South-Atlantic Divers take action on non-native fish issues

During recent months, there have been many reports of non-native indo-pacific and Red Sea fishes including the lionfish, which have been sighted in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.  The number of lionfish observed indicates that some are surviving the winter water temperatures and expanding their range. Recreational divers and snorkelers are a valuable source of information for tracking fish species including exotic fish because they are looking, taking notice of rare things, and often know what does not belong.

Study Reports on Hot Spot of Non-Native Marine Fishes Along Southeast Florida

Flushing your pet tropical fish in order to set it free is a bad idea. But so is releasing it into the wild.