Lionfish Containment

Carriacou is the second largest island of Grenada measuring just 13 square miles. The tiny island has unspoiled reefs, an amazing variety of aquatic life, and over 30+ beautiful dive sites. As a Reef Buddy volunteer, you will be trained to safely remove members of the invasive Lionfish population from the reefs surrounding Carriacou. The volunteers will be working side by side with a qualified and dedicated dive team.

Equipment & Pre-requisites

For a complete and engaging experience in our program, you'll find yourself immersed in underwater realms through scuba diving. If you're already an 'Advanced' level diver, you're all set to jump right in. If you're new to diving, worry not—we offer comprehensive diving training during a dedicated 'CRB Training Week.' Project-specific training will be provided at the start of each 'CRB Project Week,' ensuring you're well-prepared to make a meaningful impact. Our goal is to equip you with the skills you need to dive into the heart of marine conservation and exploration. You'll also have access to all the materials you'll possibly need. Full basic SCUBA diving equipment will be provided too, but for comfort, you might want to bring your own mask, fins, and booties.

Lionfish Impact Reefs

Lionfish are voracious eaters. Dining on small reef fish and crustaceans, they are known as a gape-limited predator, meaning they will eat anything that fits within the circumference of their mouth. Capable of eating prey up to 2/3 their body size, a lionfish's stomach will expand up to 30 times its empty volume. This invasive population poses a serious threat to small and juvenile reef creatures across the Caribbean. The non-specific nature of their feeding habits means they are directly impacting both environmentally and commercially important fish and crustacean species. Lionfish are beautiful fish, which were likely released from aquaria off the SE coast of the U.S.A. They are armed with 18 venomous spines distributed throughout their dorsal, pectoral, and anal fins, capable of delivering a painful, but treatable sting, relieved by immersing the affected area in hot water.

Beat the Invaders

Through this program, we have trained a team of local community members to dive and safely hunt Lionfish during weekly culls. Any catch is sold to local restaurants for sale to hungry customers. We raise awareness about invasive Lionfish in the community through school programs and regular lionfish BBQs, support a Lionfish jewelry program, and hold quarterly derbies covering all of Carriacou, with prizes for the biggest and smallest catches, as well as the best recipes! A separate record and photos of our lionfish catches can be found in our Carriacou Lionfish Containment Blog.