Over 36,000 invasive lionfish pulled from Florida waters

(CNN, KYMA) - Florida divers had a record-setting haul during a recent challenge.

The state's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) collected more than 36,000 venomous invasive lionfish. That's roughly 5,000 more than was removed last year.

In a statement released Monday, the FWC chairman said getting rid of the lionfish will benefit native marine species and preserve marine ecosystems.

The tournament went from May 22 through September 14.

Officials with the Florida Museum of Natural History said lionfish are native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Red Sea.

They were first spotted off Florida's Atlantic Coast near Dania Beach in the 1980s.