SLIDE 1 Stephanie Green
David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellow Oregon State University
Invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish in the Western Atlantic
SLIDE 2 2
Collaborators and funders
Lad Akins, Reef Environmental Education Foundation Mark Hixon, Oregon State University Bernard Castillo and Kynoch Reale-Munroe, University of the Virgin Islands Ian Lundgren and Vanessa McDunough, National Park Service Isabelle Côté and Andrew Cooper, Simon Fraser University Nick Dulvy, IUCN Shark Specialist Group Nicola Smith, Bahamas Department of Marine Resources Annabelle Brooks, Cape Eleuthera Institute Skylar Miller, University of the West Indies James Morris, NOAA CCFHR
SLIDE 3 Distribution
Red Lionfish – Pterois volitans Devil Firefish – Pterois miles
SLIDE 4
Source of the invasion
SLIDE 5 Aquarium imports and non-native fish sightings
Semmens et al. 2004
SLIDE 6 Invasion progression
USGS Non-indigenous Aquatic Species Database 2013
SLIDE 7 Invasion progression
USGS Non-indigenous Aquatic Species Database 2013
SLIDE 8 Invasion progression
USGS Non-indigenous Aquatic Species Database 2013
SLIDE 9 Invasion progression
USGS Non-indigenous Aquatic Species Database 2013
SLIDE 10 Invasion progression
USGS Non-indigenous Aquatic Species Database 2013
SLIDE 11 Invasion progression
USGS Non-indigenous Aquatic Species Database 2013
SLIDE 12 Invasion progression
USGS Non-indigenous Aquatic Species Database 2013
SLIDE 13 Invasion progression
USGS Non-indigenous Aquatic Species Database 2013
SLIDE 14
Lionfish life cycle
SLIDE 15 Green et al. 2012 PLoS ONE
Lionfish abundance has increased rapidly
SLIDE 16 Green et al. 2012 PLoS ONE
Lionfish abundance has increased rapidly
SLIDE 17 Relative predator abundance
Eleuthera, Bahamas
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
lionfish nassau grouper black grouper graysby
Fish per 100 m2
Green et al. 2012 PloS ONE
SLIDE 18 Lionfish in the Loxahatchee River
Judd and Layman 2012
SLIDE 19
SLIDE 20
SLIDE 21 Morris 2009
Potential lionfish range
100°W 80°W 60°W 40°W 60°N 40°N 20°N 0° 20°S 40°S Morris & Whitfield 2009
SLIDE 22
Why are lionfish so successful in the Atlantic?
SLIDE 23
Lionfish venomology
SLIDE 24
Lionfish are venomous
SLIDE 25 Maljković et al 2008 Coral Reefs
Predators do not control lionfish
Anecdotal observations Experimental feeding trials
Morris et al 2011 J Exp Marine Biol Valdivia et al. 2014 PeerJ
SLIDE 26
Predators do not control lionfish
SLIDE 27
Gape-limited predators
SLIDE 28 What is the effect of lionfish predation
- n invaded fish communities?
SLIDE 29
The Bahamas
SLIDE 30 The Bahamas
New Providence Island Eleuthera Island
SLIDE 31 Lionfish reduce prey biomass By 65% over two years
Green et al. in review
Green et al. 2012 PLoS ONE
SLIDE 32 Eleuthera, Bahamas
Lionfish removal experiment
Testing targets for lionfish control
32
SLIDE 33 Prey fish recovery
Proportion change
1.5 2.0 Green et al. in press Ecol. App.
SLIDE 34
Conservation and lionfish control
Management plans
SLIDE 35
Conservation and lionfish control
Awareness and education
SLIDE 36
Conservation and lionfish control
Regional action
SLIDE 37
Complete eradication is unlikely
SLIDE 38
Population suppression Eradication
SLIDE 39 The goal:
Make the most effective use
- f limited resources for control
SLIDE 40
Conservation application
Minimize ecological impacts in priority areas
SLIDE 41 Juvenile fish habitat Marine Protected Areas
Conservation application
Minimize ecological impacts in priority areas
SLIDE 42 Recolonization happens rapidly
Lionfish 100 m-2 Date
Green et al. in review Cons. Letters
SLIDE 43
What level of control is required to mitigate the effects of lionfish?
SLIDE 44 44
Prey fish biomass
Lionfish density
Sufficient removal Insufficient removal
How many lionfish can a reef tolerate?
SLIDE 45
What is the cost and effort needed for control?
How often to remove?
SLIDE 46 Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Biscayne National Park
c c
Buck Island National Monument
Long term removal studies
Florida Keys St Croix, USVI
John Pennekamp State Park
SLIDE 47
SLIDE 48 How many lionfish to remove?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 I1 I2 LF4 LF5 P1 P3 P5 P7
Lionfish abundance Site
SLIDE 49 How many lionfish to remove?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 I1 I2 LF4 LF5 P1 P3 P5 P7
Lionfish abundance Site
Starting density Removal target Densities 45-85%
higher than target
SLIDE 50
Bi-monthly dives to survey and remove lionfish
SLIDE 51 2 4 6 8 10
1 2 3 4 5
Removal event
Site I1
2 4 6 8
1 2 3 4 5
Removal event
Site P5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
Removal event
Site LF5 P1 P3 P7 P5 I1 I2 LF4 LF5
How many lionfish to remove?
Target density
SLIDE 52 USGS Non-indigenous Aquatic Species Database 2012
Where do we get the manpower to achieve control?
SLIDE 53
Tools for lionfish control
Primarily caught by spear and hand-net
SLIDE 54
Tools for lionfish control
Food fishery
SLIDE 55 55
Eat ‘em to beat ‘em!
SLIDE 56
Lionfish derbies
SLIDE 57
What is a lionfish derby?
SLIDE 58
Lionfish derbies are an effective tool for increasing awareness….
But how effective are they at suppressing lionfish populations?
SLIDE 59 Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas
Derby effectiveness study
Key Largo, Florida
SLIDE 60 Pre- and post- derby surveys Lionfish tagging Derby fishing maps
SLIDE 61 Before After Before After g lionfish ha-1
Derby No derby
45% decline
Key Largo, Florida
SLIDE 62 Summary
- Invasive lionfish are having significant effects on fish
populations across the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico
- Controlling lionfish below predicted ‘thresholds’ densities
can prevent ecological impacts
- How can you help?
- Support lionfish control research
- Support lionfish control efforts (e.g. derbies, food
fishery)
SLIDE 63 Thank you
Contact:
greenst@science.oregonstate.edu @steph_j_green www.stephaniejgreen.com
Find out more:
www.reef.org/lionfish http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/research/pollution/invasive/lionfish
