Management strategy based on multi-staff integration target control of lionfish invasion on a South Atlantic oceanic island

The lionfish invasion in the South Atlantic is recent compared to the Caribbean, and long-term control measures are still unknown. In this article, we detail the management actions between 2020 and 2025 in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, a world heritage site and biodiversity hotspot. A total of 2,660 lionfish individuals were recorded during 58 months of management, noting exponential population growth (345.9% of increase), with the number of records being higher in monitoring (n = 2,258; focused dives) compared to routine (n = 402; recreational dives) operations. Field detection was more related to ecological variables such as deep waters, coral substrate, weak marine currents, and resting fish behavior. High densities were generally observed at 3.9 ind./ha but increased over time and depth gradient, with a maximum value of 60 ind./ha. Individuals averaged 23.17 ± 6.7 cm in total length and 238.2 ± 241.6 g in weight (max.: 460 mm and 1670.0 g), presenting allometric growth (b = 3.22) and high physiological condition (K = 1.43). Lionfish showed high dispersion with 116 sites recorded around the archipelago and well explored areas represented 353.64 ha. Interpolation analysis reached 75,742 (CI 95% 56,202–95,372) individuals regarding local population estimate. Field management proved to be effective locally in maintaining a stable temporal trend with low density averages. This work demonstrates that the use of legal and protocolary adoptions has served efficiently to stabilize and outline lionfish control through standardized actions.