rmougey
05/21/2007, 07:22 PM
As a diver and a marine aquarist, I have always pondered why folks release exotics into the wild. Lionfish, a Pacific native, have become an increasing problem in Florida and the Caribbean waters. There is supposition that some of these fish may have been introduced through the bilge water being dumped from trans oceanic ships, but the leading cause is the ornamental fish hobby. The non-native fish are breeding and thriving, with few natural predators to reduce the population. Maybe there's a whole new angle to the hobby, collection of Pacific fish in Atlantic waters. Now that would be an interesting specialty tank.
I've included an article (with permission) from a recent Reef-in Brief newsletter from REEF, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation. Their members, of which I am one, conduct fish surveys around the world and provide population census data to researchers.
Interesting reading:
Bahamas Lionfish Expedition
By Lad Akins, Special Projects
REEF recently combined efforts with Blackbeard's Cruises to survey and sample areas in Grand
Bahama, Nassau, the Berry Islands and the Gingerbread Grounds of the northern Bahamas as part of REEF's ongoing exotic species work. Two boats with 49 divers spent a week documenting and collecting lionfish from those areas in an attempt to better understand the impact that invasive species are having on the area. Over 104 lionfish were documented during the week; among them 93 specimens were collected and shipped to NOAA researchers in NC. Questions on the distribution, age/growth, predation, reproduction, genetics and parasitology are being addressed through an effort coined the "Regional Lionfish Management Team" by Bahamian partners.
In addition to volunteers and REEF staff (Lad Akins and Joseph Cavanaugh), Nicola Smith (Bahamas, ecology), Wilson Freshwater (UNCW, genetics), Holly Bourbon Martel (MA fisheries, collection and husbandry), and Andrew Pulver (Nat'l Aquarium in DC, husbandry) made up the "Science team" during the expedition. Bruce Purdy and Blackbeard's Cruises also donated significant funding from the project to REEF as part of our joint conservation efforts.
Key issues that were addressed during the project included: predation, distribution, site preference and fidelity, reproductive status, genetics and potential impacts. The information is currently being used to plan future studies and potential actions to minimize impacts of the venomous predator.
Since the mid-1990s lionfish have been found in temperate and tropical Atlantic waters and are rapidly becoming a major issue in the wider Caribbean. Recent REEF sponsored research efforts- with Blackbeard's Cruises, the Aquacat and Stuart Cove's Dive South Ocean- have provided valuable data on the invasion. Fish as large as 379mm and as small as 28mm have been found
in a variety of habitats with stomach contents that include shrimp, crabs, gobies, wrasses, damselfish, Spanish hogfish, lizardfish and even a jawfish with eggs. REEF is committed to working with both Bahamian and US researchers and dive partners in helping to better understand the impacts and issues related to this recent invasion.
For more information and to participate in future invasive species projects, contact Lad Akins, REEF Director of Special Projects (Lad@REEF.ORG) or Blackbeard's Cruises (sales@blackbeard-cruises.com).
I've included an article (with permission) from a recent Reef-in Brief newsletter from REEF, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation. Their members, of which I am one, conduct fish surveys around the world and provide population census data to researchers.
Interesting reading:
Bahamas Lionfish Expedition
By Lad Akins, Special Projects
REEF recently combined efforts with Blackbeard's Cruises to survey and sample areas in Grand
Bahama, Nassau, the Berry Islands and the Gingerbread Grounds of the northern Bahamas as part of REEF's ongoing exotic species work. Two boats with 49 divers spent a week documenting and collecting lionfish from those areas in an attempt to better understand the impact that invasive species are having on the area. Over 104 lionfish were documented during the week; among them 93 specimens were collected and shipped to NOAA researchers in NC. Questions on the distribution, age/growth, predation, reproduction, genetics and parasitology are being addressed through an effort coined the "Regional Lionfish Management Team" by Bahamian partners.
In addition to volunteers and REEF staff (Lad Akins and Joseph Cavanaugh), Nicola Smith (Bahamas, ecology), Wilson Freshwater (UNCW, genetics), Holly Bourbon Martel (MA fisheries, collection and husbandry), and Andrew Pulver (Nat'l Aquarium in DC, husbandry) made up the "Science team" during the expedition. Bruce Purdy and Blackbeard's Cruises also donated significant funding from the project to REEF as part of our joint conservation efforts.
Key issues that were addressed during the project included: predation, distribution, site preference and fidelity, reproductive status, genetics and potential impacts. The information is currently being used to plan future studies and potential actions to minimize impacts of the venomous predator.
Since the mid-1990s lionfish have been found in temperate and tropical Atlantic waters and are rapidly becoming a major issue in the wider Caribbean. Recent REEF sponsored research efforts- with Blackbeard's Cruises, the Aquacat and Stuart Cove's Dive South Ocean- have provided valuable data on the invasion. Fish as large as 379mm and as small as 28mm have been found
in a variety of habitats with stomach contents that include shrimp, crabs, gobies, wrasses, damselfish, Spanish hogfish, lizardfish and even a jawfish with eggs. REEF is committed to working with both Bahamian and US researchers and dive partners in helping to better understand the impacts and issues related to this recent invasion.
For more information and to participate in future invasive species projects, contact Lad Akins, REEF Director of Special Projects (Lad@REEF.ORG) or Blackbeard's Cruises (sales@blackbeard-cruises.com).