PBS NOVA’s Ocean Invaders
PBS NOVA Broadcast Documentary
An invasion is happening on Earth out of sight – and the invaders have not finished conquering. Striking and hypnotic, the invasive lionfish is believed to be one of the most successful invasive species ever. Introduced by aquarium hobbyists off the coast of Florida in the ‘80s, lionfish went from population zero in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico to now making up a whopping 40% of the total predator biomass in some regions — within mere decades.
This leads to the question: what makes some transplanted species capable of ballooning out of control and dramatically altering ecosystems? Travel with ocean explorer, Danni Washington, from expansive artificial reefs to the darkest depths of the deep sea, as she investigates the lionfish takeover and what, if anything, can be done to stop them.
Ocean Invaders is a one hour documentary produced by Orange Frame Productions. It premiered on PBS NOVA on October 26, 2022.
“As a fish biologist, we’re often drawn towards the evolutionary novelties or the oddities, the weirdos in the fish world – and lionfish are definitely one of them.”
