Lionfish are nothing new. The vibrant and venomous invasive species has been screwing up local marine habitats since the first one was recorded in U.S. waters off our very own Dania Beach back in 1985.
Their persistence prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to release a new reports on best practices for controlling the local populations. It's chock full of interesting factoids (unless, of course, you're a snooty, know-it-all marine biologist or the likes), including that the beasts can thrive at depths exceeding 300 meters.
Oh, and they're spreading like crazy and are expected to soon reach South American waters (fingers crossed for lionfish vs piranha death matches).
So what's the plan for mitigating the damage these tasty little monsters are causing?
Killing them, duh. But seriously, the NOAA report goes out of its way to highlight how effective lionfish derbies are proving to be in removing huge numbers from nearby waters.
The first lionfish derby in the Bahamas, for instance, resulted in more than 1,400 of them getting speared. Other derbies, according to NOAA, have seen more than 2000 of the flopping f*ckers get yanked from the ocean.
Don't feel like leaving the country to kill a bunch of lionfish? Fair enough.
Local nonprofit group REEF hosts derbies throughout the year. To sweeten the pot, more than $3000 in cash prizes get doled out to the winners. The 2012 season is over, but the group is cooking up its 2013 schedule.
Those interested in checking out the NOAA report should click here. Those interested in seeing the most dramatic lionfish video ever produced, see below:
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