Jacksonville Reef Research Team, Inc.
www.jaxrrt.org

 Phone: 904.463.3590
jaxrrt_GAFC@gmail.com

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 Contact:

Anna DeLoach Office: 904-737-6558   Mike Barnes Office: 904-463-3590

 Jacksonville Reef Research Team to Host July's Great Annual Fish Count of Northeast Florida

Jacksonville, FL.  June 24, 2009 The Jacksonville Reef Research Team (JRRT) will host the 18^th Great Annual Fish Count (GAFC) in Northeast Florida this July. A project of the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), the GAFC is an international event that trains volunteer divers and snorkelers to gather census information about fish populations. The JRRT has GAFC events planned for the entire month of July.

Free Fish Identification classes, taught by JRRT and REEF instructors, will be held in North Florida area dive shops throughout the month of July. The classes, open to divers and snorkelers of all ages, will introduce the easy-to-use survey method and teach the basic skills needed to identify fish for the Fish Count. Each person who completes the class will receive a free waterproof fish identification booklet from New World Publications.

In addition to the classes, July 18th is the JRRT Survey Dive Day and all North Florida divers are encouraged to head offshore to conduct a survey. Divers traveling to any other areas in REEF's project regions are encouraged to conduct surveys any time during the month of July. On August 1st, the JRRT will host a Survey Roundup Party and Barbeque for all GAFC participants. The party, which will include free raffles and door prizes, will be held at Little Talbot Island State Park 1:00-5:00 pm. A $5 donation will cover the barbeque dinner to enjoy with JRRT volunteers. To attend, please RSVP for the Survey Roundup Party and Barbeque to jaxrrt_GAFC@gmail.com. 

Those participating in the Northeast Florida GAFC should register through their local dive retailer or with the JRRT. Every GAFC survey submitted to REEF by a registered participant will count as an entry into raffles for prizes.

"The month's events are a great way for members of Northeast Florida's dive community to contribute to the JRRT's and REEF's conservations efforts and have a lot of fun doing it, "said Captain Jim Davis, the JRRT's liaison with REEF.

The JRRT, a non-profit 501(c)(3) volunteer organization for over 20 years, uses research diving to deploy, monitor, and enhance artificial reefs offshore Northeast Florida. Team meetings are held at the Southeast Regional Branch Library at 10599 Deerwood Park Boulevard, on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm. Contact Phil Harville, harvpt35@bellsouth.net at 904-707-60966.

The GAFC, modeled after the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, has become an annual event and expanded over the years to include sites around the coastal United States and internationally. The GAFC provides on-going documentation of fish diversity and long-term trends in fish populations. In addition, it promotes increased awareness and understanding of temperate and tropical reef systems. www.fishcount.org

The REEF, founded in 1999, is a grass-roots organization that seeks to conserve marine ecosystems by educating, enlisting, and enabling divers and other marine enthusiasts to become active ocean stewards and citizen scientists. Its fish sightings data, housed in a publicly-accessible database on REEF's website, contains data from over 120,000 surveys conducted by volunteer divers. These data are used by a variety of resource agencies and researchers. Contact: reefhq@reef.org, REEF Headquarters, 98300 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo, FL 33037 USA, 305-852-0030.