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Fish ID is Childs Play
From: Scuba Diving Magazine July 2001 Page16
REEF's newest fish-watcher is five-year-old Garett Taylor of Key West Florida. Garett is the son of Tim Taylor. owner and Captain of the live-aboard Research Vessel Tiburon, which hosted a REEF survey project. During the cruise, Garett took part in all the fish identification seminars, often calling out the names of fish before the adults did. By the third evening, Garett had passed the level 2 ID exam with a score of 94 percent. In order to become a full-fledged level 2 fish-watcher, Garett needed to complete two underwater fish surveys. He did so by snorkeling the Western Sambo's reef, accompanied by a REEF staff scientist who wrote his sightings as he called them out.
Check out REEF News Letter for more on Garett
Also Check out "My
Shark Weekend" By Garrett Taylor
Five-year-old Garett Taylor of Key West, Florida became the youngest certified fish expert this April 2001 by taking and passing the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) level 2 ID exam with a score of 94%. REEF is an international non-profit company that collects scientific data, educates and certifies fish counters.
Garett has grow up tagging along with his father Tim Taylor, who operates a
liveaboard dive vessel based in the Florida Keys National Sanctuary. “ It is
his own endeavor” says Dad. “He started by befriending guests and making
them read to him. No children’s books but technical fish ID books.
He wanted to know everything that they saw” Garett then progressed to riding
on the shoulder of any crew who would take him snorkeling and look with his
mask. As he got older he natural started snorkeling on his own with a buddy and
now it’s scuba diving*. “Its amazing how he has evolved into this. When he
gets into the water he knows what he is looking at. He does not miss a thing”
says his Dad. “I have to differ all fish questions onboard to him know. I have
been wrong to many times and I have to look them up myself so I do not teach him
the wrong fish.” states one of the instructors onboard. “People are always
amazed. At age three he was organizing Shrimpers bi-catch according to the type,
age 4 we were video taping groups of hammerheads together and now he is diving
and teaching me the names of fish.” Adds his Father.
At 5-years-old this boy has rubbed shoulders with famous scientists and marine conservationists like Dr. Sylvia Earle, Eugene Clark, Roger McManus and Sue Hendrickson. These people are on the list of people that Garett’s dad works with and supports with his 65 foot research and diving vessel in the Florida Keys. Garett has literally been a member of the crew since he was born. On their most recent trip they were taking a CNN crew to meet with Dr. Sylvia Earle on a deep submersible work with the Sustainable Seas Expedition. She had just completed a 1500-foot dive and was boarding the dive boat for an afternoon scuba dive. On her submersible dive she had a rare encounter with a Mola or Ocean Sunfish of which there are several types. As Sylvia was boarding our boat and describing this wonderful event Garett’s first question was “what type was it a Sharp Tail Mola or Ocean Sunfish.” Of course they had to look it up before they answered.
“By the way keep an eye out. The fish expert record may be broken next year.
Garett’s sister Brooke is only 3 and is right behind him. Give you one guess
who is teacher her? You got it, Her older brother.
*National Diving agencies have programs to introduce children to surface scuba
at early ages