Documentary Targets Invasive Lionfish in Waters Off Florida

A new documentary set to debut in Pensacola later this month looks at the growing threat invasive lionfish pose to Florida's recreational fishing and seafood industries.

"Reef Assassin" explains how the colorful and venomous fish with lion-like manes of feathery fins have thrived in the waters off Florida since they were first dumped by aquarium collectors in the mid-1980s.

Three decades later, lionfish are a threat to most other species in waters stretching from the Caribbean Islands to the mid-Atlantic states of the U.S., said filmmaker Maribeth Abrams.

"It was very eye opening for me to be part of the investigation that we did for this project," said Abrams, producer, editor and narrator of the Skyline Films project.