The Emerald Coast Reef Association (ECRA) hosted its first Lobster and Lionfish Tournament last weekend, drawing more than 25 participants to The Deck at Destin Brewery. The event, held Oct. 18-19, raised more than $15,000 for artificial reef construction in the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area while promoting marine conservation.
- Participants competed in three categories: largest spiny lobsters, slipper lobsters, and lionfish. Despite challenging sea conditions, all categories saw winners.
“Our tournament not only highlights the importance of maintaining healthy marine ecosystems but also brings together our community in a fun and engaging way,” said John Garland, ECRA’s president. “We’re thrilled with the turnout and the positive impact we’re making together. We can’t thank our sponsors enough, we could not have hosted this event without them.”
The Emerald Coast Scuba team dominated the competition, nearly sweeping all categories. Their most impressive catch was a 6.8-pound spiny lobster.
“Our area isn’t known for spiny lobster like other parts of the state. While we don’t have a lot of them, the ones we do have are big,” said Jason Dodd from Team Emerald Coast Scuba. “When I first saw the lobster underwater, I knew we had a winner and it would take teamwork to catch it.”…