Randy Klein-Gross

Randy Klein-Gross, Ph.D.

 

As the artist and a SCUBA diver, Randy works hard volunteering her time with non-profit organizations along with hunting lionfish around the Florida Keys. After hunting the lionfish, carefully, she removes the spines and tail, donating the body to science or to make a delicious meal like lionfish ceviche. The spines can be left natural or dyed a variety of colors. The jewelry, pens, mezuzahs, and ornaments are filled with the non-venomous spines of lionfish caught in the Florida Keys. Spines are naturally yellow to orangish and when dehydrated become a useful part of the lionfish that is usually thrown away. Each piece is handmade and just as each fish is unique so is each piece she makes.

 

Randy has done many mediums over the years including ceramics, stone sculpture, Aboriginal dot painting, upholstery, Batik, and more. At the same time, she has been a SCUBA Instructor, Olympic Weightlifter, Sex Therapist, Hypnotherapist, Sales Rep for Stream2Sea, and a retail dive manager. Along with making lionfish jewelry, she currently works for Stream2Sea as a Sales Executive in charge of New Markets and Sales.

 

One day while living in the Florida Keys, Randy was invited to go lionfish hunting with friends in 2016, where they all caught lionfish and made ceviche out of the filets. Not using the rest of the fish seemed wasteful so she asked what they were going to do with the carcasses. Everyone agreed that she should try to make something beautiful out of the spines. Challenge was accepted and now it has been 10 years that she has been perfecting this medium with the spines from the invasive lionfish. Randy travels around Florida teaching about the lionfish invasion and what ocean lovers can do about it.

 

Lionfish are not welcome in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean so as SCUBA divers it is our duty to try to eliminate them from our waters. Here are the reasons why.

 

Lionfish:

...eat native fish and crustaceans in large quantities, including both ecologically and economically important species.

...are not known to have any native predators.

...are equipped with venomous dorsal, ventral and anal spines, which deter predators and can cause painful wounds to humans.

...reproduce by releasing 30,000 eggs every 2-4 days.

...are relatively resistant to parasites.

...are fast growing, able to outgrow native species with whom they compete for food and space.

 

A portion of the profits from each sale are donated to organizations to save our ocean