Lionfish Invasion Threatens Atlantic Ocean [VIDEO]

The aquatic species 'lionfish' mostly found in the Indo-Pacific waters is continuing its invasion of the Atlantic, surpassing all attempts to control its rapidly growing population. This has raised concerns about the population explosion turning into an ecological disaster.

Llionfish (Pterois) is a popular aquarium fish. This venomous fish is causing great problems in the Atlantic Ocean near Bermuda. They are destroying the marine life and the beautiful reefs of the Caribbean and the East Coast. Being aggressive eaters they gobble anything and everything. With no known predators except for humans they are capable of wiping out nearly 90 percent of a reef, CNN reports.

According to Graham Maddocks, president and founder of Ocean Support Foundation, this invasion of lionfish is probably the worst environmental disaster the Atlantic will face.

Scientists blame Florida pet owners for the spread of the invasive lionfish from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. The invasion began after these owners released two species-Pterois Volitans and Pterois Miles into the waters of Florida in the 1980s. The DNA evidence reveals that initially there were 6-8 females in the population. Female lionfish are extraordinary breeders laying nearly 30,000-40,000 eggs every few days. By the time they are a year old they are sexually matured. Yearly they are capable of spawning nearly 2 million eggs. These eggs gradually spread to the north and the south with the Gulf Stream's warm waters.

Ecologist James Morris of the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science said, the lionfish brought a "big change in biodiversity," to the Atlantic Ocean and that they are "the most abundant top-level predator on some coral reefs (in the Atlantic)."

Known for their ornate beauty, venomous spines and unique tentacles, they are poisonous to fishermen and divers.  Due to their disastrous effect on the eco system, ecologists are trying to resolve this issue.

Since the fish stays in deep waters, Maddock of Ocean Support Foundation along with his team go on lionfish hunting in the waters and use three GoPro Hero 3 cameras in which two are placed on the heads and one on a pole. They use Magnus Scooters to speed up the process, these scooters cover 250 feet per minute. The data they collect is crucial as it offers insight into the behavior of the specimen. Also the team collects GPS coordinates and fish counts including the number of species observed. The team examines the stomach contents of each fish captured and more, reports CNN. All this data is used to determine if culling the area of the infestation makes a difference.

The local residents of Bermuda are also making an effort to curb the fast growing population of lionfish by conducting tournaments to catch them.

Earlier this year, a study revealed how lionfish as much as 16 inches in length were seen in the Atlantic. The presence of these species in large numbers has implications for the future of the ocean.

Maddocks concludes saying, "I don't know if we can stop the lionfish invasion. This isn't a battle we can win, we can only maintain," he said. "Human beings started this problem. It is our fault they are here. We have to take responsibility and try to fix or hope we can control it."