The first confirmed lionfish sighting in the Florida Keys occurred on Tuesday, January 6, 2009. REEF received this specific sighting report at 2:30pm on the 6th from one of our volunteer divers from South Carolina, who was diving on vacation in the Keys. She found the fish near the base of Benwood Ledge (66') just offshore of the Benwood wreck, Key Largo. Via the numerous REEF media alerts and notices, she knew the invasion of lionfish was an issue and grabbed a few images with her digital camera to confirm the sighting.
The Indo-Pacific lionfish invasion front is rapidly moving south into the Caribbean. Through REEF’s on-the-ground work, lionfish impacts are being documented in the Bahamas and initial results suggest these impacts will be devastating. Belize saw their first lionfish in 2008, and they are spreading fast. Divers are starting to see more fish on more sites. Now, Belizean organizations are offering a $50.00 per fish bounty to remove the fish before they become established.
Last week, representatives from the Florida House and Senate took the first steps in banning the importation or aquaculture of invasive lionfish. Representative Holly Raschein (R-Key Largo) and Senator Greg Evers (R- Pensacola) have filed HB 1069 and SB 1336 to address the devastation being caused by lionfish in Florida’s coastal waters. The bills will prohibit importation, aquaculture and sale of illegally imported lionfish and they authorized FWC to adopt a rule to that effect.
Join us for the second annual project to Curacao to document the establishment and consequences of invasive lionfish as part of REEF's ongoing effort to minimize the Indo-Pacific predator's impact on native fish populations. Participants will have an opportunity to be trained in lionfish collection and dissections of specimens to document prey. This unique research trip is led by REEF’s Director of Special Projects, Lad Akins and dive industry legend, Peter Hughes.
A segment featuring REEF's research on the invasion of the Indo-Pacific Lionfish into the western Atlantic and Caribbean was featured on NBC Nightly News June 30th. Click here to view the segment online.
A tropical fish that calls the West Pacific Ocean home has been documented outside of its native range for the first time, making it Florida’s newest non-native marine fish species. A REEF member spotted a popular aquarium fish, the Onespot Rabbitfish, while scuba diving offshore of Dania Beach, Florida. Within 24 hours of receiving the sighting report, a coordinated effort by Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) led to the live-capture of the fish.
BARE Makes In-Kind Donation to REEF
Thanks to the support of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF), Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) has announced that Adam Nardelli will be the 2014 Spring REEF Guy Harvey Intern. REEF chooses 12 individuals, out of hundreds of applicants, to intern at REEF. The goal is to give future marine scientists and leaders an in-depth look at marine conservation programs, and gain critical career skills.
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.
We are honored to release the 2010 REEF Annual Report. The report is posted online at www.REEF.org/reef_files/annual2010.pdf.