Tag: Lionfish Invasion

Dozens—Perhaps Even Hundreds—of Lionfish Likely Launched the Atlantic Invasion

lionfish
The first wave of invaders likely numbered 48 or more, according to new research. (Credit: kzww/Shutterstock)

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew ripped it’s way across the southern US. Southern Florida, where Andrew made landfall, was one of the hardest hit areas. It’s estimated that over 100,000 homes were damaged, and 63,000 were destroyed—among them an expensive beachfront house with a very large and memorable aquarium. That aquarium contained six lionfish, and when it broke, they were swept into Biscayne Bay. And so began the lionfish invasion into the Atlantic. Continue reading “Dozens—Perhaps Even Hundreds—of Lionfish Likely Launched the Atlantic Invasion”

Death From Below: Invasive Lionfish Lurking in Deep Reefs, Sending Hungry Reinforcements to the Shallows

Lionfish on a mesophotic reef off Florida. Photo credit: Mike Echevarria, Florida Aquarium via NOAA
Lionfish on a mesophotic reef off Florida. Photo credit: Mike Echevarria, Florida Aquarium via NOAA

In the last few decades, scientists have come to appreciate the incredible creatures living on the reefs that lie just below conventional diving limits in what is called the mesophotic zone. These incredible biodiversity hotspots are home to more endemic species than shallower reefs, and conservationists are hopeful they may serve as refuges—pockets of relatively pristine habitat out of reach of anthropogenic stressors—where species under threat from pollution, overfishing, and even the effects climate change can hang on while we clean up our act.

In a new paper published today in Royal Society Open Science, scientists have added to growing evidence that these ecosystems do serve as refuges—unfortunately, in this case, they’re harboring large, fertile adults of exactly the wrong species: invasive lionfishes. Continue reading “Death From Below: Invasive Lionfish Lurking in Deep Reefs, Sending Hungry Reinforcements to the Shallows”

GCFI’s 2013 Lionfish Session: A Tale In Tweets (#storify #Lionfish2013 #GCFI)

GCFI_Logo_finalMissed out on this year’s Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute lionfish session? It’s ok! I got you!

Head over to my storify of the session to learn more!

Continue reading “GCFI’s 2013 Lionfish Session: A Tale In Tweets (#storify #Lionfish2013 #GCFI)”