REEF Unveils New Lionfish Reporting App
iStockThe lionfish is a species native to the Indo-Pacific that has found its way to the tropical Western Atlantic region.
The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) officially released its new “REEF Lionfish Sightings” app last week.
The map-based app allows lionfish hunters and other scuba divers to view and report lionfish sighting and removals throughout the Eastern United States, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
Users can easily record information including the date, time and GPS location of the sighting, habitat type and the number of lionfish both seen and collected. Lionfish hunters may view lionfish sightings on the map and report their catch.
Courtesy REEFData on lionfish sightings and removal will be archived after 30 days for research and management purposes.
The lionfish sighting data remains active on the app for 30 days, after which it is then archived for research and management purposes.
The REEF Lionfish Sighting app also provides educational material on lionfish, such as safe handling guidelines and first aid procedures.
“We are very excited to have the REEF Lionfish Sightings app as the latest tool to address the lionfish invasion. It will provide essential information to track sightings and direct removal efforts,” said Emily Stokes, REEF’s Invasive Species Specialist. “Knowing where lionfish are being sighted and directing removal efforts to those locations is a key element in effective control.”
The invasive fish are a species native to the Indo-Pacific that have found their way to the Tropical Western Atlantic region. Without their natural predators and thanks to their prolific reproductive rates and voracious appetites these fish are wreaking havoc on native marine life and ecosystems throughout the region. Lionfish consume a large amount of native fish, including commercially valuable fish such as grouper and snapper. According to Dr. Stephanie Green, a researcher from Oregon State University, some sites in the Bahamas have seen a 65 percent to 95 percent decline in native fish over a two-period due to lion fish.
Regular lionfish removals have shown promise in reducing the local lionfish population and sizes. Conservation-minded chefs have found the pesky fish to be quite delicious, and are hoping growing demand for lionfish will help curb their numbers.
