REEF stands for Reef Environmental Education Foundation. Fish Counters is another name for us crazies who participate with this non-profit organization collecting information about the fish populations in an effort to evaluate the overall health of the coral reef environments. REEF maintains a large database of fish surveys that can be used by researchers, government agencies, and anyone needing data about fish populations. We hope this data will be used to support conservation and preservation efforts. Neil and I recently passed the expert level test so I guess that means they trust our data a little more. I have done about 60 surveys; Neil has done about 40.

We count the fish underwater; but even on top of the water, we are never too far from our gear. (Neil demonstrates that more than just the gear gets worn out.) We dive with a great group of fun divers: Hannah, Nan, Neil in the middle, Robin, and Liz.

Underwater we carry a slate with a long list of fish names to just check off what we see. But the other side has space for write-ins because there is no way to carry a list of all the possible hundreds of species we "could" see on Hawaii's coral reefs. We brave all kinds of dangers to get the data. Actually, I worry little about sharks and other marine creatures; they are more afraid of us. Fernando is our unoffical photographer and the camera is set on his truck for this shot.

Seems even the fish are interested in all this activity!