Ocean Minute
Red lion FIsh (2012-05-21)
FT. PIERCE, FL. (wqcs) - In 1992, a few lionfish escaped in south Florida. Since then, they
have invaded the eastern U.S. seaboard up to
Rhode Island, the Gulf of Mexico and the entire Caribbean Sea, from
shallow water down to 1,000 feet deep.
The invasive lionfish are perfect killing and breeding machines. They are
voracious predators, protected with venom spines, and breed by the
thousands. Lionfish could collapse entire fisheries and ecosystems.
Lionfish population control by spearfishing is limited. New research shows
big fish like groupers eat the invaders. But our best allies at this war are
themselves overfished. Protecting big fish, we protect our oceans.
At Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA), we do research
on invasive lionfish.