Our Mission

Reef Relief is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to improving and protecting our coral reef ecosystem. Our programs instill an attitude of stewardship in boaters, divers, fishermen and the general public when they are on the water and on

land. We explain how their actions such as anchoring, waste discharge, fuel leaks, and marine debris, can inadvertently harm our coral reefs and associated coastal and marine habitats.

Our Goals are to:

• Increase public awareness of the importance and value of living coral reef ecosystems

• Increase scientific understanding and knowledge of living coral reef ecosystems

• Strengthen grassroots community-based efforts to protect coral reef ecosystems

• Design, develop, and help implement strategies for marine protected areas associated with coral reef ecosystems

• Encourage and support eco-tourism as part of sustainable community development that protects and preserves coral reef ecosystems

• Strengthen our organizational capacity to carry out our mission

These efforts are not duplicated by any other organization in the Florida Keys or statewide, although we do collaborate with many others who have similar interests but a different focus. This is our niche! We have a twenty-three year history of measurable achievements, yet our job is far from over. The arrival of new people to the Florida Keys, throughout Florida and the wider Caribbean, makes coral reef ecosystem protection an ongoing task.

Gulf Oil Spill Since, the Deepwater Horizon disaster Reef Relief has been deeply involved in the community response to this emergency. We coordinated mangrove marine debris removal events immediately following the spill to prepare for the possibility of oil reaching these vulnerable ecosystems and were involved in many public forums and meetings to inform folks about the threat and how to best prepare for the spill. We helped recruit nearly 300 volunteers and enlisted many to go through Hazmat and wildlife rescue training. During the height of the spill Reef Relief distributed two Ocean fact sheets - What’s at

Stake: The Ecological and Economic Future of the Florida Keys, and Oil Spill Do’s and

Don’ts for the Florida Keys: Protecting Yourself and Your Family from the Health

Impacts of the Oil Spill to better educate the citizens of the Keys. These were

developed and printed through funding from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Oceana. Also, in partnership with NRDC and Oceana, Reef Relief helped organize and conduct a public forum, The Gulf Disaster & the Florida Keys: What Are

the Environmental Impacts and How to Help, to address concerns of Florida Keys community members. We also assisted in the distribution of a report – The Florida Keys

Response to the Gulf Oil Disaster: Stories Shared and Lessons Learned, a series of interviews with government, scientist, citizen and business interests involved in the spill response, produced by NRDC. We engaged 104 businesses to endorse a letter to President Obama asking for a moratorium on offshore oil drilling and future leasing near Florida. Reef Relief, Last Stand, Green Living and Energy Education, Florida Keys Community College Environmental Club and other organizations across the state participated and promoted two statewide outreach events, Hands Across

the Sand where citizens throughout Florida gathered together at dozens of local beaches to draw attention to the BP oil spill and pending Florida legislation that would allow oil drilling as close as 3 to 10 miles off Florida’s coast. In Key West over 200 citizens attended the event in March and more than 400 attended in April 2010. These statewide and international events received extensive media coverage. A special section of our website is devoted to the oil spill and has kept the community informed. We have sent information to thousands of people through e-blast, our e-newsletter and facebook pages.

Reef Relief will stay involved to protect southeast Florida reefs from the impacts of offshore oil and gas development and ensure that restoration plans for the Gulf not only restore, but enhance offshore marine reefs and coastal habitats where needed. This includes impacts of dredging, septic systems and poorly treated sewage, beach replenishment, anchoring, non-point pollution from stormwater runoff, and other water quality and fish and wildlife habitat issues. We will continue as a steering committee member of the Florida Coastal and Oceans Coalition to stay abreast and involved in statewide and national ocean and coastal issues and will continue to be a leader in working with communities, government agencies, and other organizations to pursue better protections for our coral reef ecosystems now and into the future.

Policy Guidance Over the past 4 years, Reef Relief’s State Program Director, Paul Johnson has been able to make considerable progress to improve the water quality and fish and wildlife

of Florida’s coral reef ecosystems by working with the environmental, scientific and

governmental leaders in Florida from the state Capitol in Tallahassee. Mr. Johnson has sustained his integral work with the Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition. He assisted in the organization of the Florida Coastal and Oceans Coalition (FCOC) strategic planning and policy meetings, the setting of next year’s priorities and the planning and coordination of the 2010 Coastal and Ocean Conference. The Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalitions’ Steering Committee that includes Mr. Johnson, meets regularly with the Governor’s office and his executive secretaries at the Department of Environmental Protection and Community Affairs, and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and staff to discuss offshore drilling, new state water quality standards, ocean governance & spatial planning and marine fisheries and protected wildlife management. Additional work by Mr. Johnson helps ensure best state and national standards for water quality in coastal and nearshore waters, and to coordinate with federal efforts on ocean governance and policy at the national level. Mr. Johnson attended the first organizational meeting of the Florida Energy and Climate Council in Tallahassee on January 15, 2010. This meeting set policy priorities and laid out the grant program for environmental education and adaptation in the coming year. Mr. Johnson continues to monitor and respond to state and federal actions, Coalition issues and others request for coral reef and water quality information and positions that help protect these resources.

