Are deadly lionfish invading South Florida's waters?

Are deadly lionfish invading South Florida's waters?

Top scientists are warning about an impending invasion of a poisonous fish into Florida waters.

The lionfish, a native of the Pacific Ocean, is both gorgeous and dangerous. Many people may have never seen a lionfish in the waters surrounding Florida, but that could soon change. Experts are so concerned about the impending invasion of lionfish they are desperately trying to warn the public.

Lionfish

Scientists don't use the word "invasion" lightly, but that's exactly what they are predicting of the exotic-looking lionfish. The poisonous tips on the lionfish's fins could present a danger to people who swim, dive or work in South Florida waters.

The pain from a lionfish sting lasts for about 15 to 20 minutes. The lionfish's sting is so serious it can send victims to the hospital and even kill them.

"There is no anti-venom for this," said Lad Akins, executive director of Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF).

Experts believe that lionfish in the Bahamas and in Cancun, Mexico, will, as larvae, make their way to South Florida on the ocean currents. Once established, they will start destroying reefs and throwing the ecosystem out of balance.

Also when lionfish originally bought for home aquariums grow too big, owners begin dumping the fish right into the Atlantic. Now they are breeding at a rapid pace, experts said. Lionfish have no predators because they do not belong in the Atlantic. There is nothing here to eat them and nothing to stop them from eating South Florida’s reef fish.

This change will threaten the lobster, grouper, snapper, and many more animals that call these waters their home. New studies headed by Mark Hixon of Oregon State University that are about to be published in a peer-reviewed science journal found one lionfish can deplete 79 percent of a reef in just five weeks. That means coral ecology dies and algae takes over.

"You know the potential is there for it to be devastating," said Tom Jackson with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Jackson’s job is to track invasive species and creatures that can sometimes change and destroy a vital ecosystem.

His personal opinion is that it would be best to ban the sale of lionfish completely. "In (the half of) 2003, nearly 8,000 were imported to Tampa alone. 8,000. You only need 15 or 20 in one area to create a population," Jackson said.

Scientists and volunteers are feverishly trying to fight the invasion of lionfish. To do this, they are studying and killing the lionfish, now found in deep and shallow water.