turtle Digs program offers you a chance to learn about how and why scientists study sea turtles, how their nests are monitored, and how the success rate of each nest is determined. If you're lucky, you'll find some hatchlings that haven't made it out to sea yet, and you can observe their journey home!

These Turtle Digs are available for free to the public in July and August, as the turtle nests hatch. Click here for more information on these events and how to register for this program.

At night, they offer Nighttime Turtle Walks, which is also an educational program. It is designed to help teach people about sea turtle conservation while providing an opportunity to view the nesting process of these animals. This program teaches people about the importance of these marine environments having healthy vegetation for the sea turtles as well as other species. This program also comes with an opportunity to see the world through a turtle's eyes. You can go home with a picture of yourself with a Loggerhead turtle too!

These Nighttime Turtle Walks are free and offered Friday nights in June and July. Click here for more information on these events and how to register for this program.

Both of these programs are free of cost to the public and provide a chance to see sea turtles in their natural habitats as well as learn more about them and how you can help these amazing sea creatures.

Click here to learn about what else you can do to help protect these sea turtles. Some things included on this list are by making sure your lights are not too bright (if you live on the beach) and reporting any injured or dead turtles found. You can report these turtles to Coastal Connections or to The Turtle Hospital.

Article by: Rachel Barth

Sharks Genes - A Look Inside the Shark Conservation Lab

 The Shark Conservation Lab is an educational non-profit organization that aims to study the intricate science and the way sharks have evolved to help conservation efforts. This operation is meant to study the evolving sharks, rays, and skates regarding their reproductive habits, habitat, population, and speciation using ecology, genetics, and molecular biology. 

This organization is led by Dr. Toby Daly-Engel, who graduated from the University of Hawaii. She also appeared on Discovery’s Shark Week in 2018! Dr. Toby’s goal for the Shark Conservation Lab is to research genes along with ecology to understand shark and ray reproduction. She believes that this study will help us understand female shark and ray behavior can change populations, species, and the shark genome. All research is conducted in her own lab, the Daly-Engel lab. 

Currently, the Daly-Engel lab is attempting to discover how organisms interact with their environment when faced with climate change and overfishing. The Shark Conservation Lab ultimately aims to determine how a keystone species such as a shark will respond to its changing environment, and how the disappearance of this species could cause irreversible and dramatic damage to marine conservation.

 The students of the Daly-Engel lab use techniques involving molecular biology, bioinformatics, and field research to determine how marine life is adapting to climate changes and overfishing. This type of research has concluded that male and female sharks will have a genetic advantage if they mate twice during a breeding season, and they have also found that sharks and other elasmobranchs are at risk since they are unable to move out of their degrading habitats since they thrive in shallow waters.

The Shark Conservation lab’s current projects are determining how white sharks are genetically similar, and this is taking place in Pacific Baja, California. Another project aims to discover diversity in sharpnose and deep-water dogfish sharks. These projects use advanced laboratory techniques involving genomes and molecular biology to determine how a lack of conservation is affecting not just the sharks themselves, but the genes they pass down to the new generation of the species. 

The students of the Daly-Engel lab work hard and put in great effort to aid in shark conservation, and you can help too! Click here to donate to the Shark Conservation Lab, or check out their website to see how you can help even more!

Click here to view their most recent news regarding their lead researcher, Dr. Toby, and how she has paved the way for conservation and other women in the field. 

#NGO #sharks #rays #marineconservation #sharkconservationlab #research

The Turtle Hospital: Home to the Sick, the Well, and the For Lifers

Marathon, Florida is home to five of the seven species of sea turtles worldwide. This includes the Leatherback, Green, Loggerhead, Kemp’s Ridley, and Hawksbill. Each species has its own unique set of characteristics including differences in diet, distribution, shell color and pattern, and size that can be easily distinguished out in the wild. The Turtle Hospital is an NGO located in Marathon, 23 individual tanks ranging from 150-800 gallons of water are shaded by cloth and enclosed by a chain link fence. There is also a 100,000 gallon saltwater tank to observe injured or rehabilitated sea turtles. The center is separated into an intensive care unit caused by entanglement or boats and another for fibropapilloma virus (FP) patients. FP is common in Green sea turtles and causes herpes-like tumors that make it hard to swim. Surgery is possible, however, is only possible with external tumors. They also have a hatchling section of the center which is separated from the injured species. Lastly, the saltwater tank is dedicated to permanently disabled turtles like some suffering from bubble-butt syndrome. Inside the hospital itself, up-to-date equipment is provided so the turtles are properly examined and surgeries can take place if needed. 

The Turtle Hospital has four main goals for its establishment. First, they look to rehab injured turtles and safely return them to their home. Next, they prioritize educating the public by visiting local schools and giving presentations, and allowing groups to come visit from a distance. Additionally, volunteers create and aid in sea turtle research as well as assisting local universities. Lastly, the hospital conducts work towards creating better laws that protect the beach and ocean. School groups visit the hospital often giving kids the opportunity to learn visually and hands-on. There is also the option of a virtual classroom if the school is too far location wise, or if COVID regulations do not allow the students to visit. 

All seven species are considered threatened or endangered so it is essential if you see a turtle that looks to be injured or washed on the shore, call 305-743-2552. If you're looking for the building itself, the Turtle Hospital is located on Overseas highway at mile marker 48.5. 2396. 

                                                         Coastie: Permanent Resident 

Florida Ecosystem Restoration: How to See it Happening

 Florida Oceanographic Society & Coastal Center 

Mackenzie Briggs

Stockton University

Florida Oceanographic Society

The Florida Oceanographic Society and Coastal Center is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1964. It has a mission to inspire environmental conservation of Florida’s beautiful ecosystems through education, research, and advocacy. The Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center is in the sunny state of Florida on Hutchinson Island in Stuart Florida. It is a 57-acre marine life sanctuary. The people have easy access to the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Lucie River. Every year this organization teaches thousands of students from around the world virtually and physically. One of the most popular topics is the issues of the local waterways. The teaching can take place through field trips, virtual activities, summer camps, and special education activities. People are educated on Florida’s marine life and coastal ecosystems. It is important for those visiting to gain an understanding of the conservation of Florida’s natural resources. 

 

 People can also view fish and other organisms any time of the day from anywhere through the Fish Cam. The Gamefish Lagoon is a saltwater aquarium filled with 750,000 gallons (about 2839057.5 L) of saltwater. It has over 20 different fish species and it has stingrays, nurse sharks, and 4 turtles that cannot be released back into the wild. People can join online and in-person and can attend daily educational programs and live gamefish feeding.  

The link to the fish came is here Fish Cam  or use the QR Code to view the live fish cam.

 The Florida Oceanographic Society has been researching, monitoring, and restoring South Florida habitats. Some of the habitats they have worked on are the southern portion of the Indian River Lagoon. This lagoon has the most biodiverse estuary in North America. It is home to about 4,300 species of plants and animals. It is made up of mangrove swamps, oyster and seagrass beds, sand and mudflats, and coral reefs. It also houses 36 rare and endangered species.  

Male Green Sea Turtle Anna Belle (ABE) 

Habitat Restoration is important for all environments, but in the Florida Keys and Everglades, it is serious business. When coral or seagrass beds are damaged by a vessel or other human-related events the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary steps in to save the day. They work to get the area restored to the condition it was in before it was injured. This sanctuary can seek damages from those responsible through law enforcement. Funds that are collected are used on restoration projects. Sanctuary biologists will continue to monitor the site years after restoration to see if the restoration was effective. Biologists and volunteers want to work together with the public to help protect and restore coral reefs, seagrass beds, and marine life. 

