INVASIVE SPECIES
What is an invasive species? An invasive species is any plant, animal or other organism that is not native to an ecosystem, but is currently found there.
Why are invasive species a concern? The greatest fear is that the new species are likely to cause environmental or economic harm to an existing ecosystem.
On the environmental side, this could mean the disruption of the food web, destruction of habitat, or the introduction of new diseases. From an economic perspective, this could mean the loss of jobs or livelihoods.
How do we manage invasive species? The primary goal is to prevent them from being introduced in the first place. However, once they are introduced to new ecosystems, the National Invasive Species Council recommends the following approaches:
- Early Detection and Rapid Response - try to halt and eradicate the invasion as quickly as possible
- Control and Management - try to slow and/or reduce their impacts
- Research - learn about their behavior and habits to help improve management techniques
Want to learn more?
Nab the Aquatic Invader! is a fun way to learn about aquatic invaders. By using this NOAA/Sea Grant website you can check out lots of unusual species that create real problems in the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf, and Great Lakes regions.
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LIONFISH
Lionfish (Pterois volitans, Pterois miles), venomous fishes native to the Pacific ocean, are the first invasive species of fish to establish themselves in the Western Atlantic (Schofield 2009).
A lionfish on display in a public aquarium.
Photo: FGBNMS/Drinnen
Although they are quite beautiful to see, they are skilled predators capable of eating any fish or invertebrate their size or smaller, and they have venomous spines that can cause serious injury to people.
The Invasion
The first lionfish recorded in the Western Atlantic (east coast of the United States, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico) was a specimen captured near Dania, Florida in 1985. No other lionfish sightings were reported until 1992 when six animals were accidentally released from an aquarium in south Florida during Hurricane Andrew.
At first, the spread of the lionfish population was rather gradual, but in 2000 the number of sightings began to increase exponentially. By 2009, lionfish were pretty well established along the Atlantic coast and throughout the Caribbean.
In 2010, sightings were also recorded in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, along the coasts of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. By October 2010, lionfish were recorded at Sonnier Bank, about 60 miles east of East Flower Garden Bank.
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One of the lionfish spotted at Sonnier Bank in March 2011
It was only a matter of time before lionfish would be found in the sanctuary...
And there they were in July 2011!
This photograph, taken by recreational divers, shows the first lionfish sighted at Stetson Bank
The first report came from recreational divers at West Flower Garden Bank the week of July 20. On July 27 photographic evidence was provided by a separate group of divers at Stetson Bank. This animal was removed on August 2.
A third animal was collected by the sanctuary research team on August 3 at West Flower Garden Bank.
This lionfish was captured by sanctuary researchers at West Flower Garden Bank on
August 3, 2011, and currently lives in an aquarium at sanctuary headquarters.
Photo: FGBNMS/Embesi
NOAA Press Release from August 15, 2011 (35kb pdf)
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The Concerns
Sanctuary staff were already communicating with other response groups such as US Geoglogical Survey (USGS) and REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation) well before the arrival of lionfish in the sanctuary. Based on their work, we have a preview of the impacts this invasion may bring.
- Lionfish are indiscrimate eaters. If it fits in their mouths, they will eat it! This includes many smaller species of fish and invertebrates, as well as the young of larger fish species, including snapper and grouper. Not only can this affect the balance of the local food chain, but it may also impact fisheries.
- Lionfish reproduce year round. Most reef fishes only spawn once a year, so lionfish may quickly outnumber native fish populations.
- Lionfish have venomous spines. An encounter with a lionfish may have painful consequences for a fisher or diver.
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The Response
Based on research and eradication efforts up to this point, experts say it is unlikely that we will ever be able to completely eliminate lionfish from the Western Atlantic. So, the objective now is to minimize their impact on sanctuary resources.
At this time, sanctuary policy is to remove any lionfish encountered. By keeping the lionfish population in check, we hope to lessen their impact on native fish populations.
Exact removal methods are still under discussion. Permits for removal of lionfish have been issued to the recreational dive charters that frequent the sanctuary, to assist us in this effort.
Without appropriate permits, sanctuary regulations only allow for removal of lionfish by traditional hook and line fishing methods.
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How Can You Help?
You can help us monitor the situation by reporting any lionfish sightings. Please include the date, time, and location of the sighting as well as the size of the lionfish and any other information you can gather about the habitat or the behavior of the fish.
This lionfish from Sonnier Bank was about
9.5 inches long
To report a sighting, please submit a Lionfish Sighting Report Form (390kb pdf) and any photos to flowergarden@noaa.gov
More Information
NCCOS Invasive Lionfish Information
USGS Lionfish Fact Sheet
REEF Lionfish Research Program
