About This Project

Lionfish fit the definition of invasive species perfectly: they were introduced by humans to the Atlantic where they don’t belong and could potentially cause significant environmental harm. To control them, we need to know where and when to find and catch them in the greatest numbers. In Bermuda, it appears that lionfish may move seasonally between deep and shallow reefs. I want to tag them with acoustic transmitters to monitor their movements.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Lionfish were first reported in the Atlantic 30 years ago and arrived in Bermuda by 2000 (Schofield et al 2010). Research suggests they may have a dramatic negative impact on the coral reefs they have invaded (Hare and Whitfield 2003). For example, lionfish can reduce the numbers of juvenile reef fish by nearly 80% in 5 weeks (Albins and Hixon, 2008). Similarly, between 2008 and 2010, the contribution of lionfish biomass to total predator biomass nearly doubled at sites across the Bahamas, while the biomass of prey species declined by 65% (Green et al 2012). Culling lionfish, however, reduces their abundance (Frazer et al 2012), allowing fish populations to recover (Green et al 2014). For culling to be effective, however, it is imperative to know where and when lionfish are most abundant.

What is the significance of this project?

Research shows lionfish eat at least 44 fish species and 17 different crustaceans in Bermuda, suggesting a potentially substantial impact on that reef ecosystem (Eddy et al 2016). Furthermore, research into their abundance and distribution around Bermuda (Eddy et al, unpublished data), coupled with reported captures of lionfish by permitted lionfish cullers, suggests they move between deep sites (≥150ft or 45m) in the summer and shallow sites (<30ft or 10m) through the winter. While this behavior has not previously been documented in lionfish, no long-term tagging studies have ever been attempted on coral reefs or across the range of depth proposed herein, providing us with a unique opportunity to unravel a significant detail of the lionfish story in Bermuda.

What are the goals of the project?

In theory, it's relatively easy to monitor the movements of lionfish, or any fish for that matter. First, I need to deploy receivers in an array that covers 2.5 square kilometers of reef, ranging from the surface to 200ft (60m) deep. Second, I need to catch 20 lionfish within that array and tag them with acoustic transmitters. Once released, their movements will be recorded by the receivers, along with the depth and temperature wherever the fish may be. At the end of the 12 month study, I will retrieve these receivers, download the data, then track the lionfish and recapture them (so my lions don't kill more fish). This data will help lionfish hunters and commercial fishermen to efficiently target lionfish where and when they are most abundant, contributing to an effective removal plan.