Lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific, but are now established along the southeast coast of the U.S., the Caribbean, and in parts of the Gulf of Mexico. Credit: NOAA.

The newly released Invasive Lionfish Web Portal, developed by the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute in partnership with NOAA, supports the management and control of lionfish in conservation areas along the Southeast coast of the U.S. and Caribbean.

The invasive lionfish now threatens reef communities from North Carolina to South America with extreme impacts to reef biodiversity observed across many reefs. With input from a wide range of coastal managers and researchers, the portal provides a clearinghouse for lionfish-related information, including sections on education and outreach, research and monitoring, control, and management. Interactive features such as a live twitter feed (#lionfish), image and video contents, and a discussion forum work to encourage community dialog. Portal subsections provide vetted and trustworthy information such as training videos, examples of management plans, and guidelines for monitoring.

The invasive lionfish web portal is hosted by the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute and can be found at http://lionfish.gcfi.org.

For more information, contact James.Morris@noaa.gov.