Our Research
Team NEMO^2 is investigating multiple methodologies, which will allow us to easily pivot if any of our ideas are not feasible or successful. This flexibility is paramount in ecological research, where complex ecosystem relationships are not as straightforwards as they seem.
Background
Lionfish were first introduced into the Caribbean in the 1980s. Since then, they have been seen as far north as New York and as far south as Brazil. Little is known about the behavior of Lionfish and how best to manage their invasive population.
Computational Modeling
We will apply a computational model to lionfish, in particular relating to the effects of lionfish establishing a population in the Chesapeake Bay. We are looking into both a dispersal model to predict how soon the species could spread and a ecosystem model to determine the impacts of the lionfish invasion on the bay ecosystem.
Engineering and Trapping
Mechanical traps have potential to cull the lionfish population, but have to be carefully designed to avoid also killing native species. We plan on both designing more effective physical traps and incorporating AI to reduce bycatch.
Genetic Research
We plan on studying the North Atlantic lionfish genome to find any susceptibilities to the natural environment which we could possibly exploit, or find a way to induce infertility. This will likely involve working with lionfish tissue in a lab.
Public Policy
We will synthesize current and past U.S. policies on invasive species to determine what is most impactful and beneficial to both people and the environment. We will investigate both the intent and enforcement of such invasive species policy.