Abstract

This paper presents trends in lionfish distribution in the Florida Keys from 2009 to 2020. The relative abundance and geographic expansion of the red lionfish Pterois volitans were tracked using the Volunteer Fish Survey Project from the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF). This program uses volunteer snorkelers and SCUBA divers to record fish abundance at locations across the globe. Metrics analyzed include changes in relative abundance, number of locations observed per year, percent of surveys observed per year, and the differences in these metrics when comparing “experts”and “novices” per the classification system made by REEF. Regression analysis and significance tests were used to identify correlation over time. Although there is a positive correlation between the number of locations that have lionfish and time, the percentage of surveys conducted in the Florida Keys identifying lionfish has declined over time. We also examine the importance of citizen science in academic research, highlighting the need to continue support for organizations like REEF and others that engage in collecting and distributing data via citizen science.

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