[Coral-List] Lionfish in the news

[Douglas Fenner]

     I was just trying to alert people to this new study, since it seems
many people are interested in lionfish.
     Yes, my understanding is that lionfish were reduced only in very small
areas in this study.  It sounded to me like they were suggesting that if
most but not all lionfish were removed from small areas, that the recovery
of native fish species might be able to produce the eggs to seed other
areas and help them out.  I don't know if that would work.  But I haven't
read the original article yet.  I'm not vouching for this article, just
thought people would be interested.  I think the article should be
scrutinized like all articles.
     Cheers,  Doug


On Mon, Jan 27, 2014 at 8:34 AM, Steve Mussman <sealab at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Doug,
>
> I believe the article raises more questions than it answers.
>
> The most obvious issue may be related to the size of the reef areas
> involved in the study:
> "A typical reef site, which is about a third the size of a basketball
> court" . .
>
> *ONE THIRD THE SIZE OF A BASKETBALL COURT? *How does a study carried out
> on such infinitesimal areas of reef apply to the issue as a whole?  It is
> one thing to control lionfish on these small parcels, but how do you apply
> the same techniques effectively to vast areas of reefs many of which are at
> depths below which divers can even access?
>
> The article also implies that the main reason for grouper and snapper
> declines is lionfish . . . wonder how they came to that conclusion?
>
> Steve
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> >From: Douglas Fenner
> >Sent: Jan 25, 2014 8:33 PM
> >To: coral list
> >Subject: [Coral-List] Lionfish in the news
> >
> >Title: "Invasive Lionfish, the Kings of the Caribbean, may have met their
> >match." (put the emphasis on "may have") I noted the statement at the end
> >of the article that invasive species now cost the U.S.A. $120 billion
> >dollars a year. That's "billion" with a "B." (many or most of the species
> >that add to that cost are terrestrial or fresh water)
> >
> >
> http://news.yahoo.com/invasive-lionfish-kings-caribbean-may-met-match-011600208.html
> >
> >Older stories:
> >
> >"Caribbean's native predators unable to stop aggressive lionfish
> population
> >growth"
> >
> >http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130711172538.htm
> >
> >The IndoPacific Lionfish Invasion (tons of info)
> >
> >http://www.coris.noaa.gov/exchanges/lionfish/
> >
> >REEF lionfish research program
> >Be sure to check the expansion of the lionfish in the map on this page,
> the
> >expansion clearly continues, now covers the entire US eastern seaboard,
> >Bermuda, Caribbean to the eastern end, and Gulf of Mexico. It takes a
> >minute to load, but it continues to 2013.
> >
> >http://www.reef.org/lionfish
> >
> >--
> >Douglas Fenner
> >Contractor with Ocean Associates, Inc.
> >PO Box 7390
> >Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799 USA
> >
> >phone 1 684 622-7084
> >_______________________________________________
> >Coral-List mailing list
> >Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> >http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>



-- 
Douglas Fenner
Contractor with Ocean Associates, Inc.
PO Box 7390
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799  USA

phone 1 684 622-7084