In Florida and the Gulf Coast, volunteers are fighting to limit the amount of Lionfish infesting the Caribbean and Gulf Coast. Lionfish are not native to the surrounding waters, and have been imported over time for their exotic appearance by collectors. Many of them have and were dumped into the ocean when they grew too troublesome to take care of, leading to an explosion of Lionfish in the Caribbean and Gulf Coast. These fish are carnivorous, and are able to consume a fish 2/3s their own body mass. This leads to a fully grown Lionfish being able to clear out a 20 small fish in a coral reef in thirty minutes. This leads to the destruction of the food chain and with the loss of smaller fish seaweed can spiral out of control and destroy the reef and the natural ecosystem. This is why groups of volunteers have banded together to prevent the Lionfish from spreading exponentially without a predator for them to fear in the Gulf Coast. Attempting to cleanse the water of the Lionfish.
"Lion Fish." Project AWARE. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014.
"LionfishHunters.org." Lionfish Invade South Florida. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014.
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