Lionfish

There are now 659 less Indo-Pacific red lionfish calling the tranquil waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary home.

The end to a bunch of lionfish derbies was held this past Saturday off the lower keys. As you know, these lionfish have been making quite a nuisance of themselves for the past little while, and efforts have been made to get rid of the little rascals, whether it be simple catching, netting in, and even pan frying.

Diving teams managed to round up 109 of these dastardly invaders, adding to the tally of lionfish brought in froIndo-Pacific red lionfish m the previous derbies in Key Largo and Marathon.

Lionfish which are muscling their way into the waters off the southeast United States, Bahamas and Caribbean are causing harm to the native species to those waters as they are chowing down on vital reef species, such as snapper and grouper.

A spokesperson for the Reef Education Foundation, Lad Atkins, has commented that lionfish don’t have any natural enemies, except for us humans.

Lionfish - A problematic invasive species

You can forget about such trivialities as the amberjack or snapper. Over one hundred divers have managed to bring in more than five hundred Indo-Pacific red lionfish during the first group effort to help decrease the numbers of this wily invader which has set its sights on the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

The first of three such get togethers, cleverly dubbed lionfish derbies, brought in some twenty-seven teams which were all gun ho on earning the sweet cash and prizes being dangled in front of them to bring in the most, biggest, and mot tiny lionfish. The big enchilada, one thousand dollars, was given to the group which managed to snare in one hundred and eleven lionfish.

The next “derby” is shceduled to take place this coming October 16th, weather permitting, at Keys Fisheries restaurant in Marathon, and the final event is said to be November 13th at the Hurricane Hole Marina in Key West.

A representative of the Reef Environmental Education Foundation, Lad Akins, has commented that the lionfish are being released inadvertently by pet owners into the Atlantic, and since they have no natural enemies, they are free to breed and take over.

These lionfish have become quite an item, them being offered up in restaurants and such to help keep them down.. Only time will tell if we are winning the battle, or losing…

As reported earlier here and here, the retired 523-foot military vessel “Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg” was scheduled to be sunk this month to become an artificial reef off the Floridian coast, and we can now happily report that everything has gone according to plan.

After being slightly delayed last minute by a sea turtle venturing into the sinking zone, Vandenberg was successfully put to rest roughly 7 miles south-southeast of Key West at 10:24 a.m., May 27.

Once 44 carefully positioned explosive charges had been detonated, Vandenberg gracefully slipped below the water’s surface in no more than 1 minute and 54 seconds. It is now resting rightside-up on the sea bottom at a depth of roughly 140 feet (43 metres) in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Divers and other underwater specialists are currently surveying the ship to make sure it is safe for the public to explore. Hopefully, Vandenberg will open up for public diving by Friday morning.

Over 20 cameras were mounted on the vessel to capture images of it descending into the blue, cameras that are now being retrieved by an underwater team.

Vandenberg is the second largest vessel ever intentionally sunk to become an artificial reef. In 2006, the 888-foot long USS Oriskany, also known as CV-34, was sunk in the Gulf of Mexico, south of Pensacola, Florida.

A sinking date has now been set for the retired military vessel scheduled to form an artificial reef off Key West in Florida. If everything goes according to plan, Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg – a 523-foot-long military ship that used to track Russian missile launches during the Cold War – will be sunk seven miles (11 km) south of Key West on May 27.

“Our sink window opens Wednesday, May 27, and that’s the date we’re currently targeting,” said Jim Scholl, Key West’s city manager and project administrator. “However, there are factors that could delay the scuttling, including weather and other unforeseen circumstances.”

A definite time for the sinking has not yet been set, but the event will probably take place during late morning, officials said.

During the sinking, a one-mile perimeter will be enforced on the water and in the air by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and other U.S. law enforcement agencies.

Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg is currently waiting in Key West Harbor.