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The seabed is growing off the coast of Maine as temperatures in the Gulf of Maine increase steadily. They may look cute, but they could cause a "gigantic size problem," warned researchers at the University of New Hampshire (UNH).
The population of marine invertebrates resembling capsules – also called tunicates – has increased rapidly in recent years and is beginning to eliminate other organisms essential to the ocean ecosystem.
"They have a record year this year. They compete with the algae and [other organisms] Downstairs, "Larry Harris, professor of Zoology at the UNH, said Thursday at the Bangor Daily News.
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With an estimated temperature increase of around 4 ° C over the next few years, the number of invasive species, particularly Didemnum vexillum and Botrylloides violaceus, could double, according to a UNH study released in February. .
"Over the past decade, their populations have spread more to the northeast at places like Eastport, Maine, where today there are much larger colonies than before, and these colonies have also spread to natural substrates, such as rocks and algae, "said Jennifer Dijkstra. Research assistant professor at the School of Ocean Sciences and Ocean Engineering of the UNH's Center for Mapping the Coasts and Oceans, said in an online statement at the time.
Sea squirts are booming off the coast of Maine.
(Jennifer Dijkstra / UNH)
Sea snails are 2-inch-long organisms that tend to live in tufts, sticking to coral reefs, seaweeds and other objects found near the bottom of the ocean, says online. program of Chesapeake Bay. Their nickname comes from the way they feed: they suck water through one of their siphons, filter food particles, and then dump waste through another siphon.
"Like many invasive species, once settled in an area, it's hard to get rid of them," said UNH, pointing out that they were using a "glue-like substance" to attach themselves firmly to "any surface".
They have been around since the 1980s, but sea scientists are worried about the ravages they could cause in Maine if their population continues to grow. They think in particular that the species could harm the local oyster activity.
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"If they invade the nets, they smother the oysters inside the nets," Harris explained.
Rhian Waller, an associate professor at the Darling Marine Center, acknowledged that marine ascents are increasingly problematic.
"They are becoming more and more dominant in many mid-cost ecosystems – especially on the lines, docks, canals and buoys left in the water for a given period of time," Waller told Bangor. Daily News. Larvae settle quickly and grow quickly [they] exclude other organizations, using all the space needed for other organizations to settle. "
"They have a record year this year."
So what is the solution?
At the moment, the shipping experts say that there is not much to do.
"Once they are well established, there is nothing left to do," said Harris.
Researchers will need to continue studying yellow-orange blobs to understand how to prevent population growth.
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