The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Lionfish Challenge celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2025 with record participation and a new Lionfish King and Commercial Champion.
More than 500 divers took part in the summer-long tournament, completing 1,104 dive trips and removing over 30,000 invasive lionfish from Florida waters. Participants competed for prizes and titles by turning in their catches at checkpoints across the state.
Paul Carlson of Palm Beach County earned the title of Lionfish King in the Recreational Division after harvesting 1,542 lionfish over 73 dives. Kris Anderson of Texas took second place with 1,098 lionfish on 36 dives, and Helen Rodney of Broward County placed third with 962 lionfish.
In the Commercial Division, Donald Vautrinot of Walton County was named Commercial Champion after removing 1,161.04 pounds of lionfish. Matt Myers of Jacksonville followed with 803 pounds, and David Garrett of Volusia County secured third place with 754 pounds.
“Congratulations to our 2025 Lionfish King and Commercial Champion,” said FWC Executive Director Roger Young. “The diving community across our state plays a vital role in promoting conservation and raising awareness of this invasive species.”
Jessica McCawley, director of FWC’s Division of Marine Fisheries Management, added, “Every year, we are blown away by the enthusiastic participation during the Lionfish Challenge. We want to extend our gratitude to all the 2025 participants for their dedication to a thriving and healthy Florida marine ecosystem.”
The annual Lionfish Challenge is free to enter and open to divers statewide. Prizes are awarded based on the number of lionfish harvested, with top participants earning titles such as Lionfish King or Queen and Commercial Champion.
With excitement already growing for the 2026 tournament, officials say the rise in lionfish competitions reflects Florida’s ongoing commitment to marine conservation.
Learn more about lionfish: MyFWC.com/Lionfish. Want to participate, but missed this year? Keep up to date with our lionfish programs on our FWC Reef Rangers Facebook page and be the first to know when registration opens for 2026: Facebook.com/FWCreefrangers.
