We are thrilled to have teamed up with Waterlust, an eco-clothing company, to create an invasive lionfish collection as their newest line of advocate apparel. The brand-new lionfish line is available on Waterlust's website and includes leggings, an athletic top, a sun suit, and headband. 10% of profits from the sale of the lionfish collection will be donated to REEF. Waterlust products are extremely high quality and are made from environmentally-conscious materials.
Learn how to safely conduct lionfish removals by attending a REEF Invasive Lionfish Collecting & Handling Workshop.
Workshops include a classroom portion that covers background on the invasion, lionfish biology, ecological impacts, current research, and collecting and handling techniques. After we wrap up the classroom portion of the workshop, we will head out to the water for a 2-tank dive to put our skills to work.
This article highlights some of the ways that the Upper Keys community has adressed the invasive lionfish, including REEF's 8th Annual Earth Day "Locals" Lionfish Derby held on April 23-25, 2021 in Key Largo.
The article highlights Team Forever Young's participation in the 2022 REEF Earth Day Lionfish Derby, where they collected a record 426 invasive lionfish in one day.
This article highlights the collaborative efforts of conservationists throughout the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic who work to combat the invasive lionfish, including REEF's work to orgnanize removal events such as the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival.
During last month's REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival, twenty teams fished from sunrise to sunset for two days, and ultimately collected 1,215 invasive lionfish. The event concluded on Sunday, Sept. 12 at Postcard Inn Resort & Marina in Islamorada, with an outdoor festival featuring lionfish tastings, cooking and dissection demos, games, interactive booths, and live music.
We're gearing up to host the 15th annual REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival on August 15-18! A Lionfish Derby is a competition where teams of divers and snorkelers compete to collect as many invasive lionfish as possible. REEF Lionfish Derbies educate the public about invasive species, gather important scientific information on lionfish populations, and help to develop a consumer market for invasive lionfish.
Thanks to the generous support of OpenROV and National Geographic, REEF received two Trident remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs) to advance our research on endangered Nassau Grouper and invasive lionfish.
This article highlights the effectiveness of lionfish derbies in the Florida Keys, including the recent Earth Day Lionfish Derby where winning team Forever Young swept all three prize categories - most lionfish, largest, and smallest.
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