Search Results for invasion
Japan Battles Echizen Invasion...Again!
Every year, Japan battles Echizen invasions. And this year is no exception: the giant jellyfish -- which can grow 4 to 6 feet in diameter and weigh up to 400 pounds -- are back. In fact, while the invasion typically begins in September, this year environmental factors caused the animals to arrive a month earlier. In addition to providing ethereal (and frightening) experiences for divers caught in the middle of an Echizen swarm, the jellyfish frustrate local fishermen who find the giant animals tangled in their nets. The reason for the invasions is unclear, although some researchers blame China's exorbitant nutrient run-off; the environmental re-configuaration that is the Three Gorges Dam; overfishing; and the stalwart whipping boy, global warming.
Rather than place blame, though, Japan is proposing a joint-research effort with China and South Korea to get a grip on these waterborne monsters. Meanwhile, Japanese chefs are developing jellyfish dishes -- ranging from tofu to ice cream -- and some farmers have ...
Volunteers Sought to Remove Invasive Kelp in Monterey
The City of Monterey (California) is seeking volunteers, divers and land lubbers alike, to monitor and remove Undaria pinnatifida, an invasive kelp species. This brown kelp originated in Japan and grows quickly on ropes, boat hulls, and other marine structures. The project is on-going with two dives per month between 9 AM and noon. Divers get free air fills. The project doesn't appear to require advanced scuba certifications although prior experience is desired. This is an excellent opportunity for beginning (but not newbie) and intermediate divers to improve their skills without the barrier of numerous pre-requisites. I should mention these statements are my opinion, not that of the City. From a personal perspective, my diving skills improved vastly when I was a volunteer for (non-invasive) kelp restoration. Has anyone participated in this project and like to comment on the experience? ...
Japan Fights Invasion of Giant Echizen Jellyfish
For the past few years, Japan has dealt with invasions of giant Echizen jellyfish -- a.k.a., Nomura's jellyfish -- which can grow up to 6 feet in diameter and weigh up to 120 pounds. In the summer of 2005, for example, every day 300 million to 500 million Echizen jellyfish were flowing into the Sea of Japan. In an effort to contain the invasions, Japan has begun setting up observation stations, providing forecasts on jellyfish plagues, and installing nets fitted with special knives intended to slice the jellyfish to bits. The only solution, however, seems to be to contain the source of the plague. And what is the source? Some Japanese are looking to their neighbor: China.
In December 2005, researchers from Japan, China and South Korea met in Shanghai to discuss the plagues. At the conference, a Japanese researcher suggested that the plagues originated in the coastal areas of China and were triggered by eutrophication -- the process by which a body of water becomes enriched ...
Divers Weed Out Invasive Species By Hand
If you've been struggling to combine the two seemingly unrelated hobbies of gardening and diving, then I might have a solution for you. The University of California's Exotics and Invasive Pests and Diseases Research Program has shown that the yellowish-brown Sargassum muticum -- an invasive, quickly-growing seaweed capable of killing off indigenous species, reproducing within the first year of its life, and self-fertilizing -- can be slowed by...hand-weeding.
Sargassum -- a.k.a., "wireweed" -- forms dense stands, competes for space and light, and reduces nutrients available for native kelp species. In addition to screwing up the environment for other kelp, it annoys humans, as well: it fouls propellers, nets, and fishing lines. Chemical herbicides have been unsuccessful due to lack of selectivity and the large doses required for complete eradication.
According to researchers Jeffrey Goddard and Carol Blanchette, by sending divers to Sargassum -infested areas three times a year, "before the seaweed could ...
Hawaii's Super Sucker Vacuums Up Invasive Algae
Since the 1970s, Hawaii's Kaneohe Bay has been plagued by a type of invasive algae that has
been weighing down and suffocating the coral reef. The algae's scientific name is Gracilaria salicornia, but
it's commonly known as gorilla ogo.
