[Coral-List] Lionfish in the news
Eugene Shinn
eugeneshinn at mail.usf.edu
Thu Jan 30 15:04:26 EST 2014
It was interesting reading through the most recent postings on
Lionfish. In one of the websites I noted (in the 2009 USGS map of
lionfish sightings) that they had not yet reached the Windward Islands
or at least had not been observed there yet. However, a more recent map
someone working on Lionfish showed me indicates that they are now in the
Windward Island but have not yet made the jump to the southern end of
the island chain. Nevertheless, considering how long they have been in
the Caribbean they should have reached those islands long before 2009.
If they really were not in the the windwards islands by 2009 there was a
good reason why. They, or their eggs and larvae, would have to swim
against a strong East to West current. But that's no problem. Many
researchers had no problem accepting the hypothesis that what ever
decimated Diadema in 1983 started around the Panama Canal were not
stopped by the current and in less than a year had reached the Windward
Islands. Also, the Caribbean-wide demise of Acroporids (including the
Windward Islands) occurred during the same year (1983). Humm. Again it
is possible that Lionfish did make it to the Windward Islands long
before 2009 but just had not been observed yet. It would be interesting
to know when they actually did reach the islands. Clearly the pathogen
that caused Diadema and Acroporid demise made the trip. I wonder if it
could be that the Diadema and Acropora pathogen, along with the soil
fungi that caused the sea fan disease, just dropped out of the the
prevailing trade winds in 1983? Something to ponder.
Nevertheless I suspect we will be discussing Lionfish immigration for
as long as congress discusses immigration reform.
Hopefully they will just die off from natural causes, the lionfish that
is. Gene
--
No Rocks, No Water, No Ecosystem (EAS)
------------------------------------ -----------------------------------
E. A. Shinn, Courtesy Professor
University of South Florida
College of Marine Science Room 221A
140 Seventh Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
<eugeneshinn at mail.usf.edu>
Tel 727 553-1158
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