From April 23–26, divers, captains, families, and ocean lovers gathered for REEF's 17th Annual Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Arts Festival — and by the time the scales were tallied, we had a brand-new Florida Keys record on our hands. Over two days of competition, derby teams pulled 2,480 invasive lionfish off South Florida reefs, smashing the previous Keys record of 1,898 (set in 2023) by a jaw-dropping 31 percent. It's also a new all-time high across REEF's full derby program. To put that in ecological terms: this single weekend is estimated to have prevented nearly 1.5 million acts of predation on native reef fish.

Headlining the leaderboard were the Badfish Slayers, who hauled in a staggering 659 lionfish, a new REEF derby team record, edging out Forever Young's 648 from 2023. But what really set 2026 apart wasn't a single team's performance. It was the depth of the field. Five teams each cleared more than 300 fish, a milestone that's historically been the domain of just one or two elite crews. Captains came in with combined rosters, four-diver teams, and sharper strategies, and several Apex Predator squads turned in the best performances of their derby careers. Reports from the captains' meeting also pointed to a notable share of larger fish, and our science team is now digging into that data alongside catches from past years.

Sunday brought the public Conservation Science and Arts Festival to the REEF Ocean Exploration Center, and what a scene it was. Visitors crowded around fillet and dissection demos, lined up for lionfish tastings (yes, they're delicious), browsed work from local artists and vendors, listened to live music, hit the food trucks, and stuck around to cheer through the awards ceremony.

A quick look at the top results: most fish overall went to Badfish Slayers (659); largest lionfish to Lionfish Eliminators at 420 mm; smallest to Badfish Slayers at 49 mm; smallest live lionfish to Tequilla Little Time at 84 mm; and most fish in the Reef Defenders division to The Hunters with 121. The all-women's Team Trash took fourth in the Apex Predators division with 361 fish, and the final Apex standings rounded out with Aquamented (395), Lionfish Exterminator Corp (392), Forever Old (312), and Lionfish Eliminators (143).

Across REEF's derby program, divers have now removed more than 38,800 invasive lionfish from local waters since the events began, fish that would otherwise prey on native species and disrupt reef ecosystems. "Removing 2,480 lionfish in a single derby is a milestone for the Florida Keys, but what really stands out about 2026 is the depth of the field — every team raised their game," says Alli Candelmo, Ph.D., REEF's Director of Conservation Science. "This is what a mature, well-trained removal community looks like, and it's the result of years of work by divers, captains, and conservation partners across the region."

A huge thank-you goes to our premier sponsors, the Ocean Reef Conservation Association and the Monroe County Tourism Development Council, whose support makes this event — and its conservation impact — possible. And to every diver, captain, vendor, volunteer, and festival-goer who showed up: thank you. You made this one for the books.

Questions? Email lionfish@REEF.org.