KEY LARGO, FLA. – Last week, 18 teams of scuba divers took to the water and collected 919 invasive lionfish during the 2022 Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival, hosted by Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF). Teams fished from sunrise to sunset on Friday, Sept. 9 and Saturday, Sept. 10. The event concluded on Sunday, Sept. 11 at Postcard Inn Resort & Marina in Islamorada, with an outdoor festival featuring lionfish tastings, cooking and dissection demos, games, interactive booths, and live music.
Four-day event includes diving, snorkeling, kayak tours, ocean seminars, and socials
Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) invites educators and non-profit workers in the Florida Keys to participate in a free, online Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) training.
KEY LARGO, FLA. – Thanks to the recent efforts of four local divers, there are several hundred less invasive lionfish wreaking havoc on Florida Keys reefs. Team Forever Young, consisting of Tony Young, Jason Vogan, Jeff Tharp, and Luke Rankin, collected 426 invasive lionfish while participating in the 2022 Earth Day “Locals” Lionfish Derby, hosted by Reef Environmental Education Foundation.
12th annual event a stunning success thanks to derby teams, festival attendees, and event volunteers
Four-day Florida Keys event includes diving, snorkeling, kayak tours, ocean seminars, and socials
KEY LARGO, FLA. – Fourteen teams of divers persevered through last weekend’s windy conditions to bring in 494 invasive lionfish during the 2021 Earth Day “Locals” Lionfish Derby. Teams were permitted to fish in Monroe County waters from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, April 24. More than $2,500 in cash and prizes was awarded to teams who brought in the most, largest, and smallest lionfish.
KEY LARGO, FLA. – Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) will kick off the 2021 Lionfish Derby Series with a socially distant Earth Day Lionfish Derby on Friday, April 23 through Sunday, April 25.
With 15,000 tube feet and up to 24 arms, the world's largest and fastest sea star species, the Sunflower Sea Star, Pycnopodia helianthoides, is found from Baja Mexico to Alaska. Over the last seven years, this magnificent species has suffered a dramatic decline due to a wasting disease. Many fear that the species may be on the brink of extinction. To quantify the decline and possibly establish grounds for protections and intervention, REEF joined in a partnership of more than 60 institutions led by The Nature Conservancy and Oregon State University.
KEY LARGO, FLA. – All are invited to register for REEF’s Fish Out of Water Virtual 5K, to be held from June 7-13, 2021, coinciding with World Oceans Day on June 8. Participants may choose their preferred exercise (run, walk, bike, hike, swim) to support ocean conservation. Individuals may complete the 5K (3.1 miles) at their own pace; in one day or over the course of the week.