Final ecological monitoring surveys

The “Marine & Environmental Research (MER) Lab” and the “University of Plymouth” completed the third and fourth ecological monitoring surveys that were performed to assess the efficiency of targeted removals, understand lionfish impacts and develop the most effective lionfish monitoring techniques. Analysis of the data will start soon. The third round of the surveys, during which 26 lionfish were removed, was executed on the 4th and 5th of August 2020. The fourth survey, during which photoquadrats were used, is the final one and it took place on the 18th and 19th of August 2020. Samplings consisted of three deep (20 m) and two shallow (7 m) stations. With the completion of the fourth survey, the entire survey plan of the D2 action of the project has been finalised.