Grab your gear and your spears: It's time to fight the invasion.

Native to the Ind-Pacific region and the Red Sea, lionfish are wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems in the Caribbean, Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. This invasion of their non-native waters is one of the worst man-made ecological disasters, and it affects more than 100 million people according to lionfish.co.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is doing everything it can to keep lionfish, an invasive species to the Sunshine State, from continuing the devastation — and you're invited to join the hunt to save our reefs and marine environments.

“Because lionfish are not native to local waters, our ecosystems have no form of natural population control to this voracious predator,” says Robert Turpin, manager of Marine Resources for Escambia County.

For its second year, the free Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day will kick off with a weekend of events across Florida, including a festival in Pensacola on May 13 to 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tournament, which is hosted by Gulf Coast Lionfish Coalition and other partners, will be held at Plaza de Luna at 900 S. Palafox St., Pensacola.

Event Activities Include

• Lionfish Shootout May 13-14

• Lionfish Festival May 14-15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Weigh ins and awards May 15

During the festivities, perk up your tastebuds with 10 celebrity chef demonstrations, lionfish tastings and fillet demos.

“Our best bet for long-term removal of lionfish from our reefs is to establish a market for lionfish as seafood,” says Turpin.

Expand your palette from flavor to culture by perusing more than 40 arts, diving and conservation vendors. Bring the kids to enjoy family fun with games, such as ‘Knock the Lionfish off the Reef’ and an educational scavenger hunt where kids will search for clues in an on-site ‘geocache.’

Can’t make it to Pensacola? No problem. A full range of statewide events can be found at reefrangers.com, including ones in Panama City, Jacksonville and Key Largo.

Turpin’s greatest concern is for the vermilion snapper because they come to Florida reefs as juveniles. He’s found more than two dozen inch-long vermilion snapper in a lionfish’s stomach.

The FWC is also encouraging divers to take action into their own hands by removing lionfish they see while diving during this awareness weekend.

Last year, nearly 3,000 lionfish were removed during the awareness day, according to the reefrangers website. Turpin hopes to see 10,000 lionfish removed by the end of the weekend’s festivities — weather permitting.

Make sure to report the specifics of your lionfish removals on MyFWC.com/Lionfish, and share pictures of you with your catch on Twitter or Instagram using #FWCLionfish for a chance to be featured on the big screen in Pensacola and on reefrangers.com.

For more information, contact the FWC Division of Marine Fisheries Management at 850-487-0554 or visit the its website.

Check out more ways you can prevent lionfish population growth.