since, possibly due to increased consumption by these unforeseen new predators. This means marine reserves may have yet another benefit for managers and policymakers to cite. If the aforementioned theory proves to be true, the Dry Tortugas may serve to support the idea that the creation of a protected area can help drive down invasive populations such as lionfish by strengthening ecosystems, in turn nurturing larger reef predators that have been declining elsewhere.
I hope to take a first step in supporting the theory that there is a difference in lionfish populations between the protected Dry Tortugas and rest of the less regulated Florida Keys with my graduate project for University of Miami. My initial disgust for slicing open lionfish heads and collecting the tiny, fragile otolith bones soon faded as I took pride in my newfound ability. Collecting the otolith (ear) bones of our catches allowed us to estimate the age of the animals, since those bones have age-rings like those found in a tree trunk. Combined with the data we took on length, weight, and sex, we can then
compare the growth of lionfish in the Dry Tortugas National Park to other areas of the Florida Keys. Analyzing this data could potentially show a significant difference in growth between populations in these areas. A population skewed to either extreme (younger and smaller versus larger and older) could support the idea of predatory control of lionfish by predators. We may never be able to completely remove invasive species from their new habitats. With research that supports the ability of ecosystems to adapt and naturally manage invasive populations, however, we could give managers the tools to garner support for new policies that would mitigate damage already done and help affected sites establish a new normal.
However, in areas where marine reserves are either ineffective, not a feasible option, or a long time coming, promoting the commercial hunting of lionfish is another solution to controlling the lionfish population. People are great at exploiting natural resources. Promoting lionfish as a viable source of protein and a delicacy will not only lead to further mitigation of lionfish populations, but could take pressure off of other highly desired, over-fished species. After eating many a fresh lionfish in the Dry Tortugas, I can attest to their delicious flavor, similar to that of a snapper or grouper.
What’s more, we need to spread the word that lionfish is perfectly safe to eat. Not only is this a delicious first step to managing this invasive species, but, if presented correctly, consuming lionfish actually becomes an educational experience. What better way to get a person personally connected to a conservation issue than through their stomachs? The biggest misconception is that lionfish are poisonous to diners. They aren’t, they are venomous. Their flesh is not toxic. Poison works through touch, ingestion or inhalation, while venoms are injected directly into a wound. Furthermore, lionfish venom is denatured with heat. In fact, as the venom gets cooked and denatures, the spines become harmless. We’ve seen people use the spines as fancy toothpicks and stylish jewelry. Divers and chefs are the ones at risk, not the people enjoying lionfish pizza, lionfish ceviche, or lionfish tacos.
Effective public education campaigns will help create more demand and an incentive for divers to go out and hunt these fish. And it’s already started. After my internship ended, I saw an unexpected and familiar face staring back at me from the seafood counter at a grocery store in Virginia: a defeated Key West lionfish ready to be eaten by a consumer that has, perhaps unknowingly, just took a first step in helping protect our coral reefs from a predator that is likely to never be fully eradicated.
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