Lionfish: Invasive Species In The Caribbean Sea

Channa Argus, commonly known as the northern snakehead, is one of the many invasive species around the world. This species is a top level predator and was introduced to several American states in 2002, but its natural habitat is based in southern and eastern Asia. Northern snakeheads were transported to the waters of America by being sold from pet stores and live food fish markets, followed by being released into the wild. The northern snakehead fish threatens and competes for the native species’ resources and habitat.

Florida’s changing ecosystem Florida’s ecosystem is forever being changed as we know it. Florida’s invasive species list is rapidly growing making it more difficult for native species to compete. Every day invasive species are released in Florida 's waterways, forest, and swamps wreaking havoc on the native plant and animal life. Everyday people are able to walk into a common pet store and buy their very own python, tegu, or a lionfish perhaps.

Andy Dehart, Discovery Channel Shark Advisor, spoke about the North Carolina shark over fishing problem. The shark populations on the East Coast were extremely over-fished which lead to the over population of sting rays, a main food-stock for sharks. The stingrays in turn decimated the shellfish populations on the East Coast, leading to calm and shellfish shortages. This shows that sharks are necessary for every eco-system and their destruction affects us in more ways then we can imagine. Sharks are very at-risk for over-fishing because they take a long time to reach the stage where they can reproduce and in general only have a few pups when they give birth.

The population of the largest and most significant vertebrate plants feeds, including sea turtles, dugongs, have been severely decimated by the impacts of humans on the reef. The loss of these vital animals has and will more severely disturb the coral reef food web in a significant manner, although the specific impacts are not clear

Although the impact on reef fish is still uncertain. It is however, known that reef fish are losing habitats due to the impacts on corals. The wellbeing, reproduction and overall health of fish due to chemical runoff over time, is still being investigated (Amelia S. Wenger, 2015). Research has identified that chemical runoff is increasing nutrient levels in the water. It is believed that this increase in nutrients is connected to the increase in crown of thorns starfish population, which poses another threat to the reef by impacting coral cover (Amelia S. Wenger, 2015).

Millions of fish live in the Atlantic Ocean and hundreds of other species too. From sea lions, manatees and humpback whales, to the smallest starfish, ghost crab and salmon, they all once thrived with no problem in the Atlantic Ocean, until something horrific happened. The Atlantic Ocean was filled with plastic. It was contaminated from residents and even tourist throwing plastic wastes into the Ocean meaninglessly.

Recently, because of the downturn of sharks, those coral reefs and seagrass

One of the leading causes for reefs to be endangered is due to the invasive lionfish. The lionfish’s impulsive eating habits are threatening our sea life of the reefs and decreasing our fisheries economically. According to Lionfish Hunters, the green side includes the cleaners that maintain the health of the reef and the health of other fish such as “grazers.” The grazers are the parrotfish, goatfish, wrasses, surgeonfish, and tangs. (The Lionfish Hunters, web.)

For many it’s a first pet, a gift from family, something you won as a prize at a carnival, but for Canadian residents the familiar orange goldfish everyone knows and loves is becoming a serious problem. Some flush them in a hurry because they no longer want to take care of them, others commit them to a porcelain vortex because they believe their beloved fish has passed, and the Canadian Government is issuing a warning now to citizens of Canada to stop flushing their fish. Just a few goldfish with the potential to disrupt an entire ecosystem Goldfish are entering the ecosystem the way that a lot of invasive species end up in an environment they don’t belong, Humans are putting them there. Human interference is one of the leading causes of the beginning of over population of invading alien species. In this case many of the fish are going down drains, and ending up in Canada’s lakes and rivers.

Pollution, tourism, and mining have all had a huge negative impact on the reef. Coral reefs in the Caribbean have also been significantly affected by human interaction due to the growth of population and more people living closer to the reef. This is causing many impacts such as loss of fish and coral etc. Coral reefs in the Caribbean are slowly disintegrating due to coastal development which increases fishing, pollution, agriculture use and

Therefore, the impact of overfishing and illegal collecting of coral may destroyed the social and economic well-being of the coastal communities who depend on fish for their way of life. Beside, it is also direct overexploitation of fish, intertebrates, and algae for food and the aquarium trade, removal of a species or group of species impacting multiple trophic levels, bycatch and mortality of nontarget species, and change from coral to algal dominance due to reduction in herbivores (Reef Resilience Organisation,

In order for invasive species to survive and thrive, they first need to arrive in their nonnative habitat. Asian Carp, Fire Ants, and Burmese Pythons all share the commonality in which they were all brought to the U.S. by humans. For example, “The Red Fire Ant was accidentally introduced into the United States in 1929 when a cargo ship that had used soil as a ballast arrived in Mobile, Alabama from South America.” (par. 3)Next, Unlike the accidental introduction of the Fire Ant, Asian Carp and Burmese Pythons were intentionally brought to the U.S. to sustain humans needs; Asian Carp were

So, if the sea lampreys hadn’t found a way in, they wouldn’t currently be devastating marine life.

Understanding the biology of lobster is imperative to ensuring that the resource is being managed appropriately, and it provides context for the v-notch measure. American lobster (Homarus americanus) live on rocky sea bottom cover, and range across the eastern seaboard from the Maritime Provinces of Canada to the Mid-Atlantic United States. In the United States, Maine’s lobster fishery is by far the most prevalent. Lobster fishing in Maine occurs year round – lobster are often found offshore in the colder months and closer to shore during the warmer summer months. Lobsters are long-lived crustaceans.

Originally found in the Atlantic Ocean, the sea lampreys where first discovered in Lake Michigan in 1936. The sea lampreys can be described as jawless parasites with mouths similar to suction disks. They also have very sharp teeth which they us to attach themselves to fish in the water, allowing them to feed on their blood and body fluid for various hours or even weeks. This usually causes visible injures to the bigger fishes and kill smaller fishes. These sea lampreys contribute to the decline in the population of white fish in the great lakes.