MER’s and UoP’s final lionfish removal with RATs

On the 28th of November 2021, the Marine and Environmental Research (MER) Lab and the University of Plymouth implemented their final coordinated lionfish removal with the Removal Action Teams (RATs) of the RELIONMED-Life project. The expedition took place at the Bahames site in Akrotiri, Limassol, with the participation of nine RATs divers from the Nautilus dive club in Limassol. A total of 119 lionfish of various sizes were caught and many were missed. Furthermore, it is important to note that the area was fully infested and many lionfish were not removed, also, due to the limited space in the zookeepers. The project greatly thanks the RATs for their support throughout the project and for playing an important role in trying to control the lionfish populations in Cyprus marine waters.