The first lionfish reported in the Atlantic was found in Florida in 1985, and the species was documented as “established” in the early 2000s. Since then, it has spread south, crossing the entire Caribbean and arriving at the Brazilian coast in a region near the mouth of the Amazon River.
Suffolk County is home to many mole salamander species because of the wetland habitats and vernal pools found on the southern end of the Island. Mole salamanders are closely linked to these mini-ecosystems and the preservation of these small bodies of water, especially in private woodlots, is a major conservation goal.