Indo-Pacific lionfish have become an abundant invasive species throughout the tropical eastern Atlantic and Caribbean seas. They are now recognized as one of the most important conservation issues in the world. [We've been talking about lionfish for some time on this blog.]


Lionfish on exhibit at the Aquarium

This is because, lacking any natural predators and with voracious appetites and impressive reproductive skills, lionfish could become the most abundant fish species on coral reefs, displacing many other species that contribute to the health of coral reefs.


An impressive lionfish, photographed at 25 ft on Rainbow Reef, Bimini

Recently, efforts to manage this invasion have taken the form of creating a fishery for lionfish and a demand from the fish eating public. The good news is they are great to eat. [Check out this previous post about sampling lionfish here!] Dining on them can be one way to deal with lionfish, as long as consumers don't develop such a taste for them that they want to keep lionfish around just to eat them. At the end of the day, it will take the hard work of everyone--scientists, conservationists, fishermen and chefs, to help eradicate lionfish from areas where they don't belong.

– Don

Our expedition to the Bahamas is getting closer and closer. However, there is still work to be done and learning to do before we travel. A recent lecture had the SEA TURTLEs learning about an invasive species that is quickly taking over Caribbean waters. Don Stark, a volunteer diver at the Aquarium and a fantastic videographer, came to speak about this prickly fish. Here is his post on the problem:


Lionfish on the reef-photo courtesy of Don Stark

One of the tropical species the SEA TURTLEs will probably see during their visit to the Bahamas is the lionfish. Lionfish (Pterois volitans and Petrois miles) are beautiful fish native to the Indian Ocean and tropical Pacific Ocean. But over the past decade, they have been found throughout the tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. How did they get into these waters? The major hypothesis is that the 1991 Hurricane Andrew destroyed an aquarium in Key Biscayne, FL which housed a small number of lionfish. Since this time, lionfish have spread as far north as Rhode Island and as far south as Venezuela.


2009 distribution of lionfish in the Atlantic and Caribbean (NOAA map)

I became interested in lionfish and their potential impact on Caribbean reef health when I first started seeing them while diving around the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) in 2006. Since those first sightings in 2006, lionfish are seen on virtually every dive site around the TCI. These invasive animals threaten the health of reefs by consuming juvenile fish which reduces biodiversity and depleting those animals, such as parrotfish, which help maintain a healthy reef system. Over the past year, I have been working with the Department of Environmental and Coastal Resources in the Turks & Caicos Islands in their effort to control the lionfish population via creating incentives for fishermen to catch lionfish and licensing selected individuals and diving operators to collecting lionfish in Marine Parks around the TCI.


Don speaking to the class


SEA TURTLEs listening

The discussion with the SEA TURTLEs was focused on defining the problem of invasive species and the efforts being undertaken by local governments in an effort to control the invasion. There were lots of great questions and fortunately, no one injured themselves on the needle-like dorsal fin spins I brought in for show and tell about lionfish (which have venomous spines in their dorsal, anal and pectoral fins).


Isaiah looks at a lionfish spine

-Don

This isn't the first time teens learned from Aquarium experts about lionfish! Click here and here to read previous blog entries about lionfish in the Bahamas.