Journal ArticleDOI
Worst case scenario: potential long-term effects of invasive predatory lionfish (Pterois volitans) on Atlantic and Caribbean coral-reef communities
Mark A. Albins,Mark A. Hixon +1 more
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A possible “worst case scenario” in which the direct and indirect effects of lionfish could combine with the impacts of preexisting stressors—especially overfishing—and cause substantial deleterious changes in coral-reef communities is described.Abstract:
The Pacific red lionfish has recently invaded Western Atlantic and Caribbean coral reefs, and may become one of the most ecologically harmful marine fish introductions to date. Lionfish possess a broad suite of traits that makes them particularly successful invaders and strong negative interactors with native fauna, including defensive venomous spines, cryptic form, color and behavior, habitat generality, high competitive ability, low parasite load, efficient predation, rapid growth, and high reproductive rates. With an eye on the future, we describe a possible "worst case scenario" in which the direct and indirect effects of lionfish could combine with the impacts of preexisting stressors—especially overfishing—and cause sub- stantial deleterious changes in coral-reef communi- ties. We also discuss management actions that could be taken to minimize these potential effects by, first, developing targeted lionfish fisheries and local removals, and second, enhancing native biotic resistance, particularly via marine reserves that could conserve and foster potential natural enemies of this invader. Ultimately, the lionfish invasion will be limited either by the lionfish starving—the worst end to the worst case scenario—or by some combination of native pathogens, parasites, predators, and competitors controlling the abundance of lionfish.read more
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Journal ArticleDOI
Heterogeneous Attitudes of Tourists toward Lionfish in the Mexican Caribbean: Implications for Invasive Species Management
TL;DR: In this paper, tourists were asked to indicate their preferences for coral reef images with varying attributes that can be affected by lionfish, and two latent classes of recreational divers (casual vs. committed) emerged on the basis of their preferences.
Journal ArticleDOI
Marine ornamental trade in Indonesia
Surya Gentha Akmal,Surya Gentha Akmal,Brigitta P. D. Zámečníková-Wanma,Romanus Edy Prabowo,Aulia M. Khatami,Jindřich Novák,Miloslav Petrtýl,Lukáš Kalous,Jiří Patoka +8 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present detailed characteristics of such trade for Indonesia, including the offered species, their sizes, prices, and conservation status, based on data and information obtained from wholesalers in 2018.
Journal ArticleDOI
Using Markets to Control Invasive Species: Lionfish in the US Virgin Islands
Skyler Simnitt,Skyler Simnitt,Skyler Simnitt,Lisa House,Lisa House,Lisa House,Sherry L. Larkin,Sherry L. Larkin,Sherry L. Larkin,Jennifer Sweeney Tookes,Jennifer Sweeney Tookes,Jennifer Sweeney Tookes,Tracy Yandle,Tracy Yandle,Tracy Yandle +14 more
TL;DR: Invasive lionfish are affecting reef ecosystems along the Gulf Coast and Caribbean as discussed by the authors, and by establishing commercial fisheries and harvesting lionfish in mass, it may be possible to reduce their numbers.
Journal ArticleDOI
Age-dependent strategies related to lionfish activities in the Mexican Caribbean
María del Carmen García-Rivas,Salima Machkour-M’Rabet,Gabriela Pérez-Lachaud,Juan J. Schmitter-Soto,Régis Céréghino,Régis Céréghino,Cassiopea Doneys,Nikolas St-Jean,Yann Hénaut +8 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors observed a high number of lionfish individuals, focusing on the behavioural activities and biological traits in relation to different habitats and environmental characteristics, and found evidence of differences between lionfish habitat use according to activity, and the size of individual fish.
Journal ArticleDOI
Direct and indirect effects of invasive lionfish on coral-reef cleaning mutualists
TL;DR: The addition of lionfish to reefs did not significantly affect the survival and growth rates of the predominant obligate cleaner on experimental reefs, the cleaner goby Elacatinus genie, but lionfish affected juvenile bluehead wrasse Thalassoma bifasciatum, a facultative cleaner whose density was 33% less on reefs with lionfish versus those without.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Human Domination of Earth's Ecosystems
TL;DR: Human alteration of Earth is substantial and growing as discussed by the authors, between one-third and one-half of the land surface has been transformed by human action; the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has increased by nearly 30 percent since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution; more atmospheric nitrogen is fixed by humanity than by all natural terrestrial sources combined; more than half of all accessible surface fresh water is put to use by humanity; and about one-quarter of the bird species on Earth have been driven to extinction.
Journal ArticleDOI
Biotic invasions: causes, epidemiology, global consequences, and control
Richard N. Mack,Daniel Simberloff,W. Mark Lonsdale,Harry C. Evans,M. N. Clout,Fakhri A. Bazzaz +5 more
TL;DR: Given their current scale, biotic invasions have taken their place alongside human-driven atmospheric and oceanic alterations as major agents of global change and left unchecked, they will influence these other forces in profound but still unpredictable ways.
Journal ArticleDOI
Update on the environmental and economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States
TL;DR: About 42% of the species on the Threatened or Endangered species lists are at risk primarily because of alien-invasive species.
Journal ArticleDOI
The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants.
P. W. Richards,Charles Elton +1 more
Book
The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants
TL;DR: The first book on invasion biology, and still the most cited, Elton's masterpiece provides an accessible, engaging introduction to one of the most important environmental crises of the authors' time.
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