Nova Southeastern University Lionfish Tournament

Event Designed to Provide Information & Help Reduce Population of Invasive Species

MEDIA ADVISORY

WHO:    
Nova Southeastern University (NSU), South Florida Association of Environmental Professionals and numerous other organizers and sponsors

WHAT:
Lionfish Tournament

WHERE:
NSU’s Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center building, 8000 N. Ocean Dr. (inside John U. Lloyd State Park, Hollywood), and John. U. Lloyd State Park’s Whisky Creek Hideout Restaurant

WHEN:
Friday, Sept. 25:
6:30-7:30 p.m. – Mandatory Participant Meeting & Lionfish Research Presentation (by David Kerstetter, Ph.D., at NSU’s Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center building)
Saturday, Sept. 26:
6:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Lionfish Collection (your secret spots)
3-5 p.m. – Educational Workshop (Whisky Creek Hideout)
5-7 p.m. – Tasting and Awards (Whisky Creek Hideout)

WHY:                  
Lionfish are posing a serious threat to the waters not only off of Florida’s coast, but throughout the Caribbean. To that end, researchers at NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography have been studying this elusive invasive species to determine what can be done to help keep their populations in check, and to determine what factors are aiding their spread throughout the region. The main problem these animals are posing is that they have no natural predators in local waters, and they are decimating the native fish populations – they eat nearly everything they see.

The cost to enter the tournament is $20; those interested are asked to resister online HERE (https://eventbrite.com/event/16195404892). There will be cash prizes and special award categories for snorkelers/free divers and beach divers so everyone can participate. Entry fees will be donated to help support the lionfish research being done at NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography.

You can read more about a study by NSU researchers on the need for additional culling efforts needed HERE; and a study on how hurricanes/tropical storms aid in the spread of lionfish HERE. You can also see a video of the two researchers – Dr. Matthew Johnston and Dr. Sam Purkis – discuss their studies HERE.

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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU):Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. A private, not-for-profit institution with more than 24,000 students, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is 1 of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information.

About NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography: The college provides high-quality undergraduate and graduate (master’s and doctoral degrees and certificates) education programs in a broad range of disciplines, including marine sciences, mathematics, biophysics, and chemistry. Researchers carry out innovative basic and applied marine research programs in coral reef biology, ecology, and geology; fish biology, ecology, and conservation; shark and billfish ecology; fisheries science; deep-sea organismal biology and ecology; invertebrate and vertebrate genomics, genetics, molecular ecology, and evolution; microbiology; biodiversity; observation and modeling of large-scale ocean circulation, coastal dynamics, and ocean atmosphere coupling; benthic habitat mapping; biodiversity; histology; and calcification. The college’s newest building is the state-of-the-art Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, an 86,000-square-foot structure filled with laboratories; offices; seminar rooms; an auditorium; and indoor and outdoor running sea water facilities. Please visit cnso.nova.edu for more information.

September 16, 2015

Joe Donzelli | NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-2159 (office)|954-661-4571 (cell)
jdonzelli@nova.edu | www.nova.edu