Learning with Lionfish - A Weekend at the Emerald Coast Open
This past weekend, two of our educators, Alexia Stewart and Grace Beane, traveled to Destin, FL to attend the Emerald Coast Open. Here is what they had to say about the experience!
From left to right: Alexia Stewart, Grace Beane
This past weekend, we had the chance to attend the 6th annual Emerald Coast Open in Destin, FL, where the main goal is to help reduce the numbers of invasive lionfish in the area. Each year, fishermen travel to Destin to compete in the lionfish tournament with the hopes of winning cash prizes for fish caught. During this year’s tournament, over 30,000 lionfish were taken out of the water!
Along with the tournament, there is a festival that happens on the Harbor Walk where marine and environmental organizations are able to speak with the public about their missions. This year we talked to nearly 250 individuals from all over the United States about Tampa Bay Watch’s mission and current education programs. We also educated people on the invasive lionfish species and offered a 'pin the spine on the lionfish' game that the kids loved.
Lionfish are an invasive species originating from Malaysia. An invasive species is an animal brought from another place that does harm to the environment, and the lionfish is one of our most prolific invasive species.
In their natural habitat, lionfish are found in warm temperate waters around structures such as rocks or reefs. These characteristics are prevalent along Florida’s coast, which makes it an ideal habitat for them. Although lionfish thrive in these conditions, they can be found in water as cold as 56F and as warm as 81F and can be found in depths of 1-300ft. This adaptability has allowed them to invade the entire East Coast of the United States; however, Florida remains the state with the highest numbers on our coast. Lionfish have 18 venomous spines, a protrusible jaw, and can lay 30,000 eggs every four days. Due to these characteristics, they have no natural predators in the Gulf, can eat anything that fits in their mouth, and reproduce extremely quickly. Events like the Emerald Coast Open work to decrease the expansive population of these fish.
Pictured: Pin the spine on the lionfish game.
Public outreach was not the only goal of this trip. The tournament donates lionfish to Tampa Bay Watch to bring back for sustainable dissections. These fish donated by the Emerald Coast Open will be used all year for educational programs for students of all ages.
We are grateful for the opportunity to attend this festival and to the Emerald Coast Open for the donated lionfish specimens. We look forward to using the fish as an educational tool and attending the festival next year!