REEF Reef Environmental Education Foundation

Dive into the Florida Bay's Fishy world!

Join REEF's Field Survey Trips Program Manager Stacey Henderson for our next free Fishinar, "Florida Bay Fishes." He'll walk you through the fascinating species you can spot while diving or snorkeling these unique waters — seahorses included! 🌿🐴

📅 Thursday, June 11 · 8:00pm EDT
💻 Free & online

Register now 👉 https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8278666601423547743

Welcome to Coral Couture — our Pride Month celebration of the reef's most fabulous and unique fish. 🌈

Reefs have always been full of color, transformation, and lives that don't fit one mold, and we found five fish to prove it. The Emperor Angelfish is born in blue-and-white swirls and restyles into gold-and-blue stripes as it matures (science calls it ontogenetic color change). The Mandarinfish is one of the only animals on Earth with actual blue pigment in its skin, not the usual trick of light, and it's toxic to boot. The California Sheephead starts life as a female and transitions to male, keeping the colors of both. The Frogfish blends to it's surroundings, then strikes in about six milliseconds. And the Guineafowl Puffer ignored the "blend in" memo entirely and went full golden.

This Pride Month and every month, help us protect what makes reefs extraordinary: www.REEF.org

Our Spring 2026 Marine Education & Conservation Interns just wrapped up an amazing semester with REEF. From running education programs for busloads of students and counting fish during this year's record-breaking Lionfish Derby, to welcoming visitors to our Ocean Exploration Center and helping us out with countless behind the scenes tasks at our Key Largo campus.

Now Stacie Strombom, Anna Hoover and Avery Kruger are on to new adventures in education, research and conservation management.

We're also sending off two Marine Education & Conservation Fellows. Anna Velardi and Sammy Brown, former REEF Interns themselves, have spent recent months gaining hands-on experience and professional development in marine conservation and the day-to-day operation of an environmental non-profit organization. Anna Velardi helped develop new grant, event and education programs at our Ocean Exploration Center. Sammy Brown supported program and communications work managing social media and outreach material development.

Thank you for everything you've poured into REEF's education and conservation work. We wish you all the best in what comes next.