Bermudians know that invasive lionfish like to eat their native fish, and that they gobble them in huge numbers. What they don’t know yet is the full range of the lionfish invasion, though increasing evidence shows that lionfish aren’t afraid to go deep for their meals.

When more than 1,100 Bermudian primary school children took part in the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences [BIOS] Explorer programme at the East End research facility in the spring of 2011, two colourful lionfish, Simba and Nala, were among the stars of the show.

Read more here. 

Colonies of corals build reefs. As stony corals construct new animals on top of themselves, the lower sections die. The skeletons of these hard corals form the structure of the reef. Sand fills in the framework and calcareous algae cements it.

By now, many Bermuda residents are aware that lionfish have invaded the island’s waters, posing a threat to local fish populations due to their voracious appetites and lack of natural predators. While researchers work to understand the extent of the lionfish’s impact, as well as the effectiveness of various long-term control strategies, there are ways for citizens to get involved as well.

Tim Noyes, a coral reef research specialist at BIOS, knew he wanted to take action fighting the scourge of lionfish invading Bermuda’s coral reefs.  He was helping out with a short documentary to raise awareness about these voracious predators when he came up against a vital question that captured his interest as a scientist: what, exactly, were the lionfish eating in Bermuda?

The 5th Annual Groundswell Lionfish Tournament took place at BIOS on July 18, and saw the tournament kicking off at sunup and boats heading in to the BIOS dock for the 3.00pm weigh-in. See story and photos at Bernews.com.

BIOS scientist Gretchen Goodbody-Gringley and staff member Chris Flook appear in a documentary film, showing this month at the Bermuda International Film Festival, about the challenges of invasive lionfish—and the creative solutions in development to curtail their spread.

It is often said that good things come in groups of three, and that might be the case for a trio of research projects aimed at reducing a recent, but growing, threat to Bermuda’s marine biodiversity: the invasive lionfish.

As an invading underwater species, the lionfish is king.