More than sixty people gathered recently at the Fish House Encore in Key Largo, Florida, for Lionfish Food and Wine Night, a four course dinner with paired wines meant to introduce the light, white meat and delicious flavor of lionfish. And to give lionfish a taste of their own medicine.
Four-day Florida Keys event includes diving, snorkeling, kayak tours, ocean seminars, and socials
NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, in partnership with Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), will host an inaugural series of lionfish derbies starting in September. Divers who remove lionfish from sanctuary waters will be eligible for more than $10,000 in cash and prizes.
A segment featuring REEF's research on the invasion of the Indo-Pacific Lionfish into the western Atlantic and Caribbean was featured on NBC Nightly News June 30th. Click here to view the segment online.
REEF will be in booth #1901 at DEMA 2010, a trade show aimed at industry leaders such as dive professionals, retailers, boat and liveaboard operators and dive travel professionals. The show runs Wednesday, Nov 17th through Saturday, Nov 20th at the convention center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hours are 10am - 6pm daily.
Dive News Network awards the 2013 Diver of the Year award to Janna Nichols. The Diver of the Year award, created in 2005 by the Dive News Network is to recognize the contributions of a local scuba diver who has made a significant contributions to the Pacific Northwest dive community. These contributions can be made over time or sustained over many years. This year, DNN awards Nichols the award because of her work as a volunteer, environmental advocate and work as REEF Outreach Coordinator including their online Fish ID webinar series.
At the break of dawn on September 13th, 79 skilled lionfish hunters set out to compete in the Fifth Annual Key Largo Lionfish Derby. Vying for more than $3,000 in cash prizes, 22 participating teams brought in 573 lionfish to the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park during this sunrise to 5:00 pm event. Team We’re No. 2 took 1st place for most lionfish with an impressive 154 lionfish.
On Sunday, February 8 2015, 20 skilled, enthusiastic lionfish hunters braved high winds and choppy seas to compete in REEF’s Third Annual Winter Lionfish Derby held at the Postcard Inn Beach Resort and Marina at Holiday Isle. Three teams participated in this year’s derby and brought in a total of 99 lionfish during this sunrise to 5:00 pm event. Islamorada Dive Center took 1st place in the derby, bringing in a total of 86 lionfish. Team SFAEP That Fish Cray finished in 2nd place with 11 lionfish and Key Largo Drifters placed 3rd with 2 lionfish.
The Reef Environmental Education Foundation recently received a large donation through a creative fundraising project. Chesterton High School in Chesterton, Indiana, celebrated its 51st Homecoming this fall and decided to deviate from normal festivities. The homecoming theme was “CHS Gives Back,” and the week centered on raising money for charity.