The UC Santa Barbara Research Experience & Education Facility, perhaps better known to the UCSB community as the R.E.E.F., is currently petitioning for a lock-in fee measure on the spring election ballot. 

This facility, equipped with touch tanks and housing diverse marine organisms such as a moray eel, swell sharks and rock scallops, is located near Campus Point and is visited by both students and visitors. The R.E.E.F.’s many educational programs include outreach trips for school groups, opportunities for UCSB undergraduates and Open Door sessions on Fridays from 3-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. 

“One of my goals was to have [the R.E.E.F.] open … on a weekly basis throughout the school year so we could get as many K-12 kids through and be available to the University,” R.E.E.F. founder and Director Scott Simon said, recalling his thought process behind the creation of the facility more than 20 years ago. 

As community interest and engagement grew, so did the breadth of the R.E.E.F.’s audience. The R.E.E.F. has become part of the curriculum for many UCSB courses, collaborating with instructors for undergraduate- and graduate-level classes including ENV S 2, EARTH 4, EEMB 106 and Gevirtz Graduate School of Education science methods courses. 

Additionally, the R.E.E.F. hosts Open Door hours on Fridays and Saturdays, which are times for the general public to walk in and visit the touch tanks for free. The R.E.E.F. has served over 350,000 visitors since its establishment, as of the Marine Science Institute’s 2023-24 report. Much of this is made possible by the students that make up the majority of the R.E.E.F. staff. 

“The undergraduates that go to UCSB are the heart and soul of the R.E.E.F.,” Simon said. 

Simon also emphasized how working at the R.E.E.F. provides important experiences for undergraduates that help shape their careers.

“I hear back from [the undergraduates] that the R.E.E.F. was a critical component of their success beyond college,” he said. 

According to Simon, recent federal funding changes to the University have affected the R.E.E.F. 

The petition, if passed, would place the lock-in fee measure onto the ballot to be voted on in the spring. This would comprise a $5 fee per undergraduate student each quarter. According to the breakdown listed on the petition, $3.70 would go to the R.E.E.F., $0.37 to administrative fees and $0.93 for return-to-aid. This petition only applies to undergraduates and the voting period is active until Feb. 3. 

If passed, “the bulk of the fees will then go to support critical R.E.E.F. staff, which includes the undergraduates, some for myself and some to help support the facility. So feeding the animals, maintaining the exhibits and developing new exhibits,” Simon said. 

“The R.E.E.F. is a valuable resource for the University,” Simon said. If [the measure] passes, it will keep the R.E.E.F. open and sustainable … for future generations to come.”