Senator Markey you are incredible. We could not have done it without you.
Atlantic surf clams that were once common off the coasts of Delaware, Virginia, and Maryland are now rare, but are now more common in deeper waters off the coast of New England.
Red Mullet that were common in the Mediterranean are now found in the North Sea off the Coast of Great Britain and Norway.
Species of Triggerfish and Grouper from the Gulf of Mexico are now being caught in Mid-Atlantic waters.
Lionfish native to the western Pacific are invasive species in the Gulf of Mexico but are now being found off the coast of North Carolina.
There should be a real effort to eliminate lionfish from the USA oceans.
...It is speculated that the root of the problem (click here) was only 6 lionfish accidently released from an aquarium during hurricane Andrew in 1992. Genetic research supports this finger pointing but it is likely that many more have been intentionally released by "retired" aquarium enthusiasts. With no natural enemies and an extremely high reproductive rate of 2 million eggs a year from one female, unsurprisingly they've taken over rapidly (NOAA).
The cold water temperatures are keeping their numbers in check to the north, (this is no longer the case. North Carolina is proof of heating oceans) but this is not the case to the south where lionfish are spreading rapidly through the South Florida Estuaries, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Marine Scientists believe they will have established themselves as far south as Brazil within the next five to ten years.
Surveys conducted by Paula Whitfield and her team in 2004 found that lionfish were already as abundant as many native groupers, and second in abundance only to scamp (Mycteroperca phenax) (Whitfield et al, 2007). This is extremely concerning given the short time period for this population growth to occur. Recent estimates of lionfish densities show the populations continuing to grow, with the highest estimates reporting over 1,000 lionfish per acre in some locations (NOAA)....
Atlantic surf clams that were once common off the coasts of Delaware, Virginia, and Maryland are now rare, but are now more common in deeper waters off the coast of New England.
Red Mullet that were common in the Mediterranean are now found in the North Sea off the Coast of Great Britain and Norway.
Species of Triggerfish and Grouper from the Gulf of Mexico are now being caught in Mid-Atlantic waters.
Lionfish native to the western Pacific are invasive species in the Gulf of Mexico but are now being found off the coast of North Carolina.
There should be a real effort to eliminate lionfish from the USA oceans.
...It is speculated that the root of the problem (click here) was only 6 lionfish accidently released from an aquarium during hurricane Andrew in 1992. Genetic research supports this finger pointing but it is likely that many more have been intentionally released by "retired" aquarium enthusiasts. With no natural enemies and an extremely high reproductive rate of 2 million eggs a year from one female, unsurprisingly they've taken over rapidly (NOAA).
The cold water temperatures are keeping their numbers in check to the north, (this is no longer the case. North Carolina is proof of heating oceans) but this is not the case to the south where lionfish are spreading rapidly through the South Florida Estuaries, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Marine Scientists believe they will have established themselves as far south as Brazil within the next five to ten years.
Surveys conducted by Paula Whitfield and her team in 2004 found that lionfish were already as abundant as many native groupers, and second in abundance only to scamp (Mycteroperca phenax) (Whitfield et al, 2007). This is extremely concerning given the short time period for this population growth to occur. Recent estimates of lionfish densities show the populations continuing to grow, with the highest estimates reporting over 1,000 lionfish per acre in some locations (NOAA)....
