Key Largo lionfish derby sets new record with 2,480 removed

Competitive divers and conservation volunteers pulled 2,480 invasive lionfish from South Florida reefs in Key Largo, setting a new single-derby record for the Florida Keys and a new high for Reef Environmental Education Foundation’s lionfish derby program.

The total came during REEF’s 17th annual Florida Keys Lionfish Derby and Arts Festival, held April 23-26 and culminating Sunday at the REEF Ocean Exploration Center on the REEF Campus at 98380 Overseas Highway. The winning Apex team, Badfish Slayers, removed 659 lionfish. REEF said the record beat the previous Keys mark of 1,898 fish set in 2023 by 582 lionfish, an increase of about 31 percent.

The haul matters far beyond the scoreboard. REEF said more than 38,800 invasive lionfish have been removed from local waters since the events began, and this year’s total could prevent nearly 1.5 million predation events on native reef fish. That is a direct local issue for Monroe County, where reef health shapes fishing, tourism, and the broader marine economy that depends on healthy waters from Key Largo to the Florida Keys Reef Tract.

Lionfish are native to the tropical western Pacific and Indian Oceans, but they have become established in the western Atlantic with few natural predators. NOAA Fisheries, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary all warn that the species threatens coral reefs and marine ecosystems. USGS says lionfish prey on coral-reef fish and invertebrates, including juvenile snappers and groupers, while the sanctuary has said the impact on reef food webs could be pervasive and severe.

REEF’s derby format has become one of the region’s most visible responses, pairing organized removals with public education. The annual event includes a captain’s meeting on lionfish biology, ecology, impacts, collection and handling techniques, and rules. The weekend festival also drew the broader community with lionfish tastings, fillet and dissection demonstrations, live music, food trucks, local artists, vendors, awards, educational games, and hands-on science activities.

The 2026 festival was supported by the Ocean Reef Conservation Foundation and the Monroe County Tourism Development Council, a reminder that the fight against lionfish is also tied to the county’s tourism identity and its long-term investment in reef waters. Past REEF results show how much the event has grown, from 1,527 lionfish in 2024 and 1,618 in 2025 to this year’s record-breaking 2,480.