Info 2025 Lionfish Invitational

[Cornbread O'Malley]

2025 information available and applications now open!

Lionfish Invitational Inc | lionfish invitational

The invasion of lionfish in the Gulf of Mexico is a situation of rapidly increasing magnitude. A federal collection permit will be issued for three-day lionfish research cruises onboard the recreational dive charter vessel M/V Fling. Join the Lionfish Invitational

www.lionfishinvitational.com

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

Looks like a great initiative .

 

[Cornbread O'Malley]

I applied last year but didn't get selected for the trip. I have not applied for this year because of a busier 2025 calendar. It would be cool if a ScubaBoard member gets on one of these trips and posts a report.

 

[Toasterking]

Just applied! Fingers crossed!

 

[sea_ledford]

I think I am scheduled to go on two of them this summer. Not sure if I'll be shooting fish, shooting pictures, or shooting video though. I also might just be collecting data for NOAA.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

Put in for it, although the August slot is a no-go for me as I'll be in the Outer Banks at that time. My coworkers used to have the coral monitoring contract for the sanctuary until NOAA brought it in-house; I signed on a year or two after that ended and have had to put up with just hearing the stories and seeing the old file photos ever since.

 

[Johnoly]

.. and have had to put up with just hearing the stories

Same with me, I was blown out once after traveling there. Coming from Florida it's an airline ticket plus before & after hotel rooms and if blown out the call is made the day before and too late for us. If your local it's alot easier to recoup & go home. But I could have gone to Mexico on that spent money & vacation time. It's a gamble with no serious local backup dive options like cenotes/caves/spring, etc.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

Welp, looks like I didn't get in on the first round; apparently those who got selected should have received a confirmation email over the weekend and everyone else (apparently there were over 300 applicants this year) is waitlisted.

 

[Cornbread O'Malley]

Welp, looks like I didn't get in on the first round; apparently those who got selected should have received a confirmation email over the weekend and everyone else (apparently there were over 300 applicants this year) is waitlisted.

I wonder how the folks selecting participants weigh the selection and evaluation criteria for all the applicants.

 

[Johnoly]

I wonder how the folks selecting participants weigh the selection and evaluation criteria for all the applicants.

This was just my invite to the event in 2012/13(?) liveaboard for Flower Gardens/stetson. I was invited only because of the lionfish harvest PICTURES that I posted each week. I traveled there and we were blown out. They did a followup trip, but I couldn't schedule it . You have very little time underwater & need to show you have a history of bringing up stuffed containers that have removed the invasive's off the protected area.