These waters between Australia and Asia are home to a fish
that set out to give the world's underwater ecosystem the shivers:
The lionfish.
It looks attractive, but it's actually one of the sea's most dangerous invaders.
Due to exploding lionfish populations, coastlines and marine life around the world
are showing signs of tremendous damage.
That's why scientists are calling on all of us to fight the lionfish
- just with unusual means:
frying pan, knife and fork.
In 1985, lionfish were sighted in Florida for the first time.
It was a remarkable occurrence because Florida is half a world away
from their native range in the tropical waters of the Pacific.
15 years later, the lionfish had spread uncontrollably
and become a sheer nightmare for reefs and their inhabitants.
But what is it about this fish that makes it such a successful invader?
And how did it manage to conquer marine areas
thousands of miles away from its native habitat?
Scientists aren't 100% sure,
but most probably lionfish found their way to these strange waters
because of their beauty
and maybe a little "help" from James Bond,
who gave lionfish a grand entrance into showbiz
in "The Spy Who Loved Me".
The movie became a major box office success
and the lionfish an even more popular aquarium fish.
James Bond was right.
They are deadly to their surroundings,
but not because of their venomous spines,
because of their hunger.
Lionfish can eat an impressive 90% of their body weight
– every day.
Some have been caught with 50 fish inside them.
When they invaded reefs in the Bahamas,
they reduced the local fish population by more than 65%
within a record time of just 2 years.
Lionfish hunt by night and rely on their colorful camouflage,
which makes them nearly invisible to their prey in the reef.
They move slowly and get up close to their victim to quickly suck it up.
And the lionfish isn't picky.
More than 100 species are on its menu
with such a large appetite, lionfish take food away
from commercially profitable species,
affecting local communities that rely on this kind of fishing.
Fish is the main source of protein for 3 billion people worldwide.
And all this fuss is because of some inconsiderate aquarium owners.
Scientists traced the DNA of lionfish on the Atlantic West Coast
back to fewer than 10 fish,
which were most probably released into the ocean in Florida
with tremendous consequences.
They have no natural enemies in foreign waters.
And there are a few more reasons why they seem to be the perfect invaders.
Besides their strong appetites and refined camouflage,
they have a high tolerance for salinity.
This makes them able to survive in different ocean areas,
including the Mediterranean.
In 2012, the first Indian lionfish
were captured close to the coast of Lebanon.
Since then, they've spread quickly throughout the entire Mediterranean.
These fish may also have been released by hobby aquarists.
But there are other more likely ways they made the journey:
Big marine vessels, like container ships, need ballast water
to retain their stability after they've offloaded their freight.
Lionfish can become unintended stowaways in water tanks
and travel a long distance to where the ballast water is released.
One of the most important waterways in the world is the Suez Canal.
It's enlargement in 2015 increased shipping traffic,
but also made it into a kind-of fast lane for a number of invaders.
64% of the species currently found in the Mediterranean
are so-called “Lessepsian migrants”,
which means they reached the Mediterranean from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal,
and one of them is the lionfish.
One island in Europe seems to be its preferred new home.
– Cyprus.
They've spread especially fast here.
The Eastern Mediterranean Sea is warming up 20% faster than the rest of the ocean.
And when the sea is warm, lionfish become even more efficient.
Experiments show that at temperatures of 32°C,
they use 30% less energy for digestion.
They also eat more regularly.
That leaves these heat-loving fish with more energy to grow and reproduce,
which they do very early on in life.
There are more females than males,
and they lay more than 2 million eggs every year.
It's an evolutionary strategy that's hard to compete with
and which has enormous knock-on effects on the local underwater wildlife.
As, for example, when lionfish eat too many cleanerfish.
Cleanerfish eat parasites off a lot of species,
parasites can cause diseases that lead to less marine diversity,
so the cleanerfish's work is crucial for the health of a reef's population.
The lionfish's menu includes herbivores that eat algae,
like parrotfish or surgeonfish.
These reef managers are vital for underwater ecosystems.
If they're missing, reefs can eventually be overrun by seaweed.
Dramatically, it's already become impossible to eradicate lionfish
from the areas they've invaded.
But scientists are trying to contain the damage
with surprising weapons...
...like frying pans.
Lionfish may be the perfect invaders, but they have one weakness -
the way they taste.
Their venomous spines release a poison, which means pain for swimmers
or divers who get too close,
but their flesh isn't poisonous.
In fact, it's quite delicious,
and so scientists are busy promoting their culinary value.
For good reason:
An increasing demand for lionfish on the international market
could have a hugely positive impact on marine ecosystems.
Even Gordon Ramsay has gained a taste for them
Look at that!
F***, that's ugly.
Who'd like some lionfish?
In addition, several conservation groups are running removal projects
in which divers and fishermen are encouraged to hunt lionfish,
for example, by competing in derbies and tournaments.
And some divers even feed them to sharks to teach them
that their strange neighbors on the reef are actually pretty tasty.
But still, there's a chance that all these activities
are only tackling the tip of the iceberg.
We can only see the effects of them in shallow water.
But lionfish have been found as deep as 300 meters.
Nobody knows how big the populations are down there.
It took less than 10 lionfish, with the help of some humans,
to cause this huge environmental disaster in our oceans.
But turning them into a popular food isn't just payback.
As well as minimizing the damage they cause,
eating lionfish as an alternative to more common species
could be a move toward preventing overfishing.
Taking an important step in the direction of a happier, healthier ocean.
If you can't beat it, eat it.
That's the scientists recommendation.
So if you're living in a place where lionfish is on the menu,
have a wonderful, sustainable meal and help the oceans!