Take a bite out of lionfish at the 13th annual REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival, coming up on Sept. 8-11. The event features two full days of lionfish hunting, plus a family-friendly lionfish festival.
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Purchase your VIP passes or register a team today! For complete event details, visit www.REEF.org/lionfish/derbies.
As the lionfish invasion progresses throughout the Western Atlantic region, marine resource managers are struggling with lionfish control in protected areas. In the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Sanctuary managers have come up with a special permit process to allow removal of lionfish within the Sanctuary Preservation Areas (no-take zones). A critical part of the permit process is participation in a training and handling workshop conducted by REEF. To date, over 15 workshops have been held in the Keys and over 230 on the water professionals have been trained and permitted.
The upcoming Peter Hughes Belize Lionfish awareness/outreach trip turns to lionfish research/removal after the first lionfish was discovered in Central American waters. Join REEF aboard the Sun Dancer II from June 13-20 for this exciting and fun diving adventures. Following eye opening presentations by REEF staff and partners at the recent DEMA dive show in October, long-time supporter Peter Hughes took on a new mission - to support REEF's efforts in addressing the lionfish invasion in the Caribbean.
Divers and snorkelers in Florida will once again sharpen their spears and hone their lionfish hunting skills to compete in the annual REEF Lionfish Derby Series presented by Whole Foods Market®. This summer marks 10 years of lionfish derbies, and will feature an exclusive partnership between REEF and Whole Foods Market for six derby events around the state. Whole Foods Market introduced lionfish to all Florida stores in April 2016, which is perfect for those who want a delicious, nutritious, and eco-conscious choice.
Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) in partnership with Miami-Dade County Sea Grant Extension will be organizing a series of lionfish workshops open to the public for the Southeast Florida area. These workshops cover the history of the invasion, lionfish biology/ ecology/ impacts, how to safely collect and handle lionfish, lionfish venomology and first aid for stings, and recommended techniques for filleting lionfish.
REEF’s 2016 REEF Trips schedule is well underway! Two trips have already happened (Dominica and Barbados), and a group of eager fishwatchers is heading to the Philippines in a few days for our inaugural Field Survey to the Indo-Pacific. Be sure to check out the Trips schedule at www.REEF.org/trips, if you haven’t already. In addition to the traditional fish identification and surveying trips, we also host several Lionfish Study Trips each year.
We’re counting down to the 2026 Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Arts Festival this April! This event brings together invasive lionfish removal, vibrant local arts, and conservation action - engaging the community in ocean stewardship through interactive and educational experiences. Here’s what to expect:
As summer approaches, we are gearing up to host two of our biggest annual conservation events later this year. We hope you can join us in the Florida Keys for one or both of these events. Whether you're a diver, snorkeler, or land-based ocean lover, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
Nassau, Bahamas - July 30, 2008 -- Up early this morning and readying for another big day on the lionfish front. As part of an Associated Press story on the lionfish, I am joined by Andy Dehart and Lisa Mitchell here in Nassau to shoot footage of our lionfish work and do interviews for an AP television segment. We'll be live collecting fish, tagging a few and talking about the current research being conducted by REEF, NOAA, Simon Fraser University and Oregon State University - research showing that the lionfish appear to be having severe impacts on our native fish populations.