Data on lionfish juvenile growth patterns from tagged lionfish in the Cayman Islands from 2010-2011 (Lionfish Invasion project)

Website: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/4016
Data Type: Other Field Results
Version: 1
Version Date: 2013-08-19

Project
» Ecological Release and Resistance at Sea: Invasion of Atlantic Coral Reefs by Pacific Lionfish (Lionfish Invasion)
ContributorsAffiliationRole
Hixon, MarkOregon State University (OSU)Lead Principal Investigator
Cure, KatherineUniversity of Guam Marine Laboratory (UOGML)Scientist
Rauch, ShannonWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI BCO-DMO)BCO-DMO Data Manager

Abstract
Data on lionfish juvenile growth patterns from tagged lionfish in the Cayman Islands from 2010-2011.


Coverage

Spatial Extent: N:19.7067 E:-80.01219 S:19.69548 W:-80.06091
Temporal Extent: 2010-06-14 - 2010-08-02

Dataset Description

Data on lionfish tagged for an assessment of juvenile growth patterns in the native Pacific vs. invasive Atlantic ranges. This dataset includes data from the Cayman Islands only. For data from Guam, the Philippines, and the Bahamas, see the comparative lionfish growth dataset.

Related Publications:
Cure, et al. (2012); Pusack, et al. (2016)


Methods & Sampling

This sub-project aimed to compare native vs. invasive populations of lionfish, in order to assess some of the potential factors responsible for the invasive success of lionfish in the Atlantic. Assessment in the native range included analysis of behaviour and juvenile growth patterns, at two general locations: Guam and the Philippines. To assess growth, juvenile fish found mostly at shallow water sites, were inividually identified with the use of fluorecent elastomer tags (different colors and body positions) and measured to the nearest mm. Individually tagged fish were later relocated and remeasured at 2 week intervals, in order to obtain estimates of in-situ growth. Observations in the native range were then compared to those at invaded locations (Bahamas and Caymans). Data were QA/QCd by spot checking against original field data sheets.


Data Processing Description

BCO-DMO Processing Notes:
- Changed parameter names to conform with BCO-DMO naming conventions.
- Added lat and lon for each site from the metadata sheet.
- Replaced blanks and ? with 'nd' to indicate 'no data'.
- Replaced commas with semi-colons in the columns containing text.
- 27-Dec-2017: removed embargo from dataset.


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Data Files

File
caymans_comp_lionfish_growth.csv
(Comma Separated Values (.csv), 8.70 KB)
MD5:792ff336a70daa76df4c95d80d7c41bb
Primary data file for dataset ID 4016

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Related Publications

Cure, K., Benkwitt, C., Kindinger, T., Pickering, E., Pusack, T., McIlwain, J., & Hixon, M. (2012). Comparative behavior of red lionfish Pterois volitans on native Pacific versus invaded Atlantic coral reefs. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 467, 181–192. doi:10.3354/meps09942
Methods
Pusack, T. J., Benkwitt, C. E., Cure, K., & Kindinger, T. L. (2016). Invasive Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) grow faster in the Atlantic Ocean than in their native Pacific range. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 99(6-7), 571–579. doi:10.1007/s10641-016-0499-4
Methods

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Related Datasets

IsRelatedTo
Hixon, M., Cure, K. (2021) Data on lionfish juvenile growth patterns from tagged lionfish in the Bahamas, Guam, and Philippines from 2009-2012 (Lionfish Invasion project). Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). (Version 1) Version Date 2013-09-06 doi:10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.4015.1 [view at BCO-DMO]

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Parameters

ParameterDescriptionUnits
fish_id

Code to identify individuals based on site initials and fish number.

alphanumeric
site

Name of reef site.

alphanumeric
lat

Latitude of the reef site.

decimal degrees
lon

Longitude of the reef site.

decimal degrees
site_descrip

Description of specific area where lionfish was found at study site.

text
spines_clipped

Describes dorsal spines clipped as a way to double tag inividuals in case elastomer tag failed; for some individuals none were clipped and either specified or left blank.

alphanumeric
tag_code

Describes combination of letters used to identify elsatomer tag placement along body (e.g. L-GM means tag is on the left side with green color and in the mid region).

text
size_start

Fish length on start date.

centimeters
size_end

Fish length on end date.

centimeters
size_change

Change in size from start date to end date.

centimeters
date_start

Date of first measurement/observation.

mm/dd/YYYY
date_end

Date of last measurement/observation.

