Image above: The lionfish invasion
The lionfish invasion, a case study of environment, interconnection and sustainability
"The lionfish
invasion is probably the worst environmental disaster the Atlantic will ever
face" said Graham Maddocks, president and founder of Ocean Support
Foundation
The story of the
lionfish invasion of the Atlantic is a very useful case study for the geography
class to explore the concepts of environment, interconnection, space, change and
sustainability. After giving a brief overview of the issue this posting will
provide information, videos and map visualisations to illustrate this
fascinating and geographically useful case study of a little fish from the Pacific
which has become a big problem in the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the waters of
the Caribbean and beyond.
The story in a nutshell
The lionfish, a native of the South Pacific region, has brought enormous
change to the biodiversity of the areas it has invaded and is now the the
most abundant top-level predator on some coral reefs in the Atlantic.
Lionfish were first
recorded in 1985 in the Bahamas and since then their population has grown quickly. They produce
30,000 to 40,000 eggs every few days and are sexually mature by 1 year old.
Today, you can find them throughout the Amazon, the Bahamas, the Caribbean and
in the waters along North Carolina. As a non-indigenous species, lionfish are
especially dangerous to the ecosystem because fish in the Atlantic lack a
native instinct to stay away from them.
Although some commentators blame the breaking of aquariums during Hurricane Andrew for releasing lionfish to the ocean, it is more likely
that they were introduced to the Florida area in 1985 when some pet owners
released their lionfish when they got too big for their aquariums (DNA evidence
traces all lionfish in the Atlantic back to only six to eight female lionfish).
Having no natural predators in the area, scientists say it is up to humans, the
fish's only known predator, to save the ecosystem.
Since being released they have altered the coastal
ecology and an enormous amount of work is being initiated to limit their impact
an spread.
* Video introductions to the issue
* Map of current distribution:
all from 6 lionfish released in 1985
* World distribution map for lionfish, including projected future spread
There’s been a lot of
buzz surrounding the lionfish invasion in the Western Atlantic, Caribbean, and
Gulf of Mexico. With the invasion being a relatively new phenomenon (at least
to most people), there’s bound to be some misinformation flying around. The National Geographic website
explores the top five misconception about lionfish and the facts behind them.
They say, quite correctly; ...'Knowing the truth behind lionfish puts us one step closer to figuring out a
solution to the problem!'
* Attempts to manage the invasion of lionfish
The lionfish
invasion is an interesting example of interconnection, environmental management
and sustainability. Much research and management efforts is now taking place to
avert ongoing ecological disaster. However, the likelihood of success is limited
considering the nature of the lionfish and its adaptation and dominance of the Atlantic
coastal environment.
