Sixth-Grader Discovers Invasive Lionfish's Secret

A sixth-grader has discovered something about the invasive lionfish species that previously eluded top scientists studying the tropical fish.

Lauren Arrington, 12, recently studied lionfish for a sixth-grade science project and found that the fish can survive in water with shockingly low amounts of salt, meaning the invasive species could spread even farther than biologists thought, NPR reported.

"Scientists were doing plenty of tests on them, but they just always assumed they were in the ocean," Lauren, now 13, told NPR's Kelly McEvers. "So I was like, 'Well, hey guys, what about the river?'"

Lauren, who has grown up in Florida and has often seen the colorful fish while snorkeling, placed six lionfish in six different tanks for her project. One was the control fish, while the others were given lower and lower salinity.

Lionfish have been found in water with salt levels of 20 parts per thousand, but by the eighth day of Lauren's experiment, her fish were thriving in water with just 6 parts per thousand.

The sixth-grader's research has since been confirmed with a study by Craig Layman of North Carolina State University, who published his findings in the science journal Environmental Biology of Fishes and put Lauren's name in the acknowledgements.

Because the invasive lionfish has no natural predators in Florida, biologists fear that it may migrate upstream in rivers and damage the area's ecosystem.

Sporting a "mane" of venomous spines, the lionfish likely came from its indigenous Pacific waters to other parts of the world through the pet trade. Jamaica began a national campaign four years ago to reduce the lionfish population, which was gobbling young fish in the area, according to The Associated Press.

The invasive fish, which has been spreading through Atlantic and Caribbean waters, is especially problematic to reefs and native ocean creatures that are already affected by pollution and overfishing, according to the AP. Even though fewer lionfish have been spotted in coastal waters with depths of 75 feet, they are still highly concentrated in deeper areas.