b'Taking The Bite Out Of LionfishHow a group of passionate divers are trying to create essential awareness about a growing ocean threatBy Scott MurphyBy day, Roger J. Muller Jr. can usually be found overseeing Muller Insurance, Est 1906his longstanding insurance agency in Hoboken, New Jersey. At night, friends often seek him out on the ice, either as the Captain of the Hoboken Rockets hockey team, or watching the New Jersey Devils pursue a hopeful Stanley Cup.But every few months, as he stares at the exotic fish in hismassive office tank, Muller gets the itch to go deep sea diving. Its like a mission, he says. For the past 25 years, he has divedin places as varied as Cuba, Italy, Panama, Bonaire, Curacao,Jamaica, St. Croix, Grand Cayman Islands, Aruba, the FloridaPanhandle, Rangiroa, Moorea, Bora Bora, the South Pacific and Hawaii. Hes accumulated some noteworthy statsand achievements during that time: over 1,200 lionfish dives,2500 regular dives and 132 major diving certificates. I love it, he says with a clear passion in his voice. I startedin 1998 in Aruba, and just kept going. Ive gotten everycertification from Open Water Diver to instructor.Muller has become so adept at diving that he can reel off somenotable feats that would impress any weekend water warrior nearly three hours on one tank of oxygen. An average diveof over 100 feet deep. Solo diving. Diving with partners. And,Roger J. Muller and his niece Elizabeth from the Czech Republic experiencing the kind of steep, skyscraper-sized drop-offs2'