Reef for One and Reef for All by Isabelle Paruzel-Gibson
- Little Thoughts Press
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
Reef for One, and Reef for All.
by Isabelle Paruzel-Gibson
When most people think about supporting their community, they likely imagine helping an elderly across the street or picking up litter. Those are both great ideas but, have you thought about helping life below the surface? I’m talking about the underwater life that lives on earth.
One of the many ways of making a positive impact is lionfish hunting. People are always saying fishing isn’t good for the environment, but in this case, hunting lionfish protects it. Lionfish are invasive in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Atlantic, just not in the Red Sea, where they are native.
Since lionfish are invasive in so many parts of the world they take over reefs and warm waters. They have spines all along their backs that they use to inject venom into their victims. The venom is very painful and paralyzes the fish it stings, making it easier to catch and eat. This is all part of the food chain but lionfish reproduce quickly, and have no natural predators, making them harmful to the ecosystem.
Lionfish also eat very important native fish. For example, some native fish eat algae but if their population decreases, the algae damages the coral reefs, which are homes for many fish. Lionfish hunters reduce the negative impact lionfish make by hunting them and controlling their population. The hunters do it in a safe and secure way so that they don’t get hurt themselves.
One lionfish hunter takes things even further. Her name is Lisette. She lives in Curacao where she is both a diver and a conservationist. To hunt the lionfish, Lisette uses a machine called the zookeeper. It keeps the hunter safe by trapping the lionfish inside. After hunting the lionfish, she freezes them, and removes their spines to make these fish safe to eat.
Lisette makes many delicious dishes with lionfish meat like tacos and dumplings! She even opened a modern-day restaurant to share her dishes with the community. What’s even more interesting is that her restaurant doesn’t only sell fish. She also takes the spines of the lionfish and turns them into jewelry! Again, the spines don’t have the venom in them any more at that point.
In that wonderful restaurant and jewelry store, she also teaches people about lionfish, how to cook them, and how to catch them. That's how I know all about them! I went there in 2024. But, Lisette lives in Curacao so you have to fly there if you live in Canada or the USA!
Isn’t all that amazing? After greatly benefiting the underwater ecosystem, lionfish hunters like Lisette also support local communities by cooking the lionfish and educating people about this species. By controlling the lionfish population, hunters protect coral reefs and native fish species, which makes sure that all fish can enjoy the coral reefs.
Isabelle Paruzel-Gibson, a 10-year-old writer from Burlington, Ontario, Canada, has been passionate about storytelling since the age of five. She finds joy in crafting stories that transport readers to new and imaginative worlds. Isabelle’s dedication to her craft recently earned her a place in the Stirring Words issue of Little Thoughts Press, where her story, "Perfectly Imperfect," was published.
Your story, “Reef for One and Reef for All” is so informative! Thank you for bringing attention to Lisette and the important work of managing invasive species. Growing our knowledge of the specific concerns and issues that communities in different parts of the world are facing is so helpful to broadening our understanding of how we can work together for a better future. In your piece here, you’ve shared with readers an issue facing the natural habitats in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Atlantic waterways, and the work that is being done in Curacao to combat it. What about in your local community? Are there any specific local issues that you would like to bring attention to and individuals, organizations or other community helpers that you’d like to shout out and celebrate?
What a great question! Many organizations around my community and I’m sure yours too, are great for the environment, helping it be sustainable and tending to some of the more pressing matters of humanity! One of those problems is world hunger, which is now very widespread in Africa and South Asia! Even one person at a time helping the world be a better place makes a great impact! For example, someone on my street opened a food drive to help those in need. From late October to early November this Halloween-themed food drive encourages people to reach out a helping hand. During all of fall and even when you're trick-or-treating, you can stop by to donate canned goods, helping people from all around the community!
What is your favorite topic to study in school?
I love this question! As a writer I have obviously always been very attached to writing and creating new and exciting stories for others! However, language is not the only subject that I love. Math is a completely different subject that I’m drawn to. I enjoy solving problems in many different ways! But if someone were to ask me what my top three favorite subjects are, art would round out the three.
What is the most interesting thing you recently learned?
This is a very hard question! Since our brains take in hundreds of pieces of information every day this question has many answers! One very interesting fact that I learned at the shark exhibit in the Royal Ontario Museum, is that some sharks are bioluminescent, which means they can glow in the dark! Such sharks include the lantern shark and kitefin shark. Wouldn’t it be cool if humans could just glow at will?
What book are you currently reading or read most recently? Would you recommend this book to other readers?
Well, since I love most books, I’m constantly reading. But some books stand out to me more than others! One of those books is Faker by Gordan Korman! This book highlights the fact that not all main characters are super heroes and can get up to no good! Not just kids, but adults can too! My second favourite book is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! This book is very magical and is full of surprises, which almost always leave me speechless!
Our Better Together issue is all about community and people working together to make the world a better place. What actions, big or small, do you suggest fellow kids take to help the world?
This is another tricky question! Since nothing can be perfect, I doubt that the world ever will be, but we can all help out so that little by little the world becomes a better place. I encourage kids to join clubs or teams that affect the environment positively or help your community become closer! Such as picking up garbage or volunteering at retirement homes! You could also do small acts like turning off the tap when you're not using it or turning off the light when you leave the room. Every small positive act helps the world little by little!