Abstract

The invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) has been a source of concern due to its potential ecological, social, public health and economic impacts in Jamaica as in other Caribbean locations. The ecology of the lionfish, both in its native and introduced range, has been studied to a lesser degree than studies on its distribution and impact but not previously in Jamaica. Increased knowledge of the ecology of invasive species is an important step to identify and improve management and mitigation strategies. Habitat preference was studied in Discovery Bay, St. Ann, Jamaica in mid-2011 using the habitat characteristics of depth, substrate type, reef profile and reef health at five (5) different sites.Surveys were completed for lionfish and prey abundance as well as photo-transect surveys for reef health. Results showed a preference for deeper, hard-bottom, sloping or wall profiles, (Kruskal-Wallis test, p=0.002, p=0.081, and p=0.048 respectively. Reef health was found to have no significant impact on habitat choice however this may be due to the overall poor condition of the reefs in the area. This study demonstrated how increased knowledge of ecology and GIS technology could be used to improve current management strategies by identifying potential lionfish refuges island-wide, based on habitat preference.