Never judge a book by its cover, or a fish by its stripes! With their zebra-like pattern and huge feathery fins, lionfish are definitely one of the most strikingly handsome fishes in the sea. But these beauties from the Indian and Pacific Oceans are wreaking ecological havoc in the Caribbean Sea, where they were accidentally released by people keeping them in aquariums as pets.
Doctoral researcher Nicola Smith will take you to coral reefs, mangrove creeks, estuaries, and shipwrecks across three oceans, and explain why lionfish are such effective predators in their new Atlantic habitats, and how her research is helping to limit their growth, spread, and impact to protect native fishes.
Included with museum admission or membership.