Comments on: The Great Lionfish Invasion: What Is the Threat? http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/06/30/the-great-lionfish-invasion-what-is-the-threat/ Diving opinions from top diving experts in the dive industry Fri, 25 May 2012 00:06:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Stuart E. Wunsh MD http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/06/30/the-great-lionfish-invasion-what-is-the-threat/comment-page-1/#comment-1927 Stuart E. Wunsh MD Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:07:02 +0000 http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/?p=758#comment-1927 Thank you for a calm yet incitful evaluation of the "Lionfish threat". I am a grateful but humble visitor to the beautiful underwater realm and cause no harm to the creatures that inhabit it. I feel that an amicable equalibrium will be found. Thank you for a calm yet incitful evaluation of the “Lionfish threat”. I am a grateful but humble visitor to the beautiful underwater realm and cause no harm to the creatures that inhabit it. I feel that an amicable equalibrium will be found.
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]]> By: Lucien Gillham http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/06/30/the-great-lionfish-invasion-what-is-the-threat/comment-page-1/#comment-1277 Lucien Gillham Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:05:49 +0000 http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/?p=758#comment-1277 I made about 250 dives off Okinawa 1985-90. I saw from one to twenty lionfish on every dive. They have no fear of divers and stand their ground. I know of only one person who was stabbed by one (on his finger tip, a small fish about 4 inches long) He said it was worse than sticking his finger into a 110V outlet. The pain was intense and worked its way up to his shoulder in a few minutes. By the time he exited the water and climbed the 147 steps to the parking lot the pain had started back down his arm. They started for the Navy hospital but turned around and made a second dive. A few days later all he had was a tiny hole in the end of his ring finger. A large lionfish might do more damage though. Don't mess with them. They're fast as lightning. We also had stonefish, scorpion fish and sea snakes around Oki. No one was ever hurt by them. I made about 250 dives off Okinawa 1985-90. I saw from one to twenty lionfish on every dive. They have no fear of divers and stand their ground. I know of only one person who was stabbed by one (on his finger tip, a small fish about 4 inches long) He said it was worse than sticking his finger into a 110V outlet. The pain was intense and worked its way up to his shoulder in a few minutes. By the time he exited the water and climbed the 147 steps to the parking lot the pain had started back down his arm. They started for the Navy hospital but turned around and made a second dive. A few days later all he had was a tiny hole in the end of his ring finger. A large lionfish might do more damage though. Don’t mess with them. They’re fast as lightning. We also had stonefish, scorpion fish and sea snakes around Oki. No one was ever hurt by them.
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]]> By: Michael Dawson http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/06/30/the-great-lionfish-invasion-what-is-the-threat/comment-page-1/#comment-1191 Michael Dawson Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:15:11 +0000 http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/?p=758#comment-1191 Hi Bill, I apologize for the confusion. I thought you were another diving noob (like me) but you most definitely are not. I know that coastal development is on the rise in the Canary Islands and has wrecked havoc on the ecosystem in other parts of Spain (Alicante, Balearic Islands), but unfortunately I don´t know the extent of the problem nor how large of an impact this has had on the water quality. My Oceanography professor has a sister who works in a Dive Center in Valencia and is somewhat of an expert when it comes to these matters. I´m going to shoot her an email and maybe next week I can give you a better answer :D. Btw, do you have a Twitter? Hi Bill,
I apologize for the confusion. I thought you were another diving noob (like me) but you most definitely are not.

I know that coastal development is on the rise in the Canary Islands and has wrecked havoc on the ecosystem in other parts of Spain (Alicante, Balearic Islands), but unfortunately I don´t know the extent of the problem nor how large of an impact this has had on the water quality.

My Oceanography professor has a sister who works in a Dive Center in Valencia and is somewhat of an expert when it comes to these matters. I´m going to shoot her an email and maybe next week I can give you a better answer :D.

Btw, do you have a Twitter?

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]]> By: William Alevizon http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/06/30/the-great-lionfish-invasion-what-is-the-threat/comment-page-1/#comment-1174 William Alevizon Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:55:39 +0000 http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/?p=758#comment-1174 Hi Michael Perhaps I was not clear what I meant by "water quality" in my reply. It has been shown that in coastal seas, increases in dissolved nitrates in the micromolar range can trigger algal blooms. I would think that the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs is probably more concerned with the safety of the public water supply than regularly monitoring the surrounding oceans for miniscule levels of dissolved nitrates and phosphates. I probably should have asked a different question, namely, has the coastal human population (or human activities along the coast, such as building, dredging, coastal development, etc.) changed much in recent years? That is usually the root cause of coastal ocean water quality declines, which can trigger algal blooms and thereby greatly increase food supply for herbivores such as urchins. Even in cases where extensive studies have been done, researchers can rarely pinpoint the exact cause for urchin population booms. In the words of one expert on urchin "population booms"; "Initially biologists blamed the overfishing of lobsters, thought to be an important urchin predator, but that idea has since been shown to be incorrect...Although there has been much speculation as to the causes of these and other urchin outbreaks, we still don't know for certain what caused them. However, human alteration of the marine environment probably played a role in creating the conditions that led to the increases in urchin abundance". For more in-depth discussion, I refer you to the article I briefly cited above: http://www.bcb.uwc.ac.za/presents/focuson/Urchin/Page1.htm Regards Bill Hi Michael

Perhaps I was not clear what I meant by “water quality” in my reply. It has been shown that in coastal seas, increases in dissolved nitrates in the micromolar range can trigger algal blooms.

I would think that the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs is probably more concerned with the safety of the public water supply than regularly monitoring the surrounding oceans for miniscule levels of dissolved nitrates and phosphates.

I probably should have asked a different question, namely, has the coastal human population (or human activities along the coast, such as building, dredging, coastal development, etc.) changed much in recent years?

That is usually the root cause of coastal ocean water quality declines, which can trigger algal blooms and thereby greatly increase food supply for herbivores such as urchins.

Even in cases where extensive studies have been done, researchers can rarely pinpoint the exact cause for urchin population booms.

In the words of one expert on urchin “population booms”; “Initially biologists blamed the overfishing of lobsters, thought to be an important urchin predator, but that idea has since been shown to be incorrect…Although there has been much speculation as to the causes of these and other urchin outbreaks, we still don’t know for certain what caused them. However, human alteration of the marine environment probably played a role in creating the conditions that led to the increases in urchin abundance”.

For more in-depth discussion, I refer you to the article I briefly cited above:

http://www.bcb.uwc.ac.za/presents/focuson/Urchin/Page1.htm

Regards
Bill

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]]> By: Michael Dawson http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/2010/06/30/the-great-lionfish-invasion-what-is-the-threat/comment-page-1/#comment-1171 Michael Dawson Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:42:42 +0000 http://www.undercurrent.org/blog/?p=758#comment-1171 Hi Bill, According to an official report releaased in 2007 from the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs, The Canary Islands have maintained high quality water levels. I´ve also done a few Google searches and have not found any news regarding the water quality. Hi Bill,
According to an official report releaased in 2007 from the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs, The Canary Islands have maintained high quality water levels.
I´ve also done a few Google searches and have not found any news regarding the water quality.
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