Reef Relief Environmental Center

Reef Relief’s environmental education and advocacy programs are essential for growing awareness that leads to the active support of citizens for coastal resource

protection in the Florida Keys and throughout the world. As part of this effort, our Environmental Center introduces visitors, school groups, and community members to the coral reef ecosystem, its threats and what can be done to protect our coastal and marine resources. The center features a diorama of a healthy reef and a damaged coral reef that identifies commonly found coral species in the Caribbean and conditions needed for healthy coral growth as well as ways the coral reef

ecosystem may be harmed as a whole. A Google Earth© Oceans exhibit enables the viewer to visit coral reefs around the world. A theater shows daily films related to coastal resource issues and brochures and other printed material is available for them to take and respond to. The center is located at the heavily trafficked Historic Seaport in Key West. We target the local community and large tourist population of over 2 million visitors each year with our educational efforts and materials.

Environmental Education and

Advocacy

Reef Relief’s environmental education programs are the core of our work in promoting active support for coral reef protection in the Florida Keys. The outreach work we do includes the printing and distribution of educational brochures that detail tips for boaters, divers, snorkelers and fishermen on proper conduct on the water and at the reef. Among the publications we distribute are the Coral Reefs educational brochure, the No

Discharge Zone for Boater Sewage brochure, and Reef Relief’s Don’t Teach Your Trash

to Swim mini-poster.

In 2009/2010, 96,600 educational brochures where distributed to locations throughout the Florida Keys including resorts, hotels, Chambers of Commerce, educational facilities, dive shops, eco charters and visitor centers. Over the 2010/2011 fiscal year we plan to distribute over 126,000 brochures.

Online Outreach

Reef Relief regularly informs our registered online community of 8,000 members on coastal resource issues, trainings and volunteer opportunities. We send out the monthly Reef News online newsletter to these folks as well as many others. We host an extensive website at www.reefrelief.org that posts the Reef News monthly, scientific studies, educational resources, and other coastal and marine resource news. This site is viewed by several thousand visitors each month. We also network with nearly 3,000 people through other social media outlets such as myspace and facebook.

Discover Coral Reefs School Program

The 2009/2010 school year was the 15th that Reef Relief has presented the Discover Coral Reefs School Program to Monroe County students. The program has been a continuing collaboration between Reef Relief and the Monroe County School District. The curriculum introduces fourth grade students in the Florida Keys to the value and importance of the surrounding coral reef ecosystem, and the ways that

they can be an active part of the stewardship of these resources. Students become familiar with answers to lesson points that are featured in the Coral Reef Guide for Kids

of All Ages brochure. After the lesson, what they have learned is brought to life on a

glass-bottom boat trip. During the trips, students see fish, corals, and invertebrates while a presenter identifies and explains functions of the marine life they are viewing. For many students, it is the first time they have ever visited a reef. We offer this program throughout the Florida Keys. In 2009, 450 students participated in the program. In 2010 nearly 1000 students participated in this environmental education experience. The success of this program is reflected in the number and quality of previous students’ returning to Reef Relief for internships from colleges, research institutions and government throughout the world.

Coral Camp

Since 2008, Reef Relief has offered a unique opportunity during the summer months for children 6-12 years of age to learn more about coral reefs, marine life, and threats facing the survival of these ecosystems. Coral Camp is an interactive nature-based educational summer camp experience for local and visiting children. Each day the campers meet at the Reef Relief Environmental Center for a learning experience, and a field trip to a nearby educational facility. Camp activities include visits to NOAA’s Nancy Foster Eco Discovery Center, the Key West Aquarium, Fort Zachary Taylor State Park (for snorkel school), Key West Wildlife Center and two days of snorkeling at the reef.

Community and Environmental Stewardship

In partnership with community groups and government agencies, Reef Relief coordinates volunteer programs that cultivate an attitude of stewardship within coastal communities. Along with organizing coastline clean-up events throughout the year, Reef Relief is launching a storm drain stenciling program to promote better awareness within local communities. We regularly hold workshops and educational

sessions for working waterman and women in Key West and throughout the Keys.

The design and implementation of a snorkel trail by Reef Relief staff, partners, and volunteers within the Key West Marine Park – created by Reef Relief (see history below), will provide a first class experience for the many visitors and Florida Keys residents. This will be the first interpretive snorkel trail in North America.

