Emerald Coast Open Removes 20K+ Invasive Lionfish
Emerald Coast Open Removes 20K+ Invasive Lionfish Staff Reports May 22, 2025 8:43 am Charities and Nonprofits, Destin, Events, Fort Walton Beach, News, Okaloosa County, Wildlife In Brief: 🐠 20,502 lionfish were removed from the Gulf during the 2025 Emerald Coast Open and Lionfish Festival in Destin-Fort Walton Beach. 🎯 Deep Water Mafia 1 led […]
Lionfish Tournament Returns to Destin-Fort Walton Beach This May
The Emerald Coast Open returns to Destin-Fort Walton Beach from May 16–18, 2025, bringing divers, chefs, and the community together to remove invasive lionfish from local waters.
Emerald Coast Open Helps Control Invasive Lionfish
The Emerald Coast Open lionfish tournament, held from May 17-19, saw divers remove 11,844 invasive lionfish from the Gulf of Mexico throughout the event. Participants competed for $125,000 in prizes, with winners including VJL Seafood, Deep Water Mafia El Gato Negro, Lookin’ Back, and Bob Brown. The tournament also featured the Lionfish Festival and Restaurant Week, promoting conservation and culinary innovation with lionfish dishes.