In order to remove the dangerous algae without harming the delicate coral, a 13-foot-by-25-foot barge has been
converted into a gigantic underwater vacuum cleaner. The barge -- called the Super Sucker -- has a long pump attached to it
that sucks water and algae from the bay and spits it out onto the barge's deck. Obviously, the water is returned to the
ocean, but the boat retains the algae. Taking a year to develop, the pump is so effective it can remove 800 pounds
of algae each hour -- which is equivalent to 150 volunteers and 10 divers. ...
Dive the HMS Brisbane
The last time I wrote about Australia’s Whitsundays, it was in reference to the Crown of Thorns Starfish invasion. After reading this piece, I believe the Whitsundays will soon be experiencing another invasion, but of a much different kind: scuba divers.
This week, the 330-foot HMS Brisbane was scuttled off the Whitsundays near Mooloolaba, near the northeast corner of the country. After its sinking, divers inspected the ship and reported finding in sitting “dead bolt upright” in about 75 feet of water. It sounds like a perfect wreck dive. In researching Mooloolaba, I learned that Scuba World is the closest dive center to Australia’s newest reef. Only a 20-minute boat ride away, $90 gets you a two-tank dive. ...
Jellyfish Waning
Beachgoers earlier this year were tormented by the presence of a massive jellyfish invasion that made hanging out in the water a stingful experience. But the jellyfish bloom appears to be dying down, according to this report. The gelatinous creatures have caused big problems this year. At Huntington Beach alone lifeguards have treated over 5,000 cases of jellyfish injuries this summer, although now they are saying there have been fewer incidents. That said, divers have enjoyed the jelly-vasion, rhapsodizing in the deeps as they are surrounded by the ghostly creatures. ...
Lionfish Invading the Caribbean?
When I first started reading this article about lionfish and their introduction into the Caribbean, I rejoiced, because it seemed that the author was blaming their invasive-ness on Hurricane Andrew rather than on humans. Whew, finally! We’re off the hook for something! However, further reading proved that Andrew either destroyed aquaria, or people thought it’d be a good idea to release these fish into the oceans. Thus: it was us, after all.Anyway, all finger-pointing aside, it seems that lionfish populations in the Caribbean are on the rise. Although usually found in the Indo-Pacific, divers and fishermen have found several of these venomous, foot-long predators in Caribbean waters. Considering they are (a) dangerous; and (b) have no natural predators, their introduction in the area might be harmful, especially for local fish populations that don’t have a clue how to compete with them for food. Who knows? In a few decades we might be diving in the Caribbean and seeing only lionfish. Although ...
Could Overfishing Lead to Jellyfish Explosions?
Recently, we told you about Japan's ordeal with invasions of giant Echizen jellyfish -- a.k.a., Nomura's jellyfish. "Invasion" is certainly an appropraite word, too, as last summer, hundreds of millions of the creatures flowed into the Sea of Japan each day. Although some Japanese researchers blame the problem on China's nutrient run-off, it's possible there's another (familiar) culprit: overfishing.
Scientists in Scotland have blamed heavy fishing for an "explosion" in jellyfish in the Benguela Current that flows past Namibia in the South Atlantic Ocean. Put simply, Andrew Brierley, head of the pelagic ecology research group at the University of Saint Andrews, has proclaimed, "Because fish and jellyfish essentially compete for similar food resources, a dramatic decline in fish populations could theoretically contribute to a substantial increase in the abundance of jellyfish."
From what I've read, no scientists have posited that Japan's jellyfish problem has been caused by overfishing. I'm not suggesting ...
Is Seaweed the Answer to Global Warming?
Japanese researchers are studying the viability of building a seaweed plantation to simultaneously absorb carbon dioxide and produce biofuel. They plan to place 100 floating fishing nets in the Pacific Ocean, each measuring 10 kilometers by 10 kilometers. Seaweed (such as sea grape, which can grow 60 feet a year) will grow on the nets. Certain types of seaweeds are considered dangerously invasive. While the plantation sounds ambitious -- and a novel solution to a global problem -- I wonder if environmental concerns will end the plan. ...
Strange Days on Planet Earth
National Geographic’s Strange Days on Planet Earth begins this Wednesday. Hosted by Ed Norton, this four-part award-winning PBS documentary covers invasive species, global warming, predators, and ocean life (to include discussions on beluga whales and the Great Barrier Reef). PBS’s website has some interactive quizzes to test your knowledge of the earth, and provides a pollution scorecard, based on your zip code. Prepare your TiVos for the series. We shall reconvene to discuss at a later date.
If you're interested, I found an interesting interview with Mark Shelley, the show's uber-cool producer. Neat job. I bet he leaps out of bed in the mornings. ...
Mmm...Jellyfish Cookies
We've reported previously on the truly giant Echizen jellyfish that invade Japan each year. Although local fishermen, environmental officers, and coastal clean-up crews are sobbing over the daily appearance of hundreds of the giant, flimsy animals, local chefs are giddy for the invasion. For sushi-lovers in particular, Echizen invasions are wondrous, bountiful affairs -- especially considering one jelly can weigh up to 400 pounds. That's a lot of jellyfish rolls!
Meanwhile, in Obama, Japan, some people have begun taking jellyfish cooking classes at the local Culinary Culture Center. One woman, Toshiko Komatsu, teaches the curious how to prepare raw jellyfish, preserved in salt, and served Chinese-style with cucumber and vinegar soy sauce or served with plum sauce. Although I think it sounds good, not everybody likes raw fish, though, so...
...if you have a sweet tooth, maybe you'd be more interested in jellyfish cookies. Evidently, some clever Japanese cooks have developed a method for converting jellyfish ...
Zebra Mussel = Unstoppable Foe?
Chlorine? Check.Copper sulfate? Check.
Freezing? Drying? Check, check.
Electrocution? Radio waves? Molluscicides? Check, check, check!
Evidently, nothing will kill the zebra mussel. Lurking in the waters of the 10-acre Millbrook Quarry near Haymarket, Virginia – a site popular with scuba divers – this pesky dime-sized mollusk is a potential environmental nightmare.
Biologists in the Great Lakes region, who have battled the dreaded zebra mussels since a 1988 invasion, have tried everything from chlorine to molluscicides to kill them. (I wonder if they've tried drowning them...?) Damage estimates in the region have reached as high as $5 billion annually. Although the Millbrook Quarry is contained, there are concerns that an unwitting scuba diver might serve as a vector and transport a mollusk outside the quarry. If allowed to spread into the natural waterways of Alexandria/Washington D.C., the mussels could potentially block and pollute the water supply to millions of residents. ...
Alien Seaweed Taking Over Hawaii?
Well, not exactly the extraterrestrial kind, but still...
The algae Hypnea musciformis, also
known as hookweed, came
to Hawaii in 1974 from Florida
for farming purposes. However, after an attempt at commercial cultivation
failed, the algae was abandoned in Kaneohe
Bay. Guess that was a bad idea.
Now, 31 years later, the seaweed has spread throughout the island nation,
choking reefs, sliming beaches, and even reaching the remote, heretofore unspoiled Northwestern
Hawaiian Islands.
According to Isabella Abbott, Hawaii’s
top seaweed expert, if there is a lot of Hypnea
in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, then “we're going to have to do something drastic
like mount a campaign to go up there and haul it out of the ocean.” To that end,
NOAA researchers are undergoing a 10-day mission to measure the extent of the
species’ invasion throughout the Islands. I wonder if
they would be interested in a blogger to document their findings and report on
the diveability of the ...
Australian Dive Companies Killing 150 Crown of Thorn Starfish Daily
We mentioned that Australia was dealing with an invasion of Crown of Thorn Starfish, 10- to 20-armed, coffee-table-sized behemoths. Weighing as much as 170 pounds, the COTS devour any coral they can find. This week, the Australian government green-lighted a $600,000 initiative to get rid of them, and dive companies claim to be killing COTS at a rate of 150 each day. The Australian dive association’s Col Mackenzie says the major reefs should be free of the pest within 18 months, although he claims it’s “Very hard to work with [the COTS,] because we've got to be careful we don't break the coral as well.” Research suggests that individual injections or literally hacking the starfish in pieces seem to be the most useful eradication techniques, but the news pieces I’ve read haven’t explained exactly what measures the dive companies are using.
[Via Dive Photo Guide] ...
