REEF, a grassroots organization that aims to protect marine ecosystems by educating and enlisting people to become citizen scientists, is currently accepting donations during its Winter Fundraising campaign. With support from contributions, REEF hopes to accomplish the following goals in 2014:

• Encourage use of REEF data to provide species and habitat protections, like those afforded this year to giant Pacific octopus in Washington state, hogfish, goliath grouper, and yellowtail snapper populations
• Promote the new fish and invertebrate monitoring program in the South Atlantic states
• Expand the Volunteer Fish Survey Project to Australia, the Coral Triangle, the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean
• Continue the Nassau Grouper Educational Program and analyze data collected this year from recently deployed underwater microphones
• Lead the charge in addressing the lionfish invasion in the Caribbean and Atlantic

Donors who contribute $250 or more will receive a limited-edition, signed print of a male sailfin blenny by Paul Humann, president of the REEF Board of Trustees. (Exclusively for readers of Scuba Diving, Sport Diver, and The Undersea Journal, REEF has extended their gift print offer beyond the original Feb. 28 deadline, so donate today to receive yours.)

In addition, those who donate $500 or more will recieve acknowledgment on the Giving REEF, and people who donate $1,000 or more will earn a special webinar with Ned and Anna DeLoach, authors of Scuba Diving's monthly "Critter Hunt" column.

Below, you will find a campaign letter from Humann himself:

From all of us at REEF, we want to thank our generous supporters who have made our Winter Fundraising campaign a success! If you haven't already donated, it's not too late to get my limited-edition print of a sailfin blenny, a fish on the new Giving Reef display, or a virtual evening with Anna and Ned DeLoach in March.

You can contribute securely online at www.REEF.org/contribute, or call REEF Headquarters at 305-852-0030.

From tiny blennies to goliath groupers, your contribution makes a huge impact in our ability to provide high-quality citizen scientist data, ground-breaking marine conservation research, and educational opportunities for amateurs to experts alike!

As our annual fundraising campaign comes to close, please take one last moment to contribute to our programs. Every donation, no matter how small, supports global efforts to protect vital marine habitats and species we all depend on. Thank you again for your support!