A lionfish epidemic ravages Florida’s reefs. This man has gone to war, tell me about this news in (https://www.cnn.com/science/lionfish-extermination-corp-florida-c2e-spc)

The story features the grassroots battle against the invasive lionfish epidemic threatening Florida’s coral reefs, spotlighting efforts such as those by the Lionfish Extermination Corp.Key highlights from the story include:

• The Crisis: Native to the Indo-Pacific, lionfish first appeared off Florida’s coast decades ago (likely released from private aquariums). Because they have venomous spines, local marine life does not recognize them as prey, leaving them with essentially no natural predators in the Atlantic and Caribbean.
• Ecological Devastation: Lionfish reproduce at an alarming rate and are voracious carnivores, capable of wiping out up to 90% of juvenile native reef fish in areas they inhabit. By consuming herbivorous fish that keep algae from smothering reefs, their presence directly worsens coral decline.
• Going to “War”: Because standard hook-and-line fishing or commercial nets cannot effectively target lionfish hiding deep in reefs and wrecks without harming other wildlife, divers must hunt them individually. Divers take to the water with pole spears, scuba gear, and puncture-resistant containment tubes (like Zookeeper containers) to harvest them one by one.
• Turning a Threat into a Resource: A major focus of the campaign is creating demand for lionfish meat. Lionfish are mild, flaky, and safe to eat once their external spines are removed. By hunting them and supplying local seafood markets and restaurants, extermination efforts aim to make invasive species removal economically self-sustaining while raising public awareness.