Abstract

Invasive red lionfish (Pterois volitans) were first recorded in Belize in December 2008. With generalist diets, a novel preda-tion strategy and rapid reproduction and growth, lionfish are considered a major threat to Caribbean coral reefs. Lionfish focused surveys in two Belizean marine reserves in 2014 were used to assess two control mechanisms: an annual lionfish fishing tournament in Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve (GSSCMR) and regular culls with a volunteer pro-gramme in Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve (BCMR). GSSCMR exhibited higher densities of lionfish than BCMR (GSSCMR: 77.8±34.7 ind.ha-1, n=12; BCMR: 30.1±9.7 ind.ha-1, n=31), though high variance made it impossible to draw any conclusions related to management. In 2015, lionfish control approaches were also assessed across five marine protect-ed areas. Survey effort balanced reef type (forereef vs. backreef) and management zone NTZ vs. open access. Overall, sur-veys found few lionfish, and density was low (9.9±4.1 ind.ha-1, n=50) compared to estimates in other parts of the Caribbe-an. Both lionfish density and prey fish biomass were significantly different between reef regions, but did not vary with pro-tection status or depth. At 14-22% of sites, primarily within NTZs, density was above predicted ecological threshold levels, and average observed density was within error of median and conservative threshold predictions. While these results point to the effectiveness of existing efforts, they highlight a critical need to develop mechanisms for lionfish control inside NTZs, to ensure they function as effective replenishment zones.

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