KEY LARGO, FLA. – Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) is excited to announce the 16th Annual Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Arts Festival, scheduled for April 24-27, 2025. 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.

Event Schedule

  • April 24 - Kick-off Party and Captain's Meeting: The festivities will commence on Thursday, April 24, at 6:00pm at Florida Keys Brewing Company in Islamorada. Registered derby teams will gather for a Captain's Meeting, which will also be accessible via Zoom for remote participants. This session is mandatory for derby participation and will cover rules and safety protocols. The public is also invited to attend the kick-off party to celebrate the start of this community event.
  • April 25-26 - Lionfish Derby: From sunrise on Friday, April 25, through sundown on Saturday, April 26, teams of divers will compete to remove as many invasive lionfish as possible from Florida Keys waters. Participants can choose between two divisions: Apex Predators: Designed for more competitive teams seeking greater prize money, or Reef Defenders: Tailored for casual participants with a focus on conservation. Prizes will be awarded to the teams who harvest the most, largest, and smallest lionfish. The derby fosters community involvement and helps control invasive lionfish populations while protecting native marine ecosystems.
  • April 27 - Family-Friendly Arts and Science Festival: On Sunday, April 27, from 12:00 to 4:00pm, the REEF Campus in Key Largo will host a festival celebrating the intersection of art, science, and marine conservation. The festival is free and open to all ages, and includes interactive science activities and educational games, live music, lionfish scoring, fillet and dissection demonstrations, and free lionfish tastings, activity booths from environmental organizations and local artisans, food trucks and refreshments, and the Derby Awards Ceremony, recognizing the achievements of participating teams and announcing derby winners.

The festival aims to educate attendees about environmental issues like invasive lionfish and showcase how the arts can connect the public to science and conservation.

Lionfish, native to the Indo-Pacific, are an invasive species in the western Atlantic and Caribbean, negatively affecting native species and habitats. Removal events like derbies have been found to significantly reduce lionfish populations at the local scale and engage communities to continue supporting control and management efforts.

Registration and Participation

  • Derby Teams: Teams of 2-4 divers may register online at www.REEF.org/derby. Early bird registration is available at $90 per team through March 21. After this date, the fee increases to $120 per team until April 24.
  • Vendors and Exhibitors: Non-profits, government agencies, and conservation-minded artisans may submit an application to exhibit at the Festival on April 27. Booth spaces are free for non-profits and government entities, while artisans wishing to sell items are required to contribute a $75 fee. All vendors are encouraged to provide interactive displays or activities to engage festival attendees. Limited booth spaces are available and all applications will be reviewed by REEF. The application deadline is March 8, 2025.

For more information, visit www.REEF.org/lionfishfestival or contact REEF at (305) 852-0030 or lionfish@REEF.org.

REEF wishes to thank Florida Keys Brewing Company and Ocean Reef Conservation Association (ORCA) for their support of this event.

About REEF
Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) conserves marine environments worldwide. Our mission is to protect biodiversity and ocean life by actively engaging and inspiring the public through citizen science, education, and partnerships with the scientific community. For more information, visit www.REEF.org.


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