mm/dd/YYYY
num_of_days

Number of days between start and end.

integer
growth_rate

Growth rate (cm per day).

centimeters/day
notes

May refer to data entry related or QA/QC related notes or notes about the particular observation.

text

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Deployments

Cayman_Reef_Surveys_10-11

Website
Platform
Cayman_Islands
Start Date
2010-06-14
End Date
2011-08-29
Description
Coral reefs were surveyed/studied near the Cayman Islands during the summers of 2010 and 2011 as part of the projects "Ecological Release and Resistance at Sea: Invasion of Atlantic Coral Reefs by Pacific Lionfish" and "Mechanisms and Consequences of Fish Biodiversity Loss on Atlantic Coral Reefs Caused by Invasive Pacific Lionfish" (NSF OCE-0851162 & OCE-1233027).


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Project Information

Ecological Release and Resistance at Sea: Invasion of Atlantic Coral Reefs by Pacific Lionfish (Lionfish Invasion)


Coverage: Bahamas; Cayman Islands; Mariana Islands; Philippines


Invasive species are increasingly introduced by human activities to new regions of the world where those species have never existed previously. In the absence of natural enemies (predators, competitors, and diseases) from their homeland, invasives may have strong negative effects on invaded ecosystems, especially systems with fewer species ("ecological release"), and may even drive native species extinct. However, if native natural enemies can somehow control the invaders ("ecological resistance"), then ecological disruption can be prevented or at least moderated. Most of the many invasive species in the sea have been seaweeds and invertebrates, and the few documented invasive marine fishes have not caused major problems. However, this situation has recently changed in a stunning and ominous way. In the early 1990s, lionfish (Pterois volitans) from the Pacific Ocean were accidentally or intentionally released from aquaria to the ocean in the vicinity of Florida. Camouflaged by shape and color, protected by venomous spines, consuming native coral-reef fishes voraciously, and reproducing rapidly, lionfish have subsequently undergone a population explosion. They now range from the mid-Atlantic coast of the US to the Caribbean, including the Bahamas. Native Atlantic fishes have never before encountered this spiny, stealthy, efficient predator and seldom take evasive action. In fact, the investigator has documented that a single lionfish is capable of reducing the abundance of small fish on a small coral patch reef by nearly 80% in just 5 weeks. There is great concern that invasive lionfish may severely reduce the abundance of native coral-reef fishes important as food for humans (e.g., grouper and snapper in their juvenile stages) as well as species that normally maintain the integrity of coral reefs (e.g., grazing parrotfishes that can prevent seaweeds from smothering corals). There are far more species of coral-reef fish in the Pacific than the Atlantic, so this invasion may represent a case of extreme ecological release with minor ecological resistance. Dr. Hixon and colleagues will study the mechanisms of ecological release in lionfish, as well as examine potential sources of ecological resistance in the heavily invaded Bahamas. Because very little is known about the ecology and behavior of lionfish in their native Pacific range, he will also conduct comparative studies in both oceans, which may provide clues regarding the extreme success of this invasion. In the Bahamas, the investigator will document the direct and indirect effects on native species of the ecological release of lionfish, both as a predator and as a competitor. These studies will be conducted at various scales of time and space, from short-term experiments on small patch reefs, to long-term experiments and observations on large reefs. Whereas direct effects involve mostly changes in the abundance of native species, indirect effects can be highly variable. For example, lionfish may actually indirectly benefit some native species by either consuming or outcompeting the competitors of those natives. The project will explore possible ecological resistance to the invasion by determining whether any native Bahamian species are effective natural enemies of lionfish, including predators, parasites, and competitors of both juvenile and adult lionfish. Comparative studies of natural enemies, as well as lionfish ecology and behavior, in both the Atlantic and the Pacific may provide clues regarding the explosive spread of lionfish in the Atlantic.

Regarding broader impacts, this basic research will provide information valuable to coral-reef and fisheries managers fighting the lionfish invasion in the US, the Bahamas, and the greater Caribbean, especially if sources of native ecological resistance are identified. The study will fund the PhD research of U.S. graduate students, as well as involve assistance and participation by a broad variety of undergraduates and reef/fisheries managers, including women, minorities, native Bahamians, and native Pacific islanders. Participation in this project will promote education in marine ecology and conservation biology directly via Dr. Hixon's and graduate students' teaching and outreach activities, and indirectly via the experiences of undergraduate field assistants and various associates.



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Funding

Funding SourceAward
NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE)

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