Welcome to the Florida Keys, a tropical archipelago that’s home to 82,000 residents, and welcomes millions of visitors a year. And it all starts at Mile Marker 107, the beginning of Key Largo, the northernmost island. The Keys are home to some 30 game fish species, and Key Largo has its fair share. Snook can be found in mangrove cuts and creeks with solid tidal flow. Redfish stalk the shorelines, their spotted tail a dead giveaway. Tarpon migrate into the Keys in the spring, kicking off a fishing tradition that’s fit for a king. One less desirable species in the Keys is the lionfish. In 2010, REEF launched its first lionfish derby in the Florida Keys. At the very first derby in Key Largo, 534 lionfish were removed. In the 14 years since, more than 14,000 lionfish have been eradicated, including 1,527 at the 2024 derby. Conservation requires give and take: the giving of time, energy and resources, and the taking of the perfect invader.
