With its ornate, flowing fins and bold body pattern, the fish in the picture above is beautiful, but outside of its native Indo-Pacific range, this venomous lionfish can have harmful impacts on marine life. In the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, invasive lionfish are wreaking havoc on habitats, fisheries, and ecosystems with their voracious appetites and rapid reproduction.
REEF is leading the way in addressing the lionfish invasion, through a combination of scientific research, lionfish removal projects and derbies, educational workshops, and market development.
Your support is crucial to the success of these conservation actions. Please make a donation to REEF today – every contribution this summer will be matched. If you have already contributed, thank you so much for your support!
For the past 25 years, REEF has enlisted citizen scientists to collect biodiversity data through the Volunteer Fish Survey Project. Recreational divers and snorkelers who conduct REEF surveys are keen …