More than 20,000 lionfish were pulled from the Gulf during the 2026 Emerald Coast Open, as over 100 divers from across the United States worked to thin the invasive species from the area’s vast artificial reef system.
The tournament, which has drawn divers to Destin-Fort Walton Beach since 2019, included a pre-tournament harvest of 5,734 lionfish followed by a two-day main event that yielded 15,018 — bringing the total to 20,752. Lionfish were …
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