Bahamas/NOAA/Reef Lionfish Sightings Reporting Links

This short blog forwards a request from the government of the Bahamas asking all residents and non-residents alike to  report any Lionfish sightings observed while diving/snorkeling/swimming.  My son and  I utilized this link to report a Lionfish sighting of our own while snorkeling over an elkhorn reef area off of South Andros Island (i.e., outside the South Bight entrance -> near the AUTEC’ island site) in July, 2007.  The invasive Lionfish is dangerous to divers, snorkelers, and swimmers due to its venomous spiny fins and is destructive to the coral reef based ecosystems as well.  In addition, it has no natural predators in the Atlantic basin (i.e., Bahamas, Caribbean, etc).  The monitoring and eventual control of the spreading of this invasive species of fish is critical in order to preserve the long-term ecosystem of the Bahamas and other adjacent areas (including Florida).

“An invasive species is a non-native species that reproduces and establishes a population in its new ecosystem.  Invasive species affect every part of the world resulting in loss of native species and biological diversity.   The venomous lionfish, a native of the Indo-Pacific Region, has recently invaded the Bahamian archipelago.  In an effort to establish an invasion management program and policy development, The Department of Marine Resources in collaboration with the College of The Bahamas Marine and Environmental Studies Institute (COB-MESI) has launched an online Lionfish Sighting Survey.  This survey is in conjunction with a long-term National Lionfish Response Project that will allow ecological research to determine what affects the lionfish invasion has on our marine resources.  Please click on the Lionfish (Bahamas link) below to report lionfish sightings throughout the Bahamas.”

Lionfish Bahamas: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=qn4KufOIFUFg9YbbOLntPA_3d_3d

In addition, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) link for reporting Lionfish sightings along the Atlantic seaboard (& which includes some highly educational pages on the subject matter) is invoked via the following URL: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/stories/lionfish/lion08_report.html

Finally, Reef.org also has a link for reporting Lionfish sightings  observed anywhere in the Atlantic, Caribbean, & Gulf of Mexico basins  (& also includes some highly educational pages on the subject matter); it can be  invoked via the following URL: http://www.reef.org/programs/exotic/report