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The United States Geological Survey has, over the years, documented more than 30 non-native marine species off Florida's Atlantic coast alone.  None of these species have been able to reproduce, spread or survive in their non-native home.  The lionfish, however, has been a very different story.

While the fist documented sightings off the Florida coast was in the mid-19080's, lionfish only became more numerous in Florida around 2000. Around the same time they also began to spread to other areas along the east coast, through the Gulf of Mexico and into the Caribbean.  Dr. Pam Schofield, a biologist with the USGS said, "...the extent and speed with which lionfish have spread has been unprecedented; lionfish pretty much blanketed the Caribbean in three short years."

Schofield and other biologists feel that while eradication of the non-native lionfishes is probably not possible, local programs that work to control the population are beneficial to help reduce some of the pressure placed on the native ecosystems by the invasive lionfish. 

For more on the USGS research, visit their website.

The NOAA's Lionfish Website is an excellent source for background information on lionfish in the Atlantic and Caribbean, and REEF's Lionfish Research Program also provides lots of information as well as the opportunity to participate in workshops and derbies.