CORVALLIS, Ore. The invasion of predatory lionfish in the
Caribbean region poses yet another major threat there to coral
reef ecosystems a new study has found that within a short period
after the entry of lionfish into an area, the survival of other
reef fishes is slashed by about 80 percent. Aside from the rapid
and immediate mortality of marine life, the loss of herbivorous
fish also sets the stage for seaweeds to potentially overwhelm
the coral reefs and disrupt the delicate ecological balance in
which they exist, according to scientists from Oregon State
University. Following on the heels of overfishing, sediment
depositions, nitrate pollution in some areas, coral bleaching
caused by global warming, and increasing ocean acidity caused by
carbon emissions, the lionfish invasion is a serious concern,
said Mark Hixon, an OSU professor of zoology and expert on coral
reef ecology. The study is the first to quantify the severity of
the crisis posed by this invasive species, which is native to
the tropical Pacif