{"id":36163,"date":"2026-08-24T16:03:43","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T20:03:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.dan.org\/?post_type=dan_alert_diver&p=36163"},"modified":"2026-08-24T16:03:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T20:03:45","slug":"connect-and-protect","status":"publish","type":"dan_alert_diver","link":"https:\/\/world.dan.org\/fr\/alert-diver\/article\/connect-and-protect\/","title":{"rendered":"CONNECT AND PROTECT"},"content":{"rendered":"

You are invited to make your first dive in one of the world\u2019s major dive spots. One twist, however: This dive is on land at the new Ocean Exploration Center (OEC) in Key Largo, Florida. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Located between the north- and southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 1, the OEC sits directly in the flow of visitors heading into the Florida Keys. Some arrive intentionally, looking for something to do on a rainy or blown-out dive day. Others bike or walk by and wander in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLots of people swim by us, and we have the chance to reel them in,\u201d OEC Campus Director Jill Kuehnert said. \u201cExplore. Discover. Make a difference \u2014 that\u2019s kind of the journey here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Fashion
With the Fashion a Fish interactive game, youth can assign shapes and colors to a fantasy fish to see if it would survive in a specific habitat.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Exhibits
Exhibits simulate the science behind of many of REEF\u2019s in-water innovations, including the Grouper Spotter facial recognition software.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A Gateway to Citizen Science<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The center was designed to do something deceptively simple: help people connect with the ocean before they enter it. It transforms ocean education into something tactile, approachable, and participatory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more than three decades, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), whose mission comes to life through the OEC, has evolved around a related idea: Ordinary people can meaningfully contribute to understanding and protecting the ocean. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

REEF has been facilitating citizen science long before the term became a buzzword. Through the nonprofit\u2019s flagship Volunteer Fish Survey Project, divers and snorkelers collect fish population and species data during ordinary dives, helping scientists track changes in reef ecosystems over time. REEF\u2019s global database now includes more than 300,000 surveys, with observations contributing to marine protected area management, invasive species response, and fisheries research around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

