Some fish are out of their natural habitat, and mostly at no fault of their own.
One main instance is the presence of lionfish in the Atlantic Ocean. Lionfish, although an invasive marine species to the Atlantic, is a beautiful fish. And its beauty has brought it into the fish tanks of many American homes over the years.
This, some experts say, is how lionfish came to have a presence in the Atlantic — after years of fish tank owners dumping their fish into the ocean. However, that reasoning isn’t exactly verified.
Regardless, lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific and their presence in the Atlantic has caused serious implications:
- Since they are not native to the Atlantic Ocean, they have no natural predators.
- They breed quickly, and with no natural predators to limit their population, the species population could rapidly grow — females can lay up to 2 million eggs per year!
- They eat any form of marine life and size doesn’t matter. They will eat fish up to 3 times their size.
- They eat the fish that keep coral reefs clean. Without these “grazers” to keep coral reefs clean, algae builds up and reefs lack enough oxygen to survive and, more importantly, reproduce.
- They can live in various types of water, regardless of conditions such as ocean temperature or depth — they have been spotted in as shallow as 3 feet of water and as deep as 1,000 feet.
Because of these issues and the alarming rate of lionfish reproducing, lionfish hunting has become a common activity in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Ridding this part of the ocean from an invasive marine species so toxic is something many scuba divers are take action doing.
This is one of our goals at Divers On A Mission. With coral reef restoration being of incredible importance to our oceans, we must help to remove lionfish from their unnatural habitat.
Please note: For anyone looking to help with this cause, it’s important to know that lionfish are poisonous. Their spines are venomous and can be very painful if stung.
While the lionfish is perhaps the most pressing issue with regard to invasive marine species, there are others around the world that are critical as well:
- Green Crab. Originally a European crab, this species has made its way to the North Atlantic and is causing havoc to the local fishing industry.
- Northern Pacific Sea Star. You guessed it — they’re native to the North Pacific Ocean, but they have made their way to southern Australia, the U.S., and Europe.
- Killer Algae. Native to the Indo-Pacific, this algae grows on top of native algae and seagrasses. It restricts those organisms and also the fish that feed on those organisms.
- Sea Walnut. This has invaded the Black Sea from the American Atlantic coast and began eating eggs and larvae of fish species critical to the fishing industry of the Black Sea.
There are many issues beneath the surface that must be resolved, but the invasive marine species issue must be pushed to one of the top spots on this list. To spare marine life and allow it to grow and thrive, we need to act now.
Want to help us with this cause? Use the button below and help us to continue to research and take action!
Wish to help in a different way? That’s okay too! Reach out to us at diversonamission@gmail.com and let’s chat!