Wavebreaking News – Summer 2004

Lionfish Established in Atlantic

NOAA scientists are studying the growing number of lionfish sightings off the Mid-Atlantic coast. Native to warm waters of the south Pacific, these beautiful, but dangerous fish have poisonous spines that cause painful stings. Researchers believe that lionfish were introduced into Florida coastal waters around the early to mid-1990s. The Gulf Stream current likely dispersed them into the offshore waters as far as North Carolina and Bermuda, where water temperature is similar to their native habitat. Based on the number of adults and juveniles now observed, lionfish appear to be successfully reproducing in their new home. Since they have no natural predators in the mid - Atlantic, lionfish could endanger native species, by competing with commercially valuable fish, like grouper and snapper.