Social Studies

Lorelai Horn

25 December, 12:51

The lionfish is an invasive species from the Indo-Pacific, now also found on the East Coast of the United States and in the Caribbean. An exceptional predator that reproduces year-round, the lionfish has wreaked havoc on the natural ecosystem with a population more than 10 times higher than in its native environment. With a population so high, it is unlikely the extermination practices of any one person, or even any one organization, could eliminate them, though eliminating them would benefit everyone. Therefore, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) launched a campaign highlighting how tasty lionfish are and presenting instructions on how to cook them. NOAA's approach to solving this problem is best described as using the economics of: