Lad Akins - Director of Special Projects, REEF

REEF Citizen Science…Conservation successes and data needs

• Marine conservation non-profit

• Headquarters in Key Largo, FL

• Over 67,000 members

• Programs include…

• Volunteer Fish Survey Project

• Exotic Species Program

• Grouper Moon Project

• Education Programs

VOLUNTEER FISH SRUVEY PROJECT

Roving Diver Technique

• Free swimming range around dive site (within 100m)

• Record all species positively identified

• Estimate relative abundance for each species

Single (S) -1Few (F) - 2-10Many (M) - 11-100Abundant (A) - >100

• Enter data on-line (www.reef.org)

Schmitt, E. F. and Sullivan, K. M. 1996. Analysis of a volunteer method for collecting fish presence and abundance data in the Florida Keys. Bulletin of Marine Science, 59(2), 404-416.

REEF Observer Experience Levels

Levels 1-5 based upon• Number of surveys conducted• High passing scores on visual ID exams• Maintaining proficiency via surveying and testing

Levels 1-3• Considered “Novice”• Used to encourage participation• Valuable for most common species

Levels 4 and 5• Considered “Expert”• Used in Advanced Assessments• Valuable for quality observations and assistance in other projects

RESULTSOnine db 8 million records

50+ papers

To Date:

• 227,302 surveys• Over 8 Million fish records• Over 50 scientific publications

EXOTIC SPECIES – ED/RR

Non-Native, Exotic, Invasive

Lionfish in the Atlantic

Lionfish DistributionRed Lionfish – Pterois volitansDevil Firefish – Pterois miles

2015

64 PREY FISH PLUS A SHRIMP!

Impact of lionfish on Bahamian reef fishesUp to 95%

reduction in prey biomass between

2008-2010

Green et al 2012

Local control can be effective

Targeted removals

REEF’S 2018 LIONFISH DERBY SERIES PRESENTED BY WHOLE FOODS MARKET®

Before After

Lionf

ish p

er h

ecta

re

DERBIES REDUCED LIONFISH 52% OVER 192KM2

Green et al, 2017

FISH #81782,683 DETECTIONS

2017 Beattie et al

Deepwater Lionfish StudyTraps and Acoustics

Design• 24 sites• 2 trap designs• acoustic broadcast of lionfish sounds• extended time lapse go pros• bi-monthly (every two weeks)

retrievals

GROUPER – A CARIBBEAN ICON

GROUPER MOON(2002-2018)

2016 CAYMAN REGULATIONS

•All take, possession, or sale of Nassau Grouper is prohibited from December through April, inclusive (during the spawning months for the species)

•When take is permitted (May – November), only fish between 16"-24” can be kept and no more than 5 Nassau Grouper per fishing vessel per day can be kept

•Nassau Grouper may not be taken on spear gun

GOLIATH GROUPER

Protected in FL since 1990Localized recoveryPressure to re-open the fishery

April 26, 201859 individuals spokeFisheries independent data required

REEF DATA (N=155,265 from 11,379 vols at ~1,500 sites)

Historically 1-5% sighting frequency (FL and Carib)

Result: Fishery was not re-opened

In past two years…

15% in GoM!

5% in FL Est coast

3% in Keys

>1% in Carib

Thankyou!