Abstract

The mission of the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI), located on Eleuthera, the Bahamas, is to promote the conservation of tropical ecosystems by facilitating research, supporting education and conducting outreach with local and global communities. Over the past five years, the invasion of Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) has emerged as a major threat to marine biota across the Bahamian archipelago. In 2010, CEI formed the Lionfish Research and Education Program (LREP) in collaboration with partners from the Reef Environmental Education Foundation and Simon Fraser University (SFU). LREP seeks to aid and inform efforts to protect marine ecosystems from the effects of the lionfish invasion. Research initiatives include long term experiments, in collaboration with the Bahamas Department of Marine Resources and SFU, to evaluate the effective-ness of lionfish removal in facilitating the recovery of native Bahamian reef fish populations, studies of the viability of trapping as a method for control, and studies of lionfish behavior, habitat use and movement. The program also fosters stewardship within local communities and promotes the harvest and consumption of lionfish as a method for control, through a number of education and awareness efforts. These activities also engage local and visiting high-school and college students, interns and staff, and provide outreach to key government personnel and NGOs. Through LREP, CEI is emerging as a center for lionfish research and outreach in the Caribbean, with a view to effectively disseminate valuable information on best practices for lionfish control and management to both local and regional stakeholders.