Don Childress announced the launch of The Childress Foundation and Research Group, Inc. (an applied for 501(c)(3) non-profit organization) to immediately and effectively take action to mitigate the lionfish invasion along the warmer regions of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Based in Gulf Shores, Alabama, The Childress Foundation and Research Group's mission is to promote and protect our marine environment by building awareness and promoting public engagement to address environmental issues. A June 2008 nightly news segment about the increasing threat of the lionfish to the Eastern United States' coastal waters caught the immediate attention of lifelong maritime businessman Don Childress (President, Childress Marine, Inc.).