Key Largo, FL

It has been reported that a diver has spotted a non-native lionfish in Florida off Key Largo, a region of which is the nation's only living coral reef.

Lionfish are native to warm waters throughout the world, but a popular theory holds that a lionfish from a tropical salt water tank had escaped during the hurricane in 1992 and has since multiplied. Lionfish are now reported as far north as Rhode Island.

Voracious eaters and prolific multipliers, scientists are concerned that they can devastate the reef ecosystem as there are no natural predators in the region.

Marine biologists are requesting the help of local divers to spot and report the location of lionfish for removal.

If divers observe a lionfish, they are requested to report the sightings to Dan Roberts at the Florida Marine Research Institute and Paula Whitfield at the NOAA Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research.