Hi, we’re NOAA scientists Steve Gittings, Michelle Johnston, and James Morris. We’re here to talk about invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish and what NOAA is doing to understand and reduce this threat in our national marine sanctuaries and beyond. Ask us anything!

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Hi, Reddit! I’m Michelle Johnston, research ecologist with NOAA’s Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary; I’m Steve Gittings, science coordinator with NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries; and I’m James Morris, an ecologist with the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. We’re here to answer your questions on invasive lionfish.

In recent years, Indo-Pacific lionfish have been found in coral reefs throughout the southeast Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean. While scientists are unsure exactly how they got there, they believe that people have been dumping unwanted lionfish from home aquariums into the Atlantic Ocean for more than two decades.

Because of their voracious appetites, rapid reproduction rate, and lack of natural predators, these invasive lionfish post a serious threat to coral reefs, with potential long-term consequences for native fish communities, habitats, and entire ecosystem. So far, four national marine sanctuaries have been invaded by lionfish -- Gray’s Reef, Florida Keys, Flower Garden Banks, and Monitor.

At NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, we’re working to understand this invasive species so we can better protect habitats both within and beyond national marine sanctuaries. We’re here to discuss what we know about lionfish and what NOAA is doing to address this threat.

We’re here from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET today to answer your questions about invasive lionfish. Ask us anything!

">Hi, we’re NOAA scientists Steve Gittings, Michelle Johnston, and James Morris. We’re here to talk about invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish and what NOAA is doing to understand and reduce this threat in our national marine sanctuaries and beyond. Ask us anything!