Summer 2014: Biscayne Bay!

Since I left the world of professional research 2 years ago and started teaching, I have made a conscious effort to participate in research projects as often as possible, especially if they involve scuba diving. Last summer I participated in two different projects, one investigating corals and the other investigating fisheries. Throughout the past year I have volunteered for a variety of short-term projects.

This summer I will be participating in a project which is investigating an invasive species which has been getting a lot of attention in Florida, the Southeastern US, and the Caribbean. That species is the lionfish, Pterois volitans. This species is native to the south Pacific & Indian Oceans. They are a species of scorpionfish which pack a powerful sting when an animal is punctured by any of the spines on their dorsal or pectoral fins. They are incredibly sedentary, they don't really move very far when they are on a reef. They have an incredible appetite, eating anything that will fit into their mouths.

Researchers have also discovered in the Southeast Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico that they are not particularly picky about their habitat. They will live anywhere there is coral or limestone reef on the continental shelf. They are now ubiquitous to reefs on reefs throughout the Caribbean, all the way up the east coast of the U.S. (though they probably can't survive the winter north of the gulf stream), and throughout the Gulf of Mexico. 

Their ubiquity and seemly insatiable appetite has made P. volitans a concern throughout the region. There is signficant uncertainty about what these new invaders will do to populations of reef fishes, especially native fishes such as snappers and groupers which are caught for sport and sale. Because of this concern there are a great deal of projects to study the problem of lionfish invasion throughout the range. 

During the project in which I'll participate over the next two weeks, we will be mapping the location of P. volitans living within Biscayne Bay, near Miami. 

During this phase of the project will be mapping the locations of individual lionfish along a series of transects set up within the bay. We will also be quantifying and sizing all of their potential competitors, the predatory fish such as snappers, groupers, grunts, etc. that are living nearby. This will not strictly be a reserach "cruise" as Biscayne bay is close enough to civilization for us to stay on land. We will be going out to the bay each day, diving, counting fish, and then coming back to our rented house to sleep each night. 

I'm very excited about this project because it uses a lot of the skills I have developed over the years, but is not identical to any projects I've worked on in the past. I will continue to update this page with pictures, stories and information I learn throughout the trip. Please stay tuned.