Last week, representatives from the Florida House and Senate took the first steps in banning the importation or aquaculture of invasive lionfish. Representative Holly Raschein (R-Key Largo) and Senator Greg Evers (R- Pensacola) have filed HB 1069 and SB 1336 to address the devastation being caused by lionfish in Florida’s coastal waters. The bills will prohibit importation, aquaculture and sale of illegally imported lionfish and they authorized FWC to adopt a rule to that effect.
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CRF AND REEF HOST SUCCESSFUL FIRST-EVER "CORALS IN & LIONFISH OUT"
More than $1,000.00 raised to support marine conservation in the Florida Keys
The Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) and Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) teamed up during the second week of September for “Corals In and Lionfish Out,” a series of events to engage and educate the public while raising funds for coral restoration and invasive lionfish removal efforts in the Florida Keys.
REEF's Volunteer Fish Survey Project (fish surveys) and Invasive Species Program (invasive lionfish removals and derbies) are highlighted in this article about ways to participate in citizen science as a diver in the Florida Keys.
Every month, scientists, government agencies, and other groups request raw data from REEF’s Fish Survey Project database. Here is a sampling of who has asked for REEF data recently and what they are using it for:
- Researchers at the World Resources Institute are using western Atlantic REEF data in an analysis of threats to the world’s coral reefs called Reefs at Risk Revisited.
- A scientist from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is evaluating population trends of rock scallop in preparation for harvest rule updates.
Join us for the second annual project to Curacao to document the establishment and consequences of invasive lionfish as part of REEF's ongoing effort to minimize the Indo-Pacific predator's impact on native fish populations. Participants will have an opportunity to be trained in lionfish collection and dissections of specimens to document prey. This unique research trip is led by REEF’s Director of Special Projects, Lad Akins and dive industry legend, Peter Hughes.
This paper is the introduction to a special issue of the journal, Marine Ecology Progress Series, titled "Invasion of Atlantic coastal ecosystems by Pacific lionfish". The issue is a compilation of papers presented at the 2015 special session of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute meeting, which was co-organized by REEF and partner organizations.
California Invertebrates 4 (Bryozoans, Tunicates, Algae)
Species taught in this session are:
- Fluted Bryozoan
- Lacy Bryozoan
- Northern Staghorn Bryozoan
- Southern Staghorn Bryozoan
- Light-bulb Tunicate
- Stalked Tunicate
- Club Tunicate (invasive)
- Bull Kelp
- Giant Kelp
- Northern Sea Palm
- Southern Sea Palm
- Oarweed
- Asian Kelp Wakame (invasive)
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.
We're counting down to the 2025 Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Arts Festival this April! This event uniquely combines invasive lionfish removal with vibrant local arts and conservation efforts, aiming to engage the community in ocean conservation through interactive and educational activities. Here's what to expect:
Last Summer during a dive with Pacific Adventure Charters in Hood Canal, Washington, a group of REEF Pacific Advanced Assessment Team (AAT) surveyors came across something unexpected. As part of REEF’s funded project with The Russell Family Foundation, the team’s goal was to look for invasive tunicates and do REEF marine life surveys on several previously unsurveyed sites. While they found the invasive tunicates they were looking for, they also found a derelict fishing net that was damaging fragile habitat and ensnaring marine life.