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Lionfish Cruise 2008: Overview

Personnel
NOAA Ocean Service, Beaufort, NC
  • Paula Whitfield
        (Chief Scientist)
  • Brian Degan
  • Wilson Freshwater
  • Brett Harrison
  • Roger Mays
  • Christine Addison
NOAA Fisheries Service, Beaufort, NC
  • Roldan Muñoz
  • Mike Burton
NOAA Teacher at Sea participant
  • Tara Treichel
        Coastal Studies for Girls, Freeport, Maine
NOAA’s Undersea Research Center
NOAA’s Undersea Research Center logo
  • Doug Kesling
  • Thor Dunmire
NOAA Ship Nancy Foster, a Research VesselNOAA Ship Nancy Foster





Sampling fish and prey fish communities and habitat (credit: Doug Kesling, NURC)

Cruise title: Assessment of Fishery and Ecosystem Impacts of the Indo–Pacific Lionfish within North Carolina Hardbottom Habitats
Cruise dates: April 23-27, 2008
Area of Operation:Onslow Bay, NC water depths 75 to 240 feet on the NOAA Ship NANCY FOSTER.

Site map showing the research study site area within Onslow Bay, NC.
Site map showing the research study site area within Onslow Bay, NC. (click to enlarge, key in image caption)

Background: The Indo–Pacific lionfish is a non–native predatory fish first reported off the North Carolina coast in 2000. Since then, the number and geographic distribution of lionfish within the northwestern Atlantic has increased dramatically. Lionfish now inhabit coral reef, hardbottom, and artificial structures from south Florida to Cape Hatteras, NC. Lionfish have also spread southward throughout the Bahamas and have been reported in the Caribbean. Lionfish that reside off North Carolina are thought to be at their northern limit for overwintering survival, due to the cold winter bottom–water temperatures that occur to the north. During winter, there is a dramatic difference in bottom–water temperatures off the north Carolina coast between the inshore (<100 ft) and offshore waters (>100 ft). The warm Gulf Stream current flows year–round and moderates bottom water temperatures in the deeper water depths, increasing the likelihood for lionfish survival in these areas.

Since complete eradication of lionfish from the Atlantic Ocean is not possible, our research goals are to examine and assess potential ecosystem and fishery impacts that may be caused by the Indo–Pacific lionfish. To accomplish this, we will examine both shallow (75–100 ft) and deep water (115–250 ft) hardbottom habitats using a variety of underwater survey, assessment and specimen collection methods. In addition, we will be incorporating advanced technical SCUBA diving technologies to conduct our impact assessment research in deep water areas up to 250 ft.