Lionfish Podcasts

I met Dan by chance - we were both in Aruba at the same time but didn't know it. He is a Citizen Scientist wanting to find solutions for controlling the invasive lionfish. It was a great unexpected surprise that we could catch up.

Abigail is with Lionator Pole Spears in Aruba. Abigail has been working in the Aruban lionfish community for years and is passionate about marine conservation!

I met Teagan at the Tobacco Caye Marine Station in Belize while she was interning there. She mad a really cool discovery that changed the way we see lionfish. Enjoy meeting Teagan!

Roxy and her Lionfish PhD Project is an exciting new way of gathering information on ways to someday combat the invasive lionfish. Meet Roxy and her very creative project!

Sietske works at the Arikok National Park in Aruba. Arikok National Park lies on Aruba’s east coast. Conchi is a natural ocean pool sheltered by craggy rock formations. Beaches include Boca Prins and Dos Playa, a turtle nesting site. Caquetío Indian rock paintings adorn nearby Fontein Cave. Openings in the roof of Quadiriki Cave let in sunlight. An old adobe house at Cunucu Arikok recalls Aruba’s...

When it comes to lionfish hunters on the island of Curacao, Lisette's name is among the conversations. She is the owner of Lionfish Caribbean, a jewelry company that uses fins from the invasive lionfish. Lisette is also the owner of Lionfish and Mangoes, a great culinary endeavor that encourages more people to eat the lionfish. She helps divers earn an income by selling their catch to her so she c...

Meet Martin and Dick from Aruba! These 2 lionfish hunters are part of CLA - the Caribbean Lionfish Alliance. They work hard to protect the reefs from the invasive lionfish. We did this podcast at Lionfish Snack Aruba - a great and fitting place to talk about lionfish. Here is more information about CLA. Protecting the reef for years to come. Caribbean Lionfish Alliance - CLA was founded by a group...

The Lionfish Snack Aruba is one of the best ways to help remove lionfish from the Aruba waters! It is a unique place to have lunch or dinner and it's the most environmentally friendly food on the island when it comes to saving the reefs. Patrick is the owner and tell us his perspective of the lionfish around the island. Here is some information from Patrick's website:  In 2017 I started with...

Holden Harris is interested in applied research that guides natural resource management. His work currently focuses on innovative fisheries gear, including deepwater lionfish traps and self-releasing fishhooks; commercialized invasive species harvest and the developing lionfish fishery; and, applying ecosystem models to understand and forecast the effects of land-use and climate changes to coastal...

UNBELIZEABLUE is a modern documentary that follows a multigenerational group of inspiring women leaders in Belize striving to protect the country’s Barrier Reef Reserve System. Focusing on the inherent conflict between conservation and exploitation of the world’s second largest coral reef system, the film highlights ways to protect Belize’s natural heritage while enabling communities to thrive in...

Meet Reza, one of the inventors of StingMaster. We spoke with him at DEMA in 2021. In 2016, Reza was on an airplane, reading the in-flight magazine, when he came across an article describing the invasion of the lionfish in the Gulf of Mexico as well as the fish’s excruciatingly painful sting. Having worked on a Texas coral snake venom in the past, and mostly being a curious scientist, he checked t...

Ivana from Sunny Curacao is someone who is passionate about the oceans and removing lionfish from them. Listen to her great advice and the passion she has to save the reefs.

Stephanie completed her BSc in Physiology at McGill University and is now a PhD Candidate at McGill University. She is the recipient of the prestigious Vanier Scholarship from the Canadian Institute for Health Research and is one of 3 Canadians invited to attend the 2020 Lindau Nobel Laureate Conference. For the past 3 years, her PhD research has focused on studying lionfish venom to und...

Alex Fogg is well known in the lionfish world. His work in the pan handle part of Florida is wide and varied from deploying artificial reefs to cleaning up those reefs of lionfish. 

Zookeepers are the gold standard when it comes to hunting lionfish! Tim Robinson recently purchased Zookeeper and is taking it to the next level in the fight against the invasive lionfish. We met up with Tim at DEMA 2021 in Las Vegas. He is a great guy with a great business mind and will take everything to the next level.  https://lionfishzk.com/

Anthony Valiulis: CSO Anthony works to make sure we always have lionfish in supply for you! He is also the one planning out our future products that will help restore our oceans! He is a driving force when it comes to removing lionfish from the reefs by creating jobs and opportunities for locals to better their income by saving the reefs! 

Lionfish Bling with Phil Karp, a Citizen Scientist. Phil has a vast amount of information, connections and experience around the world when it comes to helping locals improve their lives by working with more resources - lionfish fins. Yes, Lionfish jewelry is becoming more and more popular and Phil has the entire story!

The best Lionfish Crew in Belize that week was Sal, Phil, Anthony and Willie! They did a great job of building, testing and deploying lionfish traps in Belize! Meet the crew that made it such a success!

Sal Delello President of ReefSave Inc The current version of Dr. Giddings Purse Trap resolves the FAD drag problem by using a flat panel allowing flat closing of the jaws on deployment. A float was added to the line to the surface that keeps the FAD erect, and a ring was added at the top of the FAD to assure complete closure of the trap. Extra netting was added to cause the netting to billow...

Shikha and Sadie were volunteers at ReefCI for one of the weeks I was there. This is their story. Environmental and Social Goals ReefCI has been and will continue to be focused on our hands-on conservation projects that protect the millions of species that rely on healthy functioning marine ecosystems. ReefCI firmly believes that hands-on education and activism is a key component in maintaining a...

Marine Conservation Projects and Education Schedule and Weekly Itinerary All new arrivals to the island will complete week 1 schedule while on the island.  Those who are with us as rollovers (volunteers with us multiple weeks in a row) will be on our cycle two, three, and four schedules.  Please click on the links below to see each detailed weekly schedule that includes dives, conservati...

Becca and Bea Volunteers at Reef Conservation International empowers you to take an active role in directly protecting and conserving our oceans that we love via our marine conservation projects and environmental education and awareness program. You will learn about the invasive lionfish species that is destroying our native coral reefs and participate in our dives to spearfish and remove this inc...

Reef Conservation International (ReefCI) gives you the opportunity to learn about reef ecosystems and help conserve and protect the reef by directly helping us with our marine conservation projects all while having a fun holiday/vacation! People coming on this type of volunteer experience have a shared passion for diving and ocean conservation, which makes for great group dynamics. We give you the...

Meet Luis from Reef Conservation International (ReefCI) empowers you to take an active role in directly protecting and conserving our oceans that we love via our marine conservation projects and environmental education and awareness program. ReefCI’s conservation work is funded through environmentally minded eco-volunteers, like yourself, who go to their unique island in Belize to assist in our ma...

Meet Willie and Abby of ReefCI. They work hard on a tiny little island about 25 miles south of Placencia, Belize. They do a great job and are wonderful people looking out for the reefs around the island by removing lionfish all week long! Reef Conservation International empowers you to take an active role in directly protecting and conserving our oceans that we love via our marine conservation pro...