Hurricanes Accelerate the Spread of Invasive Lionfish by Changing Currents

It turns out that hurricanes may not just cause damage to buildings and infrastructure; they may also damage the environment. Scientists have found that hurricanes may help spread the invasive lionfish throughout Florida.

For this latest research, the scientists focused on how large storms, such as hurricanes, affect the flow of water in the Florida Straits. They found that as a hurricane passes, the flow of water shifts from a strong, northern flow to a strong, eastern flow.

"This is the first-ever study that shows hurricane-altered ocean currents are able not only to help, but actually accelerate the invasion of non-native marine species of any kind," said Matthew Johnston, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Lionfish are pretty sedentary, so this is like creating express lanes on a superhighway-otherwise, that's a pretty long swim for lionfish babies."

The changes in flow direction and speed can carry lionfish larvae and eggs from Florida to the Bahamas. This, in particular, may explain how lionfish were able to cross the Gulf Stream so soon after their introduction to South Florida waters.

Lionfish can drastically impact marine ecosystems. Reef fish aren't sure how to react to the tactics of the predatory lionfish, which means that lionfish can feed and reproduce at an astonishing rate, destroying communities of reef fish.

"The study has broader implications in that global climate change may cause an increase in storm frequency and/or intensity, perhaps further accelerating the spread of marine invasives," said Johnston. "Given that South Florida is a hotspot for marine invasive species, the transport of marine larvae from Florida to the Bahamas on hurricane-altered water flow may become commonplace for invasive and native species alike."

The findings are published in the journal Global Change Biology.

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).