After years of field tests the results have proven that the Lionfish Purse Trap works perfectly and can be adjusted or modified to meet various conditions and the trap still operates properly. The system developed should be useable in a third world country that is also affected by the Invasive Lionfish..

It appears that the big issue is: Where to place traps to catch lionfish?

1. Random does not work – see Reef.org random trawl line tests. Research to determine if Location matters.

2. Since the attractant is the FAD, we can run tests using FAD only to eliminate permitting issues with “Traps”.

3. Types of Data to capture about lionfish aggregation at the FAD are between Three Zones:

   1. “Jaw Zone” - 6 feet in diameter from the center of the FAD,

   2. “Near Zone” - 6 to 10 feet from the FAD center,

   3. “Far Zone” - more than 10 feet from the FAD

   4. Date, Time, Number and direction of lionfish entering or exiting each zone

4. Need to capture “FAD location data” about:

   1. temperature

   2. depth

   3. slack tide

   4. current speed

   5. bottom type

   6. distance from reef

   7. distance from shoreline

   8. distance from drop off

5. Compass Direction of Lionfish entry and exit from FAD zones may lead to

   1. Food source

   2. Other structures

   3. Other?

6. Data Collection Method:

   1. Deploy Underwater video camera 9-hours for Four 9-hour days

   2. UW robot video only first day

   3. Have Scuba divers in water in the event robot fails

7. Deployment is for 9-hours (Camera Battery Life)

   1. The longer the camera runs, the less expensive the testing, so the goal is a camera that runs 24/7 for 4 days with only 1 deployment and retrival.

   2. This assumes that if the FAD does not attract lionfish within 4 days it never will. See Reefsave 2018 tests in Bequia 14-day aggregation rates.

      (1)   A 12-hour camera only gets half the data and needs 4 deployments and 4 retrievals

      (2)   A 24-hour camera, with some sort of infrared light, captures all of the data but still needs 4 deployments and 4 retrievals

8. Retrieve Camera from FAD structure:

   1. Test use of underwater robot to attach camera Unit to FAD Frame.

      1. Successful use of Underwater Robot can avoid or minimize the field cost of scuba divers.

      2. Have Scuba divers in event robot fails

9. Download Data and Recharge Batteries

   1. Backup data

   2. Prepare a clean SD card

   3. Recharge Batteries for next deployment

   4. Review Video Data

10. Install clean SD card and fully charged batteries in Camera Unit

11. Deploy and Retrieve for 4 days

12. Explore Lionfish Compass Directions with Underwater Robot

    1. The features found, if any, could help better define characteristics of a good location for a trap

Pictured are ReefSave.org volunteers, including Dr. Steven Gittings - NOAA (Ret.) all helping with a Proof of Concept - Can we build a No-Weld Lionfish Purse Trap? Can we built it in the Field?

Subsequently in 2019, the team of volunteers traveled again to Bequia and built by hand, the No-Weld Lionfish Purse Trap and field tested it for functionality and found significantly less problems and cost than the welded trap previously built in Bequia.