Lionfish for Lunch |

Lionfish for Lunch

Lionfish are a problem. They’ve been a problem in the Western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico for at least 40 years. They’re a problem because, as an invasive species with no natural predators and voracious appetites, their population has boomed, and native species have suffered.

So, what do we do? Well, if you live in parts of Florida, you might eat them.

Whoa, wait a minute! Don’t lionfish have those razor-sharp spines that cause excruciating pain if you get cut by one?

Yep, they absolutely do. They have 18 venomous spines in all, along the back, the sides, and even underneath their bodies. But that’s just it—they’re venomous, not poisonous. The venom in the spines is kind of like the venom in a rattlesnake’s fangs. Avoid those, and dig in! (This is more difficult that it sounds. Cleaning lionfish so that they are safe to eat is dangerous, and should be left to professionals.)

Chefs describe lionfish as very mild and buttery in taste, and can be prepared in the same way as snapper or other similar fish. Also, it’s not only delicious, it’s good for you, with high levels of Omega 3 fatty acids, and low levels of saturated fat.

If you’re interested in trying out your culinary skills on some delicious Lionfish, Whole Foods Markets in parts of Florida carry fresh lionfish, and there are several recipes available online. We’ve even added links to a few recipes in the Dive Deeper page for this module!

If you’re more of the “Waiter, I’d like to order the Lionfish Sushi” type, there are dozens of restaurants in the Caribbean islands, as well as along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Bon Appetit!

Sources:

Curriculum Reference Links

Biological World / Sustainability / 10: Students should be able to evaluate how humans can successfully conserve ecological biodiversity and contribute to global food production; appreciate the benefits that people obtain from ecosystems

10 Fun Facts: The Hab

1. Aquarius is the the world’s only permanent undersea research station.

2. Most missions last about two or three weeks.

3. Fabien Cousteau, grandson of Jacques Cousteau, beat his grandfather’s record month-long underwater expedition by spending 31 days on the Aquarius Reef Base in 2014.

4. The lab is used by NASA, the US Navy, and researchers and educators from around the globe for training and research.

5. The internet connection is better in the Hab than at many places above the water.

6. You have to swim underneath the facility in order to enter it.

7. Crew members are called aquanauts (NOT aquaNUTS!)

8. In 1994, a crew of scientists and divers had to evacuate Aquarius and climb up a rescue line to the surface in 15-foot seas after one of the habitat’s generators caught fire.

9. Aquarius was featured in the comic strip Sherman’s Lagoon in 2012.

10. The Hab was originally built in Texas.

10 Fun Facts: Coral

1. Reefs usually grow up on the east shore of land masses.

2. Parts of a coral reef can be harvested to make medications to treat cancers and other illnesses.

3. A coral reef isn’t a single organism; it’s actually a community of life that lives and thrives in one location.

4. Only about one percent of the world’s oceans contain coral reefs. That’s about the size of France.

5. Coral reefs are the largest biological structures on earth.

6. Corals are related to jellyfish and anemones.

7. There are over 2,500 species of corals. About 1,000 are the hard corals that build coral reefs.

8. Reefs grow where there are stronger wave patterns and currents to deliver food and nutrients.

9. The Great Barrier Reef is 500,000 years old.

10. Most coral reefs grow just about two centimeters per year.

10. Most coral reefs grow just about two centimeters per year.

10 Fun Facts: Invasive Species

1. To be considered invasive, a species must adapt to a new area easily. It must reproduce quickly. It must harm property, the economy, or the native plants and animals of the region.

2. Some invasive species are introduced accidentally, but others are brought deliberately.

3. Ship ballast water transports between 3,000 and 7,000 foreign species daily around the globe.

4. The total loss to the world economy as a result of invasive non-native species has been estimated at 5% of annual production

5. Invasive species have contributed to 40% of the animal extinctions that have occurred in the last 400 years.

6. Rodents are some of the worst invasive species.

7. There are an estimated 50,000 wild ring-necked parakeets in parks across London and southeast England.

8. Black and Norway rats annually consume stored grains and destroy other property valued over $19 billion.

9. Northern Pacific seastars reproduce very quickly. In one area where they were introduced, their population reached an estimated 12 million seastars in just two years.

10. Starlings were introduced to New York in the late 1800s, as part of an attempt to bring animals that were mentioned in Shakespeare‘s work to America.

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