Lionfish have taken over parts of the Gulf and the Caribbean in the past few decades. One group in Texas is trying to make a dent in the species’ population, according to The Verge Texas Monthly.
Lionfish, which are considered invasive, come from the waters around Asia and somehow managed to make their way here. These fish eat whatever they can find in their mouths and are particularly destructive to coral ecosystems. These ecosystems are home to 25% for marine life in our oceans and saving billions of dollars for local economies.
Like the Texas Monthly article authorAs Josh Alvarez puts it, these fish represent a “beautiful but terrible threat.”
Invasive species spread quickly.
In fact, a female lionfish can produce up to 50,000 eggs every few days (although not all eggs mature). This allows them to consume natural resources more quickly. Native and native species often face food shortages, or in the case of lionfish, are sometimes eaten by foreign species.
In this way, these fish imbalance the ecosystem. Their actions can cause significant damage to coral reefs.
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Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to get rid of them. The only known and viable method is spearfishing. As such, the Lionfish Invitational, a non-profit organization, brings together researchers and citizen divers to hunt lionfish.
Alvarez participated in one of these expeditions in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. It is a federally protected area of coral-covered seamounts found about 100 miles off the coast of Texas.
Expeditions like this usually cost divers a pretty penny. But donations and grants help offset the costs enough to make the experience affordable for everyone.
Each group of divers descends far enough into the reserve to explore the coral reefs and look for lionfish. Once the fish are found, divers remove them from the ocean.
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Researchers often receive the fish after the expedition ends. They hope to use the fish to learn more about species’ migration patterns and other information that could help suppress them. This particular expedition saw the removal of 92 lionfish, resulting in at least a slight reduction in the fish population.
Protecting and prioritizing local marine life and their habitats is even more urgent for land management, protecting food supplies, and conserving natural resources.
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