REEF hosts a myriad of other trips, activities, and ways to get involved, and the OEC building acts as a physical entry point to these citizen science missions and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe big idea is that the ocean and its conservation are for everyone,\u201d said Shelby Thomas, REEF\u2019s engagement coordinator. \u201cWith the OEC, we want people to leave inspired to learn more and take action, whether by joining REEF\u2019s programs or finding their own role in conservation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diving In \u2014 On Land<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Immersion is the proper word for what an hour or two feels like in this building, which opened in June 2025. The effect is immediate. Swirling blue-and-white epoxy floors mimic water, and special lighting effects create dappled sunlight, just as you would experience beneath the waves in the afternoon sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walking upstairs, you find yourself amid one of the ocean\u2019s great phenomena: a Nassau grouper spawning aggregation. This replica includes true-to-life fish suspended overhead that you can survey, just like on REEF\u2019s field expeditions. A life-sized reef crest in the entryway teems with sponges, gorgonians, corals, and so many fish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 100 hand-painted, scientifically accurate fish models and pictures are scattered throughout the building. And thus begins your Century Dive, OEC style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A traditional REEF Century Dive, which was formalized in the late 1990s, involves identifying and recording 100 or more distinct fish species on a single scuba dive. This surveying achievement highlights extensive biodiversity and expert-level observation skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the OEC, visitors-turned-explorers attempt a dry version, using REEF survey techniques to identify fish hidden throughout the exhibits, hallways, and even the bathrooms. The species are the same as those that divers might encounter in the Florida Keys and on Caribbean reefs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas recalled her favorite story from opening week. A 2-year-old grabbed her hand and pointed at every fish in the building, asking what each one was. The two spent nearly half an hour exploring together. \u201cHe was engrossed,\u201d she said. \u201cHe was having the best time, and he learned a lot of cool fish!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Students
Students practice fish identification, a foundational skill for REEF fish surveys. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"REEF
REEF cofounder Ned DeLoach shares his fish identification expertise.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Real Skills for Real Reefs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For anyone who wants to help the ocean but doesn\u2019t quite know how, this center offers tangible starting points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many exhibits connect directly to REEF\u2019s field programs and research, and all build ocean literacy through experiential learning. Beyond the dry dive, visitors can inspect the stomach contents of invasive lionfish, build fish adapted to different habitats in the popular \u201cFashion a Fish\u201d game, or practice with new SMILE (Size Matters: Innovative Length Estimates) technology that estimates fish sizes underwater without handling the animal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople are learning without realizing they\u2019re learning,\u201d Kuehnert said with a grin. \u201cWe\u2019re sneaky that way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visitors gain competence and confidence in using the same skills and tools researchers need in the field every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose Your Own Adventure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The center was also intentionally designed to meet visitors as they are. Each visit is personalized and curated to that individual. Kuehnert, Thomas, and REEF docents ask where visitors are from, whether they dive, and what interests them before guiding them through the exhibits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople can pick out what excites them and spend their time there,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cIt is very much choose your own adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This flexibility is part of what keeps the OEC from feeling like a traditional museum. REEF works with exhibit designers and interpretation specialists to create discovery-based experiences that encourage participation rather than passive observation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"DeLoach
DeLoach and Jill Kuehnert welcome avid enthusiasts of the REEF conservation and education culture.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"REEF\u2019s
REEF\u2019s Ocean Exploration Center opened in Key Largo in June 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Enhancing the Keys Experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For curious locals and visitors to the Keys, the OEC also provides something practical: context. Exhibits recreate specific habitats \u2014 such as sea fan meadows, low-profile reefs, and spur-and-groove reefs \u2014 while explaining how currents and habitat shape marine communities. Divers and snorkelers can familiarize themselves with species and environments they are likely to encounter before hitting the water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt helps people orient themselves for what they\u2019ll be doing for a week,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cEven if you\u2019ve been diving a lot, it\u2019s great to see what you already recognize and learn some new species.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Kuehnert, fish identification completely changed her dive experience. \u201cI used to be that diver thinking it was just a yellow or blue fish,\u201d she said. \u201cI didn\u2019t pay attention. But knowing one fish and really appreciating it unlocks the door to a much richer dive experience. You get to learn the neighborhood when you\u2019re diving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That perspective is particularly relevant in the Keys at this moment, where conversations about coral loss can overshadow what remains. \u201cOur coral doesn\u2019t look like it used to,\u201d Kuehnert explained. \u201cPeople who were here 20 years ago see the difference, and many get discouraged. But have you seen the fish? There\u2019s still a lot to protect here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oceans for All<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The OEC is completely free to the public, thanks in part to donors and significant support from the Monroe County Tourist Development Council. REEF considered this essential from the beginning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want financial means to be a barrier for people to learn about the ocean and care for it,\u201d Kuehnert said. \u201cPeople coming to the Keys spend a lot to get here. We don\u2019t want them to have to pay more to learn how to help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accessibility also extends beyond admission. The building includes sensory kits, elevator access, exhibits and games in multiple languages, and activities designed for a wide range of ages and learning styles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most important, there is no requirement or expectation that visitors become surveyors or divers themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGetting on a boat isn\u2019t always accessible, and it depends on the weather,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cThis center gives people the opportunity to see something and be involved in a really important part of the Florida Keys.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The building has also quickly become a gathering place for the larger Keys community. More than 1,000 students have already participated in educational programs ranging from classroom visits to multiday snorkeling expeditions. Weekly Ocean After Hours events bring in \u201cFish and Friends\u201d lectures, trivia nights, movie screenings, and ocean yoga, among other things, all for free. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flex spaces and meeting rooms are available for rent and have hosted teacher training, luncheons, and community events. The rental income also helps support the OEC\u2019s commitment to free programming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The OEC as a Living Legacy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While the building is new, the philosophy that guides the OEC is decades old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

REEF cofounders Ned DeLoach and the late Paul Humann transformed fish identification for recreational divers through their photography, pioneering field guides, and educational work. They believed everyday people could contribute valuable information \u201csimply by paying closer attention to what they saw underwater,\u201d said Martha Klitzkie, REEF\u2019s co-executive director. DeLoach and Humann created an organization and the systems to leverage that impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, they envisioned a larger, public-facing conservation center to help people really connect to our oceans. Humann became one of the strongest advocates for expanding REEF\u2019s campus; he attended the groundbreaking during Reef Fest 2023 before he died the following year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their vision now exists in physical form. The OEC brings the reef onto land \u2014 not to replace the experience of getting underwater, but to deepen it. Visitors leave knowing a few more fish, asking more questions, and understanding that we all play an important role in the ocean\u2019s future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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En savoir plus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Watch students enjoy the Ocean Exploration Center in this video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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