Targeted removals and enhanced monitoring can help manage lionfish in
the Mediterranean

Date:
July 22, 2021
Source:
University of Plymouth
Summary:
New research represents one of the first studies to examine the
effectiveness of targeted lionfish removals from both an ecological
and a socio-economic perspective.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Targeted removals can be effective in suppressing the number of invasive lionfish found within protected coastlines around the Mediterranean Sea.


========================================================================== However, if they are to really be successful they need to be combined
with better long-term monitoring by communities and conservationists to
ensure their timing and location achieve the best results.

Those are the key findings of a new study, one of the first of its kind
to examine the effectiveness of targeted lionfish removals from both an ecological and a socio-economic perspective.

Scientists working as part of the European Union-funded RELIONMED project teamed up with specially trained divers and citizen scientists to conduct
a series of removal events and surveys over a six-month period.

Focussed on three marine protected areas on the coast of Cyprus -- the
Zenobia shipwreck off Larnaca, and two popular diving sites within the
Cape Greco Marine Protected Area -- between 35 and 119 lionfish were
removed per day by divers at each protected site.

Those sites were then monitored by divers over several months which showed that, in some locations, population numbers recovered within three months.



==========================================================================
As a result, scientists writing in the Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems journal, say such initiatives can undoubtedly be effective in reducing population numbers.

However, they need to be carefully coordinated to ensure the lionfish
are eliminated -- including the potential for them to be overfished --
in a manner that doesn't have other negative impacts on other species.

The research was led by researchers at the University of Plymouth (UK)
and Marine and Environmental Research (MER) Lab (Cyprus). They have been collaborating for several years as part of the EUR1.6million RELIONMED
project, which aims to assess the history of the lionfish invasion in
Cyprus, and identify ways to minimise its future impact.

Periklis Kleitou, Research Assistant on the RELIONMED project and lead
author on the study, said: "There are many changes happening within the Mediterranean as a consequence of human activity and climate change. The lionfish invasion has been one notable consequence of that, but this
study shows there is a potential -- albeit complex and challenging --
solution. One of the interesting aspects of this work has been to see
how the training improved divers' knowledge of the issue, and motivated
them to support management efforts. That is without doubt something we
can, and should, build on to ensure lionfish populations are managed sustainably now and in the future." Lionfish first began populating
the Mediterranean less than a decade ago, as a result of expansion in
the Suez Canal and ocean warming.

The species was first recorded off the coast of Cyprus in 2014, with a
lack of common predators -- coupled with lionfish's breeding habits --
meaning numbers have increased dramatically with sightings everywhere
from coastlines to the deep seas.

The first targeted removals took place in May 2019, having proved
successful in areas previously invaded by lionfish, and they have been
combined with education programmes around the threats the species pose
and how it might be managed sustainably.

Professor of Marine Biology Jason Hall-Spencer, senior author on the
current study and one of the core group of scientists that advises
the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO), said:
"This study demonstrates the complex nature of managing and protecting
our ocean. Marine Protected Areas are undoubtedly beneficial in
terms of biodiversity on the seabed, but they are also vulnerable to
the spread of invasive species. Our ongoing research is showing the
pivotal role citizens can play in monitoring and managing lionfish,
but permitting divers to remove these fish using scuba gear will
need to be applied with caution and strictly regulated to avoid
illegal fishing. If implemented correctly, removal events could
protect selected areas from the adverse effects of lionfish, while
at the same time help to establish rich and deep links with local
communities, strengthening responsibility and surveillance at corporate
and social levels, and stimulating public environmental awareness." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Plymouth. Original
written by Alan Williams. Note: Content may be edited for style and
length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Periklis Kleitou, Sian Rees, Francesco Cecconi, Demetris Kletou,
Ioannis
Savva, Leda L. Cai, Jason M. Hall‐Spencer. Regular monitoring
and targeted removals can control lionfish in Mediterranean Marine
Protected Areas. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater
Ecosystems, 2021; DOI: 10.1002/aqc.3669 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210722112924.htm

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