Our History: 23 Years of Reef Conservation

Reef Relief’s founders DeeVon and Craig Quirolo retired in July 2009 after 22 years of exemplary commitment and service. Craig, one of the first Reef Relief presidents, has in recent years focused on chronicling the decline of the reef ecosystem through photographs and video. The Quirolos, Lower Keys residents since the 1970s, became activists after Craig saw the reef damage that some boats caused with careless anchoring. They campaigned for increased education of reef visitors to prevent inexperienced snorkelers from standing on coral or handling it. Reef Relief was established as one of the first environmental groups to focus solely on the coral reef.

Reef Relief’s first tangible projects included installation of mooring buoys later turned over to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary system, creation of a nearshore marine park accessible to snorkelers, and a Key West education center. Photographs and video of underwater transects helped scientists report on changes at the reef, and discover new coral diseases. The online archive now offers more than 10,000 images.

We have supported the creation of marine protected areas such as the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the Negril (Jamaica) Marine Park, and established the Key West Marine Park in cooperation with the City of Key West. We’ve helped establish programs throughout the Caribbean, including installing mooring buoys.

Our Clean Water Campaign has led the effort to identify problems with sewage, agricultural runoff, cruise ships waste, boating impacts, and other sources of pollution that are affecting water quality at coral reefs in South Florida and around the globe.

We have studied the issues, identified solutions, and guided policy. A few of our past achievements include advanced wastewater treatment for the City of Key West, establishment of a boater No Discharge Zone for sewage in the Florida Keys, passage of a phosphate ban for laundry detergents, approval of bans on offshore oil drilling and exploration in South Florida, increased state standards for shallow injection wells, and a host of other actions. Reef Relief has been a watchdog for coral reefs.

Awards

Reef Relief efforts have been recognized with numerous local, state, national, and international awards, including the President’s Council on Sustainable Development, Take Pride in America, Take Pride in Florida, Renew America, Governor’s Environmental Achievement Award, Rodale’s Scuba Diving First Environmental Achievement Award, White House Point of Light Award, Environmental Protection Agency’s Gulf of Mexico Program Environmental Award and others from local organizations including the Key West Jaycees, Last Stand, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Key West Hotel Motel Association. Most of all, we have the members, volunteers, and supporters of Reef Relief to thank for our ability to achieve protection for Florida’s coral reefs

Program Staff

Millard McCleary Reef Relief’s Program Director has extensive grassroots organizing experience with Clean Water Action (CWA) in Tampa and Baltimore. Over his 18 years of service with CWA he worked on dozens of campaigns and as well as helping to bridge a collaborative coalition building effort with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. He was also the lead organizer in CWA’s campaign partnership with the AFL-CIO Working America to establish new offices in several US cities. He has spent the past 2.5 years directing Reef Relief programs. Paul Johnson, Reef Relief’s Director of Policy and Special Projects, has spent his entire professional life in service to the marine environment at the state and national level, having served three Florida Governors in the Office of Environmental Affairs. He has, also, represented the Ocean Conservancy, the Natural Resources Defense Council as well as spending eight years serving as the President of the Reef Relief Board of Directors. Reef Relief’s Director of Marine Projects, Rudy Bonn is a free lance writer for the Key West Citizen. His experience includes working as a Fisheries Technician for NOAA, Education Coordinator for Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary and staff member of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. Reef Relief Office Manager, Debrra Rake is a long time Key West resident. She has many years experience successfully managing local businesses. Reef Relief’s Program Assistant, Amber Stonik has B.A. in Environmental Policy and Planning. She worked extensively with natural resource management and habitat restoration in Cape Cod and in the Florida Keys. She has served with the AmeriCorps Cape Cod Program, and has worked for the Nature Conservancy, the Provincetown Conservation Commission, the Eastham Health Department, the Harwich Conservation Trust, the Institute for Regional Conservation and Save America’s Forests.

The current Board of Directors is served by long time Reef Relief supporters and past board members. The President, Chairman of the Board, and CEO is Peter Anderson of Key West. Other board members include: Robin Smith-Martin, Captain Victoria Impallomeni-Spencer, Dorothy Lee Witwer, Adam Gersten, Mimi Stafford, Dave Kirwan, and Alicia Renner. As our progress continues and as collaborations are necessary, we work with the 29 members of our Advisory, Honorary, and Scientific Advisory Boards. For more information, visit the Reef Relief Headquarters and Environmental Center at 631 Greene Street in Key West, FL 33040, write to Reef Relief at PO Box 430, Key West, FL 33041 or reefrelief@gmail.com. Call to (305) 294-3100 or fax (305) 293-9515. Visit Reef Relief on line at www.reefrelief.org.