The culls take the form of fishing events in which divers compete to catch the largest numbers of the creatures, with prizes going to the winners.
The Lionfish Derbies are run by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in conjunction with the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF).
Three events are to take place at Fiesta Key Resort, Long Key on 14 May; Coconuts Restaurant, Key Largo on 20 August; and Hurricane Hole Marina and Restaurant, Key West, on 5 November.
Last year, a similar three cull events yielded a catch of 659 lionfish off Marathon, Key Largo and Lower Keys.
The fish caught were not wasted. The white meat of lionfish makes a tasty morsel.
Lionfish are a threat because they consume juveniles of key reef fish including snappers and groupers.
They have established themselves in Florida, along with areas of the Bahamas and the Caribbean, unfettered by having no known marine predators.
Lionfish Derbies - www.reef.org/lionfish/derbies
Lionfish threat info - www.reef.org/lionfish
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