MarineLab Staff: Trained Lion(fish) Hunters!
This charming fellow was spotted by MarineLab Instructor Adam Martell out on the plane wreck at Rodriquez Key on Monday, May 24, 2010. The following day, a trained MarineLab lionfish-capturing team set out to net and remove this exotic, extremely invasive fish. Jessica Pulfer, Sarah Egner, Casey Benkwitt and Katie Mastenbrook cooperatively caught the fish and brought him back to MarineLab. Christened "Rod" in honor of his origin at Rodriguez Key, he now is a resident of one of our aquaria under the Pavilion. Rod serves as a living breathing demonstration of the dangers of introducing exotic species into a fragile ecosystem.
Only a few days later, a smaller lionfish was spotted in the exact same spot! "Rigo" is now safely housed in our tank, keeping Rod company. Rigo grew considerably in a few short weeks. When the staff left for the December holiday in 2010, the fish were brought to REEF, where they were euthanized and became part of their lionfish research.
MarineLab staff routinely capture lionfish now, and have had resident lions ranging from tiny babies to large, eating-size fish!
For more information on the lionfish eradication project in the Florida Keys, visit the Reef Environmental Education Foundation's Lionfish Research Program.