On November 2, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) marked the completion of 100,000 volunteer-collected fish population surveys as part of its Volunteer Fish Survey Project. To commemorate this milestone, REEF will present volunteer diver Lillian Kenney with the Blue Diver award on Thursday, November 9 at 1:30 pm at DEMA, the dive industry's largest trade show. Marine life photographers and REEF founders Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach will present the award.

Kenney is one of more than 10,000 divers contributing more than 4,000,000 fish sightings to the REEF Volunteer Fish Survey Project, now in its 13th year. The Project trains divers to collect census data on marine life throughout the coastal Americas, the Caribbean and Hawaiian islands. REEF works with the marine science community, government agencies and conservation organizations to facilitate use of the data in research, resource management and public education.

WHO:
Paul Humann - marine life author and photographer; founder, REEF
Ned DeLoach - marine life author and photographer; founder, REEF
Leda Cunningham - executive director, REEF
Lillian Kenney - volunteer, REEF

WHEN:
Thursday, November 9, 2006
1:30 PM ET

WHERE:
DEMA Show 2006
Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida
REEF booth number 1786

CONTACT:
Leda Cunningham: 202.494.1995