Habitat Restoration Project

How to Get Your Kids Off the Couch and Outside

 The International Game Fish Association is the most recognized authority when it comes to game fish and angling-related matters in the entire world. They are a non-profit who is committed to the conservation of games fish and the promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices, through science, education, rulemaking, record keeping and recognition of outstanding accomplishments in the field of angling. They were founded in 1939 and have members all over the world. In August 2021, they were able to globally represent anglers and their conservation communities at the United Nations level. One of their biggest conservation victories came in 2012 when the Billfish Conservation Act of 2012 was signed by President Obama that closed the U.S. mainland to commercial market to foreign-caught Pacific billfish by banning their importation and was amended in 2018 to prevent any billfish from being entered into trade or sold in the continental U.S.

They are also involved with the Everglades Restoration Plan, whose goal is to return the Everglades to its former glory, and the 30x30 initiative, which plan is to protect 30% of our oceans and land by 2030. They are also involved in making policies that protect both the fish and anglers alike. They want both the anglers and fish to benefit from the policies and rules that they create.

While conservation efforts are of upmost importance, it is also important to be able to educate youth on the ethical way to fish. Their Youth Education Initiative is to teach 100,000 kids to fish and become the next generation of people who are dedicated to conservation. They provide fishing courses for people of all ages, hold youth fishing camps, and have seminars that offer fishing advice for anglers of any skill level.

They have day camps, spring camps and summer camps that offer opportunities for parents to get rid of their kids for some time and allow them to gain valuable knowledge of fishing techniques and conservation methods. There are also fishing tournaments that allow your kids to show off what they have learned and have some friendly competition with their friends. For more information on this click here.

Another organization that is dedicated to teaching youth how to fish is Hooked on Fishing Not on Drugs. More information about them can be found here.

Saving the Sea Turtles with the Loggerhead Marinelife Center

The Loggerhead Marinelife Center is an NGO located in Juno Beach, Florida. It was created in order to promote conservation of ocean ecosystems that focuses especially on endangered species of sea turtles with the goal of providing education worldwide about these endangered species. They are also working to do more research on sea turtles and provide more rehabilitation for these endangered animals. 

The Loggerhead Marinelife Center has been rehabilitating endangered sea turtles for over thirty years, and their advanced hospital has labs that allow for surgeries, x-rays, blood work, as well as other kinds of labs that allow for several turtles to be seen at once. These turtles are worked with from the time the turtles are rescued until they are safe to be released back into the ocean. The hope is that all turtles will eventually be returned to the ocean, however if they are somehow deemed unreleasable the center has places to send them that will take care of the turtles for the rest of their lives. 

This is Romi, who came into the center as a juvenile with a buoyancy disorder after being struck by a boat. She received treatment at the center after being admitted on September 9th of 2021, and was able to be released back into the wild on November 5th of 2021. 

The center has ways for even everyday people to come help out and get involved. Beach cleanups are run from 8:30-11:30am every Saturday morning to help get people involved in preventing the loss of more sea turtles. You also can participate in the adopt a sea turtle program, which helps fund the continued care of these turtles. Lastly, there is a volunteer program that is run by the center, which works with public education and helping with the operations of the hospital. Donations are also accepted in the hopes of continued funding for further rehabilitation of turtles. 

The Loggerhead Marinelife Center also created Project SHIELD in 2013, where they teamed up with other sea turtle organizations to provide further conservation efforts by rescuing turtles that had gotten hooked on fishing piers. The project also provides conservation solutions for piers along the beach, beachside hotels, and scuba operators and runs pollution prevention projects. 

The Loggerhead Marinelife Center is doing more and more research on sea turtles and how best to protect them. The center tracks the nests of leatherback, loggerhead, and green turtles on Juno Beach each year, and continues to monitor all of the activities of each turtle during their nesting season on the nearly 10 mile long beach. As they continue their research, more comprehensive data allows for more comprehensive conservation decisions to be made to help increase the survival and recovery of sea turtles. The Loggerhead Marinelife Center hopes to continue to spread awareness of sea turtle conservation worldwide.