Abstract
This Paper is about the threats of Invasive species. Specifically relating to the burmese pythons and red lion fish populations present in southern Florida. The effects that they pose on the ecosystems they've found themselves inhabiting may be potentially detrimental. Being apex predators in these new found ecosystems makes it very easy for them to survive and reproduce; In turn further spreading far across Florida and harming the balance of life that's been going on for decades . Many official government agencies have urged the people to take matters into their own hands if in any way possible. All fronts need to be covered in order to fully relocate or get rid of these animals completely because of the increasing difficulty of actually finding all of them in a given area even if just a handful slip away unnoticed they can breed again and bring those numbers right back up. So the education of the general public as to these matters is very important because through their help these species’s thriving takeovers can be put to a stop once and for all. Not just locally but statewide as well because those two examples aren't the only invasive species to be causing trouble but through collective work they could be some of the last. So these topics and more will be covered in the following paper.

Introduction 
Florida has a very similar climate to many tropical and subtropical regions. This in turn, unfortunately, makes it very easy for invasive species to thrive there causing problems not only for the food chain and balance of the ecosystem but also for human interactions. Property damage, physical harm and  economic costs are all aspects of impairment that invasive species present. Action must be taken place now before these species are so deeply rooted and widespread that the damage they cause is utterly irreversible. 

Invasive species, why so many? 
Florida is known for hosting some of the most notable invasive species in all of the world, Including the likes of the Burmese Python, Red lionfish, green iguanas, Wild boar, and many others. This begs the question: how are all of these species that are varied in size, niche and even genus finding themselves thrust into the environments of Florida? A massive  contributor is the Exotic pet trade industry; many articles touch on why it's so prevalent in  Florida one of which I thought was to the point was an article by scholastic ScienceWord which  states “hey didn’t end up in Florida by choice—people brought them to the state as part of the exotic pet trade. Compared with other states, Florida has less strict laws about which exotic animals can be kept as pets. But captive creatures don’t always remain captive.”(Drimmer,2024) An exact number is unknown for the revenue generated, but it is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions if not reaching billions, due to the illegal importation of plants, animals and other related items. When these animals become too much to take care of and are released or end up escaping because of other means they enter Ecosystems that have no place for them. Oftentimes this results in the animal or plant rising to the top of whatever food chain they find themselves in because they have no natural predators or simply outperform other organisms in their respective niche. The reasons for which are stated by Carlissa Chairez as she speaks about this matter in the University of Florida IFAS. She states, “Many invasive species share characteristics that make them difficult to control, including:Fast growth rates,Short time to reproduce,Production of many offspring/seeds,Effective dispersal And Tolerance to many habitats”(Chairez, 2025). The Parasitic nature of these species allow them to not just simply sustain themselves but to survive to an extreme degree. If even a handful of them are left in the environment after a mass relocation they could regrow their numbers back at an exponential rate. For this reason many organized efforts have failed at the attempted relocation and even in some cases purges of invasive species.

The Glades and shores
Along with the information provided in the previous paragraph and based on a newfound understanding as to why these animals are here and how they survive, let's focus on two main species, those being the Burmese Python and the Red lionfish and the impact they have specifically on their respective ecosystems. The Burmese python lives primarily in the everglades and marshes of southern Florida as this is very similar to its natural habitats of southeast Asia. Nicole Forsgren as she wrote “Burmese pythons are apex predators that have a broad diet and can take large prey.”(Forsgren, 2024).  Being such It serves as a big hazard for many different mammals, birds, and reptiles causing a direct decline in populations, the animals it hunts have no specialization for dealing with a snake that is primarily a constrictor. The way constricting snakes hunt is by first biting their prey and then using the muscular build they have to wrap around any prey they've latched onto. They then essentially squeeze them to death, restricting airflow and even sometimes fracturing bones. 

The reason they are so dangerous is that they sit at the top of the food web with no natural checks and balances. This niche domination in turn causes an ecological imbalance that may lead to some species being victims of predation even to the extent of borderline extinction. 

The same could also be said for the Red lionfish. Not only do they pose a threat to the fish of their ecosystem but also to the people that happen to swim in their waters, Lionfish are  poisonous and they transfer that poison via the many spines and spikes they are adorned with creating a sort of mane hence the name. The poison is known to cause swelling, intense pain, nausea, heart palpitations and temporary paralysis all of which is Incredibly painful . They don't simply pose a threat to humans though. As stated by the florida fish and wildlife conservation commission  “Lionfish are a predatory reef fish. They eat native fish, which can reduce native populations and have negative effects on the overall reef habitat and health as they can eliminate species that serve important ecological roles such as fish that keep algae in check on the reefs.”(FF&WCC,2025) With this being the case, the coral systems of the reefs they inhabit are dependent on many fish to eat away algae that's overgrown in order to survive. The lionfish being as voracious as dangerous is over consuming these species of fish to an extent that natural repopulation and reproduction can not keep up with. This may seem like a very small thing but reef ecosystems are one of the most fragile, the reef provides shelter and food for a plethora of different animals and if it were to be destroyed or disappear that could mean the complete death of that ecosystem. The reality is that without people keeping these animal populations low and making active efforts towards relocation they would wreak havoc to Florida's biosphere.

What is being done now and what people think 
So what's being done now? Although these animals are very hard to get rid of there's still hope yet. Many different organizations and government funded programs are working to relocate and solve these problems.  But the reliability of relocation alone is not enough; the public is urged to humanly kill them when seen. These actions are actually encouraged as the public's action on this matter is just as important as big companies. We can see this echoed by many organizations, one of which states “Partners use multiple techniques to control Burmese pythons and the State of Florida encourages the public to get involved if they are willing and able to humanely kill pythons”(Velasco, Exc,  2022). That citation is by the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service as they posted this information out to the public to help them with these efforts. Speaking of the general public, the education of exotic pet owners is crucial, many people buy these animals for their own personal entertainment and sometimes for content as many content creators specialize in collecting exotic animals such as YouTuber “Florida Exotic fish sales”. Although many people agree that invasive species are a danger to the environment, some see no problem with bringing these animals into Florida and may argue that the pleasure of entertainment and the thrill of owning such species is worth the risks they pose. As previously mentioned some rely on these creatures for content purposes so that they can make a living but in this case the cons far outweigh any monetary benefits anyone could gain from using these animals in that facet. That fact needs to be taught in Communities and state wide because it's not just affecting them individually, it's affecting everyone.

Conclusion 
 When considering all things discussed, the importance of proper ecological balance is surely apparent. When left unchecked these invasive species could ruin entire ecosystems and leave long lasting effects. Many, so big  they affect even  humans in a detrimental way, no doubt environmental conservation efforts should be supported in order to keep them under control.  

Florida is a beautiful state known for its beauty and abundant biodiversity &  landscapes so let's work to keep it that way now and for generations to come by expanding relocation efforts and changing laws making it harder to bring these species to Florida in the first place. Eliminating the issue from the root is the best way to address it.