Calling all lionfish hunters! The 2021 REEF Lionfish Derby Series will kick off with the 8th Annual "Locals" Lionfish Derby on April 23-25 in Key Largo. This Earth Day Lionfish Derby will allow participants to practice social distancing while encouraging the removal of invasive lionfish from Florida Keys waters.
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REEF is proud to share that a generous grant from United Way of Collier and the Keys made it possible for free bus transportation for 300 students from Key Largo School to visit the REEF Ocean Exploration Center for hands-on educational field trips as part of REEF's Ocean For All program. Check out this highlight film!
Join us at the Key West Aquarium to learn about one of the Florida Keys' most impactful marine invaders, the red lionfish. Stop by our outreach table anytime from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM to explore lionfish biology, their impacts on native reef ecosystems, and how divers and community members are helping manage this invasive species through citizen science and conservation.
Don't miss our live lionfish dissection demonstrations from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM, where you'll get an up-close look at lionfish anatomy and learn what makes this species such a successful invader.
While we all knew it was just a matter of time, the call still came with a bit of surprise and dread as the first confirmed lionfish sighting in the Florida Keys came in on January 6th, 2009. REEF member Becky Fowler, from Greenville, SC, was diving just offshore of the Benwood Wreck in Key Largo when she spotted the invasive lionfish near the base of a ledge at 66'. With all of the recent focus and outreach efforts that REEF has been forwarding to our members, she knew immediately that she needed to document the sighting and gather a detailed description of its location.
Dear Valued REEF Members,
REEF announces the release of "The Lionfish Cookbook", available for $16.95 online at http://www.reef.org/catalog/cookbook. The book is a unique blend of 45 tantalizing recipes, background on the lionfish invasion and its impacts, as well as information on how to safely catch handle and prepare the fish. Invasive lionfish are a new threat to western Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico waters.
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:
- NOAA scientists from the Protected Resources Division are using data on three species of endangered rockfish to evaluate their status in the Salish Sea.
-University of Washington scientists are using REEF data on invasive tunicates to map distribution of the species throughout the Pacific Northwest.
A Humpback Grouper was recently captured off the Florida Keys. REEF's Lad Akins positively identifies the exotic fish, and encourages vigilant monitoring to prevent another invasive species.
Join REEF for an evening of eating and entertainment at Piccolo Ristorante. The event will include a four course tapas style lionfish dinner, complimentary wine and beer, lionfish education, filleting demonstration, and cooking instruction by Piccolo's very own Chef Andres Avayu.
Ground-breaking invasive lionfish findings were featured in a paper published earlier this month in the scientific journal, Ecological Applications. The research was conducted as a collaboration between REEF, Oregon State University, Simon Fraser University, and the Cape Eleuthera Institute. The new study, conducted by Dr. Stephanie Green (OSU/REEF), Lad Akins (REEF), and others, confirms for the first time that controlling lionfish populations in the western Atlantic Ocean can pave the way for a recovery of native fish.