Learn how to safely conduct lionfish removals by attending a REEF Invasive Lionfish Collecting & Handling Workshop.
Workshops include a classroom portion that covers background on the invasion, lionfish biology, ecological impacts, current research, and collecting and handling techniques. After we wrap up the classroom portion of the workshop, we will head out to the water for a 2-tank dive to put our skills to work.
Be sure to join us for the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival on Sept. 7-10, 2023! The event includes two days to collect as many invasive lionfish as possible, followed by a family-friendly lionfish festival hosted at the picturesque Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada. The festival is open to the public and features lionfish tastings, drink specials, educational demonstrations, games, interactive booths from environmental vendors, live music, and more. Visit www.REEF.org/derby for all the details.
REEF is offering a series of free Lionfish Collection and Handling Workshops throughout south Florida and the Keys. Each workshop will include a classroom session covering the background of the invasion, lionfish biology, ecological impacts, current research, collecting and handling techniques, and other ways you can get involved. Attendees can obtain a permit to collect lionfish within the Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs) in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary using hand nets only.
REEF staff will be attending the fifth annual Lionfish Removal and Awareness Festival, organized by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau. Activities will include fillet demonstrations; family-friendly games and activities; art, diving and conservation booths; and the world’s largest lionfish spearfishing tournament, the Emerald Coast Open. REEF will assist with lionfish scoring for the competition.
Thanks for your interest in the Treasure Coast Lionfish Safari! Visit www.treasurecoastlionfishsafari.com for registration and complete details.
Captain's Meeting Time and Location: Friday, June 7, 6-8pm at Sailfish Brewery (130 N. 2nd St., Ft. Pierce, FL 34950)
Scoring Time and Location: Sunday, June 9, 3pm at Indian River Veteran's Memorial Park
We are thrilled to have teamed up with Waterlust, an eco-clothing company, to create an invasive lionfish collection as their newest line of advocate apparel. The brand-new lionfish line is available on Waterlust's website and includes leggings, an athletic top, a sun suit, and headband. 10% of profits from the sale of the lionfish collection will be donated to REEF. Waterlust products are extremely high quality and are made from environmentally-conscious materials.
REEF Fishinars are fun, live, interactive webinars, open to anyone who wants to learn about ocean life. We hope you can join one of our upcoming sessions!
Unique Fish of the Cayman Islands: Join REEF’s Director of Science, Christy Semmens, on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 8pm Eastern to learn more about some of the unique and interesting fish that you can find while diving in the Cayman Islands.
REEF is working with several research partners to test the effectiveness of deep water lionfish traps. Through a grant provided by the NOAA Saltonstall-Kennedy program, REEF will work with Florida Keys lobster fishers to examine the ability of non-containment traps to target deep water populations of lionfish to understand more about lionfish densities, biology and recruitment rates in the deep reef habitats of the Florida Keys.
This article highlights the effectiveness of lionfish derbies in the Florida Keys, including the recent Earth Day Lionfish Derby where winning team Forever Young swept all three prize categories - most lionfish, largest, and smallest.
Spring has been a rewarding and productive season for the REEF Campus-based Ocean Explorers Education team! From traveling to the Florida panhandle to lend a hand with measuring fish at the world's largest lionfish derby, to attending a conservation-based music festival on the beach in south Florida, we have been spreading the word about REEF’s programs far and wide. Here are some recent education and outreach highlights.
