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Lionfish first appeared in the United States in 1985, off Florida’s Atlantic coast. Native to the coral reefs around the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, they were originally brought to the States as exotic pets. It’s believed that some of these pet owners eventually released their fish into local waterways—and unknowingly introduced an invasive species to the Gulf of Mexico.
Lionfish have no natural predators in the Gulf, can lay between 27,000 to 100,000 eggs every 2.5 days, and decimate the ecology of local fish by consuming about 20 smaller fish every 30 minutes. After their initial appearance in Florida, they quickly spread to other states, but Florida continues to suffer from some of the most extreme consequences. In our southernmost state, lionfish wreak havoc on the food supply of native fish like grouper and snapper, and their overconsumption of herbivorous fish results in damage to the reefs that line the Florida coast. It’s a dangerous combination that could result in lionfish causing grave damage to the delicate balance of life in and around Florida, and all the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico. That’s where marine biologist Alex Fogg comes in.