It's finally here: our biggest REEF Lionfish Derby of the year, the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival, is taking place this weekend! This is our 13th annual REEF Lionfish Derby hosted in the Florida Keys. Participants will take to the to hunt lionfish from sunrise to sunset this Friday and Saturday. Eighteen teams are competing in this year's derby, and we can't wait to see how many invasive lionfish they collect! The derby weekend will conclude on Sunday with a lionfish festival at the picturesque Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada, Florida.
It's Derby month! Join us as we gear up for an exciting week of conservation, invasive species removal, and artistic fun! The Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Arts Festival combines local art, conservation science, and education all into one, can't-miss event! Here's an idea of what to expect:
April 23 – Kick-off Party & Captain's Meeting (5–7:30 PM)
Approximately 100 divers collected 534 Indo-Pacific red lionfish during the first tournament dedicated to reducing the population of the invasive species in the Florida Keys waters. The September 11 tournament in Key Largo, organized by REEF and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, is the first of three Keys-based lionfish roundups. The event attracted 27 teams that competed for cash and prizes to collect the most, largest and smallest lionfish. The winning team captured 111 lionfish during the single day event.
As the spread and impact of the invasive Indo-Pacific red lionfish explodes in the western Atlantic region, REEF continues to take a lead in addressing this complex environmental issue. In addition to extensive outreach and education efforts, REEF staff is involved in several field research projects to study the ecological impact of this voracious predator. REEF is also coordinating regional response efforts. In partnership with the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), NOAA, Mexico and France, REEF helped fund and organize the first Regional Lionfish Strategy Workshop in August.
Calling all lionfish hunters - you're invited to participate in the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival on Sept. 8-11, 2022. The event includes two days to collect as many invasive lionfish as possible, followed by a family-friendly festival hosted at 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.
We are excited to welcome Carolyn Corley to the REEF staff team as an Education Coordinator. You may recognize Carolyn, as she served as a REEF Marine Conservation Fellow for Education & Outreach from August 2023 to June 2024. During the summer of 2023, she participated in the REEF Marine Conservation Internship program as the 2023 Dr. Jamie L. King REEF Marine Conservation Intern through Our World Underwater Scholarship Society. Carolyn graduated in May 2023 from the University of San Diego with a B.S.
REEF is proud to announce Ed Martin, of Islamorada, Florida, as our 2015 Volunteer of the Year. Ed became a REEF member in 2012, and has since conducted 60 REEF surveys in the Tropical Western Atlantic (TWA) region. He is also a skilled underwater photographer and a member of the Century Club, having recorded at least 100 fish species on a one tank dive. In 2015, Ed became a member of REEF's Advanced Assessment Team by achieving 'Expert' surveyor status in the TWA.
We are excited to welcome our Summer 2023 Marine Conservation Interns to REEF! They will assist with education, outreach, events, and daily operations around the REEF Campus in Key Largo, Florida. Pictured from left to right are Carolyn Corley, Shalini Thinakaran, and Brian Chansky. Here's a bit more about them:
REEF is working in close partnership with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) to diligently track lionfish reports and initiate removal efforts in South Florida. The first confirmed lionfish in the Florida Keys was reported and captured within 24 hours in January 2009 (see previous enews article). Subsequent early reports in March-June were met with successful rapid response.
We recently said a fond farewell to Madalyn “Moose” Mussey, who served as REEF Education Manager for the Ocean Explorers Program for the past five years. Moose started at REEF as a Marine Conservation Intern during the Spring 2019 semester. Following this, she served as Lead Intern for the Invasive Species Program, and joined the staff in November 2019.