When a diver who was also a volunteer for the Reef Environmental Education Foundation saw a fish that looked out of place in the waters off Dania Beach in October, she sent a photo to REEF, a marine conservation nonprofit based in Key Largo.
"The next morning, we were driving up to Dania Beach," said Emily Stokes, an invasive species specialist for the group. The fish was a one spot rabbitfish, native to the Pacific.
The underwater rapid response team, based at REEF and the U.S. Geological Survey, is aimed at stopping the next lionfish invasion before it gets established in Florida waters. Lionfish have spread throughout the Atlantic and Caribbean, areas where they have no natural predators. They eat native species and disrupt the food chain and balance of life on the reefs.
Stokes recently sat down with WLRN's Florida Keys reporter Nancy Klingener to talk about the rapid response team and its work. Hear the interview here:
If you're diving and see a fish that looks like it shouldn't be there, you can report it to REEF here. Stokes says it's especially helpful if you can get a photo of the fish.
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