The 2025 Trip Itinerary:

Our pre-trip briefing and dinner is at El Toro Tex Mex located at 120 Commerce St, Clute, TX 77531. This MANDATORY briefing is at 5pm on the Sunday evening that your trip begins (NOTE: The August trip begins on a Monday evening).
After that briefing and dinner, we will travel to the M/V Fling's dock, located at 726 W. Brazos St, Freeport, TX 77541. At the dock, we will sanitize gear, load the boat, participate in the Fling's safety drills and leave the dock around 9pm.
After an overnight transit, we will wake up and spend Day 1 conducting 4 dives at West or East Bank in the FGBNMS.
Day 2 will consist of 4 dives, which could be on West or East Bank in the FGBNMS, at Stetson Bank in the FGBNMS, or TPWD artificial reef sites (rigs or ships). Day 2 sites will fluctuate through the summer, depending on the needs from our research partners.
Day 3 will consist of 4 dives on TPWD artificial reef sites (rigs or ships).
After an overnight transit, we will wake up at the dock on Thursday morning at 7am for breakfast and tearful goodbyes (NOTE: The August trip ends with breakfast and tearful goodbyes at 7am on Friday morning).
The trip itinerary may change at any time for any reason. Maybe a buoy is missing. Maybe a boat is on that buoy. Maybe there's a crew boat on that rig. Maybe there's WHALE SHARKS OVER THERE! Our goal to conduct safe awesome productive dives, and we will do so!

Project Description

The invasion of lionfish in the Gulf of Mexico is a situation of rapidly increasing magnitude. This invasive species, known for its voracious appetite, venomous spines and rapid reproduction, is significantly affecting native marine species throughout the western Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Complete lionfish eradication is not an option with current technology, given the species' broad depth tolerance (1,000 feet) and habitat distribution. However, control on a local scale has proven successful. Building on these successes, Lionfish Invitational is partnering with NOAA's Flower Garden Banks Nat'l Marine Sanctuary, Texas Caribbean Charters and Texas Parks & Wildlife to allow trained divers to help conduct research and remove invasive lionfish within FGBNMS and on artificial reef sites in the Gulf of Mexico. A federal collection permit will be issued for three-day lionfish research cruises onboard the recreational dive charter vessel M/V Fling.

The goals and objectives of the project are to:

Conduct research to increase the knowledge of invasive lionfish distribution and predator/ prey relationships in coral communities at FGBNMS and on artificial reef sites.
Reduce the impact of lionfish on reef habitats and native fish populations by removing lionfish from FGBNMS and artificial reef sites.
Assess effectiveness of diver removal efforts on lionfish populations and native fish communities.
Conduct fish and benthic surveys and structural assessments on artificial reef sites.

Eligibility Requirements

To apply, each diver must:

be at least 21 years of age;
be a certified Nitrox diver and at least a certified Advance Open Water scuba diver, or higher certification level. (participants must present valid diver certification cards for all trips);
have DAN or other dive-specific insurance.
attend the lionfish handling course to be held at 5 p.m. in Clute, TX on the Sunday your trip begins (note: The August 2025 trip will begin on a MONDAY night) and then travel to Freeport, TX to board the FLING;
room with other divers in bunk-style accommodations;
scuba dive at FGBNMS and artificial reef sites using safe scuba diving techniques;
conduct themselves in a responsible manner as volunteers representing Lionfish Invitational;
remove only lionfish using approved gear;
assist with data collection and lionfish processing;
complete and sign all applications, liability waivers and releases.
Pay the trip fee: Our 2025 trip fee is $850. The trip fee now includes gratuity for the M/V Fling's crew and dinner during the mandatory pre-trip briefing. As of 2025, the trip fee is now non-refundable unless we are able to fill your spot. If you are unable to make the trip, Lionfish Invitational will do everything possible to fill your spot from our waitlist. If your spot is filled, you WILL receive a refund. We have always had an extensive waitlist, to date, we have never NOT been able to fill a spot.

Participant Benefits

Participants will:

participate in 3 days of diving on a research cruises at FGBNMS and TPWD artificial reef sites onboard the M/V Fling;
learn about invasive lionfish, research, and field techniques through a pre-trip lionfish collecting workshop and handling course;
compile data and assist with research efforts;
build relationships with others interested in invasive lionfish control and research;
be immersed in field activities that raise awareness of invasive lionfish and ocean conservation;
gain hands on experience that can be utilized in future lionfish control efforts; and
assist with marine sanctuary resource protection efforts.

Provided to Divers:

three days of diving, including Nitrox;
meals and dorm-style live-aboard accommodations;
pre-trip dinner and workshop training in lionfish collecting and handling;
use of lionfish collecting/handling equipment and materials;
use of aluminum 80 yoke-style tanks and weights

About Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

Located in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, FGBNMS includes 17 different banks located off the Texas and Louisiana coastlines. Three of these banks, East Flower Garden Bank, West Flower Garden Bank, and Stetson Banks, are the focus of the Lionfish Invitational expeditions and include the northernmost coral reefs in the continental United States. FGBNMS has partnered with Lionfish Invitational to promote monitoring and lionfish removal within the Sanctuary.

Lionfish were introduced into the Western Atlantic in the late 1980s, and most likely entered the Gulf of Mexico by means of larval transport. In the fall of 2010, lionfish were observed at Sonnier Bank and nearby oil and gas platforms. In July of 2011, lionfish were observed on East and West Flower Garden Banks and Stetson Bank.

About Texas Parks & Wildlife

In 1895, the Texas legislature created the Fish & Oyster Commission to regulate fish harvesting. Over time, this agency was combined with the Game Department and the State Parks Board to create TPWD to for the purpose of managing and protecting all of Texas’ wildlife, fish, and their habitats. Their mission statement is to manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreations opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Artificial Reef Program, created in 1990 as a program within the Coastal Fisheries Division, promotes, develops, maintains, monitors and enhances the artificial reef potential of Texas offshore waters. TPWD has partnered with Lionfish Invitational to promote monitoring and lionfish removal at sites in their Rigs-to-Reefs Program (decommissioned oil and gas rigs) and their Ships-to-Reefs Program (large intentionally sunk marine vessels).

Applications for 2026 will open December 1, 2025. Chosen applicants will be notified on March 15th. Trip dates for 2026 are:

June 21-25

July 26-30

September 7-11

​