REEF Ocean After Hours - Lionfish Jewelry Workshop

September 22, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Turn an invasive threat into a wearable work of art at the Ocean After Hours: Lionfish Jewelry Workshop at REEF's Ocean Exploration Center in Key Largo! This hands-on evening blends marine conservation with creativity, letting you craft your own custom jewelry from lionfish fins while learning about one of the ocean's most striking and destructive invaders.

Beautiful but damaging, invasive lionfish have had dramatic impacts on marine ecosystems thanks to their rapid reproduction and voracious appetites. With their signature red and white stripes and dramatic fanlike spines and fins, they are as stunning to look at as they are harmful to native reef life. REEF's Lionfish Jewelry Workshops help fight back by encouraging a consumer market that promotes lionfish removal from Keys waters.

During the workshop, REEF experts will walk you through the background of the invasion, the biology and ecology of lionfish, their impacts, current research findings, collecting tools and techniques, and ways to get involved in the community effort. Then comes the fun part: a step-by-step tutorial on crafting lionfish jewelry, where you will create your own customized pieces from pre-treated lionfish fins. All lionfish used are locally collected in the Florida Keys or South Florida, with fins and spines carefully removed and treated for safe handling.

Whether you are a diver, an art lover, an ocean advocate, or simply curious, this unique workshop is a wonderful way to spend an evening in Key Largo while supporting a great cause. Come learn, create, and take home a one-of-a-kind keepsake that tells a powerful conservation story. Join REEF for a fin-tastic night of art and impact at the Ocean Exploration Center!