TRP: Great Annual Fish Count
Saturday, July 22, 2023
07:00 – Meetup at the Beverly Rest Area
08:00 to 11:00 – Dive at Lanes Cove
11:30 to 16:00 – BBQ, festivities, & prizes at Stage Fort Park
Join us for a day of diving and marine conservation! The TRP is sending a team to support NEADC and REEF for the 20th Northeast Great Annual Fish Count. While we’re having fun in the water, we’ll be counting all the critters we see; the numbers we gather help scientists to predict fish/invertebrate populations and assess the overall health of the marine ecosystem.
We’re meeting up at the Beverly Rest Area to consolidate equipment and vehicles, before carpooling to Lanes Cove for the dive, critter count, and beach cleanup. Afterward, we’ll head to Stage Fort Park for the festivities: BBQ lunch, family-friendly activities, and prizes – which include the chance to win a dive in the Great Ocean Tank at the New England Aquarium!
The prize drawing will be held at 14:00. In order to be eligible for prizes, divers must register for the event AND submit their survey reports. Once the fun is over, we’ll bring everyone back to their vehicles at the Beverly Rest Area.
Event Registration:
- REEF Registration – you’ll need a REEF Membership ID number to register for the event and to report your count. If you don’t already have one, you can create a free REEF account at their website below:
https://www.reef.org/user/register - GAFC Registration – select “Lanes Cove” as planned dive site:
http://www.neadc.org/gafc/gafc_registration.php - REEF Liability Waiver – blank copies should be available from the GAFC SIte Coordinator at Lanes Cove, but it’ll save time if you print/sign a copy and bring it with you:
http://www.neadc.org/gafc/REEFliabilityrelease.pdf
Parking:
- Due to limited parking availability at the dive site, we’re carpooling from the Beverly Rest Area. At the time of this writing, we have 2 vehicles to transport divers and equipment. If you’re interested in volunteering as a carpool driver or need to leave the event before 15:00, you’ll need to reserve a parking spot at Stage Fort Park.
- Please reach out to info@theTRP.org if you wish to be a carpool driver, or otherwise plan to take your own vehicle.
- Parking passes must be ordered online ahead of time. Stage Fort Park does not take cash payment on the day of the event.
- https://gloucester-ma.gov/299/Beach-Information
- https://gloucester.blinkay.app/login
- $25, non-refundable, non-transferable
- https://gloucester-ma.gov/299/Beach-Information
Please direct any questions to info@theTRP.org and include “GAFC” in the subject line. Additional event details can be found via the links below:
- Northeast Great Annual Fish Count: event flyer
- New England Aquarium Dive Club: GAFC event page
- Reef Environmental Education Foundation: GAFC page
Hope to see you there!!