marmam.org

I have recently learned about a new crisis that is brewing in deep coral reefs in the Caribbean.  Is it a shark?  No.  Coral bleaching?  No.  Dynamite fishing?  No.  It’s a lionfish.  For those of you who know what a lionfish is, you may be thinking how could a fish that is usually found in an aquarium create a “crisis.”  Well, lionfish are actually native to tropical reef waters of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans.  Yet, in 1992, an aquarium that broke during Hurricane Andrew is believed to have released a few lionfish into the Atlantic Ocean.  Since then, reports have begun to come in regularly from divers in Florida.  Lionfish have branched out and are now found along the U.S. East Coast from Florida north to Massachusetts.  Luckily for the northern states, the species’ intolerance of cold winter temperatures means it is unlikely to survive in these areas.  However, in the warm waters south of Florida, it’s quite another story.

The distribution of lionfish has spread from Florida south into the Caribbean.  Since the early 2000’s, lionfish have been documented in Bermuda and the Bahamas.  Since the second half of 2007, they have spread rapidly throughout the Caribbean.  Sightings have occurred in the Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, St. Croix (USVI), Haiti, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, Dry Tortugas, Aruba, and Netherlands Antilles.  They are now heading further southward into Mexican, Central, and South American waters.

So why does this matter?  Lionfish are voracious predators that quickly adapt to eating new types of food, and they have no native predators in Atlantic or Caribbean waters.  They are believed to be as abundant now as some native grouper species in the Atlantic Ocean.  Lionfish have venomous dorsal, ventral, and anal spines that can deter predators and injure humans.  They can reproduce year-round and are relatively resistant to parasites, giving them an advantage over native species.  They are also fast growing and can outgrow and out-compete native species for food and space.

Lionfish are eating fish and invertebrates in large quantities.  Even juvenile spiny lobsters have been found in their stomachs!  They can have a huge impact on coral reef communities, particularly given no natural predators exist where they are an invasive species.  Research in the Bahamas has suggested that lionfish likely have already had substantial impacts on Atlantic coral reefs where they have become established.  They can eat parrotfish and other herbivorous reef fishes at alarming rates; yet, reefs depend on these species to prevent seaweed and macroalgae from overgrowing the corals.

Since lionfish are spreading so fast, eradication is unlikely.  The only thing we can do now is to try to protect valuable and vulnerable reefs from these voracious predators and to slow their expansion into new areas.  Education and involvement of divers and snorkelers are the best bet to slowing the expansion of lionfish.  It will also be important to maintain or rebuild healthy populations of potential native predator species, such as sharks and grouper, which may feed on lionfish.  It is important we act now before it’s too late to protect these reefs which are so important to the ecology and tourism economy of many Caribbean nations.

Nestled comfortably between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day is World Oceans Day. Although originally proposed in 1992, this year was the first year that World Oceans Day has been officially declared by the United Nations. It is now June 8th every year!

Sadly, the world’s oceans really need this recognition. We are up against quite a few challenges in keeping them healthy, clean, and beautiful. The recently lost Air France airplane has highlighted the problem of trash in the ocean as recovery crews found it difficult to decipher between floating trash and airplane pieces. One of the biggest trash problems we have to contend with is a big garbage heap in the Pacific Ocean. While it is commonly called the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” there are actually two patches. The way the ocean currents come together and create giant vortexes of water—think water going down the drain of your bath tub, but at a much larger scale—the trash in the ocean gets stuck in the middle and forms giant patches. These patches have actually been estimated to be twice the size of the continental United States. So, what’s the problem? Well, one is plastic. It makes up most of the trash heap. Floating plastic bags can look a lot like jellyfish to hungry sea turtles and other animals. Those plastic rings that hold together your six-pack of soda can also spell trouble as they can strangle or deform entangled animals.

The garbage heap isn’t the only problem. We have dead zones in the oceans, with the most notorious being in the Gulf of Mexico. Dead zones are exactly what they sound like, places in the ocean where animals cannot survive because there simply isn’t enough oxygen. The Mississippi River, which runs right through the heartland of America, collects nutrients from excess fertilizers of farms and dumps these nutrients into the Gulf. They create a chain of events that depletes of the water of oxygen.

So, we’ve got trash and we’ve got dead zones. They are just a few of the problems. We also have ice bergs melting and sea levels rising due to climate change. Some marine animals are scrambling to find cooler waters. Coral reefs are bleaching due to increased temperatures and sun light. We have problems from pollution in addition to dead zones. Mercury and other toxins in the oceans are working their way up the food chain and polluting some types of fish. Sounds, such as from active sonars, are also polluting the waters and wreaking havoc on marine mammal species that need sound to find food, mates, and possibly even up from down. Fishing is changing the composition of eco-systems. Fish are being over-fished. Marine mammals, sea turtles, sea birds, sharks, and many other animals are getting accidentally caught in fishing gear. It sure makes you wonder what else had to die so you could have cod for dinner.

Overwhelmed yet? I am. I think the world’s oceans are certainly overdue for their day of recognition! Considering the oceans help generate oxygen to breathe, control our climate and prevent us from entering another ice age, give us food to eat, and provide beaches for soaking in the sun, I think we have a lot to thank them for. Oceans, you may only get one day a year, but thanks for the 364 others. Happy World Oceans Day.

It’s Earth Day! What can you do today to celebrate the earth? Here are just a few ideas:

• Walk or bike ride to class or work instead of driving your car. Or at least, take public transportation!
• Join a CSA. That’s community support agriculture for those of you new to the sustainable or local food movements. Find a farm near you at: Local Harvest.
• Recycle. Or better yet, fill up a reusable water bottle from the tap before heading outside.
• Offset your emissions. There are a number of places you can do this. Check out Carbon Fund or Terra Pass.

Power off and get outside and enjoy the day—rain or shine! And, when you power back up tomorrow, share with us how you celebrated Earth Day today so that we can take your advice tomorrow. Every day should be Earth Day!