Event Details
St. Pete Florida - ***CANCELLED***
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Fishing Tournament and Festival
Hosted by Reef Monitoring, Inc.
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Saturday/Sunday: 10am to 5pm
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Albert Whitted Park, St. Pete
Activities Lionfish tasting Marine conservation vendors
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Cash prizes Food vendors
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Live music Kids activities
Captain's Meeting
Special thanks to Big Storm Brewing for hosting our Captain's Meeting. There will be a drink special and some tasty food!
Come join us on Thursday October 5th at 7:00pm for any last minute rule changes and information about the diving days.
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At least one participant from each boat must be present.
This is also the last chance to register!
We will also have a kick-ass door prize to raffle off so come have some fun at the Big Storm Brewing Tap Room!
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About
The invasion of the Indo-Pacific lionfish to the Gulf of Mexico has become an overwhelming problem since it began in 2010.
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Since 2014, Reef Monitoring has organized the annual Lionfish Safari to combat the lionfish population and raise awareness about the invasion and its devastating effects on our local marine environment.
Their voracious appetite and rapid reproductive capabilities are compounded back a lack of natural predators here in our waters. Their population has rapidly exploded and now the highest densities in the invaded range can be found here in the Gulf of Mexico.
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We encourage divers to remove as many lionfish from Florida waters as they can during the Lionfish Safari weekend. Our scientists will be collecting data from fish collected during the tournament and teaching about their evolutionary advantages that allow them to out-compete local species.
REMOVAL
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Reef Monitoring invites all divers to join us in the removal and research of Lionfish (Pterois volitans) out of the Gulf of Mexico during a three-day event in September!
On Friday Sept. 8th and Saturday Sept. 9th, head out into the Gulf for the FULL DAY to shoot as many lionfish as you can! There is no North/South boundary and no time limit! Leave as early as you want and come back as late as you want! The only requirement is that you fish in Florida waters.
*** ALL LIONFISH MUST BE ICED AND IN FOOD GRADE CONDITION ***
Any lionfish not iced properly will be disqualified. Fish do not need to be gutted as we are removing the stomach contents for analysis. So no filling them with lead either!
Fish harvested on Friday can be brought to Straub Park on Friday evening if the shooter wishes to unload then and not have to bring them the next day. We will process the fish and give you the results immediately. Fish harvest on Saturday may also be turned in Saturday evening at the park. Divers are encouraged to turn in the fish as soon as possible both for the sake of freshness and efficiency so you don't need to stand around with your coolers during the day!
RESEARCH
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While we are doing our best to eradicate them, research is still at the heart of everything that Reef Monitoring does. So this event will not simply be a search and destroy. Reef Monitoring will also use every specimen collected to further our research.
Fish will be weighed and measured for empirical data. Stomach contents will be removed and analyzed to study the diets of these fish. What are they eating?
The otolith (ear bone) will be removed from the head of each fish. This can tell us exactly how old the fish is. However scientists believe that the otolith can do more and actually give us further insight to the history of the fish. We are excited to continue this avenue of our research!
You are more than welcome to watch and interact with our scientists as they perform these procedures.
And if that wasn't enough, we are continuing our theme of "Culinary Conservation" by having the lionfish prepared for a tasting!
Lionfish Safari
T-Shirts!
Get locked in for your custom long-sleeved performance t-shirts today!
Become a Sponsor
Our success in past events has been largely due to the support of our generous sponsors. We are seeking support for the 4th annual Lionfish Safari for September 2017.
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Reef Monitoring is grateful to accept any form of sponsorship or support, whether monetary or product.
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Be sure to support those that support the community!
Thank You to our Sponsors!
Contact Us
For questions regarding sponsorship, vendor/chef sign-up, or tournament information please contact:
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Meaghan Faletti
Event Coordinator
Phone: (321) 695-2669
This event was designed to provide equal opportunity for enjoyment by all participants. If you would like to request any particular aids or services pursuant to disability laws, please contact the event planner at (321) 695-2669 or City of St Petersburg Community Affairs Division at (727) 893-7345 or (727) 892-5259 TDD/TTY
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For other comments, questions or concerns: