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Destructive Alien Species Being Transported Around the World by Sea
The world's shipping industry is destroying delicate ecosystems by unwittingly transporting alien species across the world, according to environmentalists.
The majority of the world's freight is transported by sea, with more and more ships taking goods to developing countries like India and China.
The hull of Ericsson 4 is hauled out of the water for maintenance work at a local wharf on Wednesday Dec. 24, 2008 in Singapore where they ended the third leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. Participants in the Volvo Ocean Race are currently taking tests from waters around the world to gauge the scale of the problem. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) However the cargo ships are unwittingly transporting larvae and tiny organisms that could cause damage to other species. This is because cargo ships take up water for ballast once they have discharged their load. When they arrive at the new destination the water is dumped - along with any living stowaways on board.
Over the years ships have transported comb jellyfish from the US to the Black Sea, where they have decimated fish stocks. The European green crab has caused problems in the US and Australia and Asian kelp has caused havoc in New Zealand, Europe and Argentina.
In the UK the Chinese mitten crab and European zebra mussel are just some of the invasive maritime species transported by sea threatening native species.
It is estimated that up to 10 billion tonnes of ballast water is transferred globally each year.
Participants in the Volvo Ocean Race are currently taking tests from waters around the world to gauge the scale of the problem.
Friends of the Earth say it is a "ticking time bomb" that could cause serious damage to major ecosystems beneath the waves. Although many of the organisms transported are very small it can have a knock-on effect that damages the fish stock and ultimately other life - including humans - that rely on the sea.
The International Maritime Organisation is calling on every country in the world to sign up to the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments that would require ships coming into port to clean the ballast before entering.
So far 60 countries have signed up - but not the UK.
Jim Fitzpatrick, the shipping minister, said the Government was supportive of the idea and working hard to improve the situation.
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This is new? Cripes, ships have been distributing exotic species for centuries. E.g.:
- rats
- zebra mussel
- Chinese mitten crab
- comb jellyfish
- spionid tubeworm
- American razor clam
- seastars
etc, etc, etc
And sailors have been extremely effective in spreading:
- syphilis
- herpes
- tuberculosis
plus hundreds of other bio-agents, to the extent of almost eliminating some indigenous peoples.
Too bloody late to poke the genii back into the bottle, eh?
No, it's not new at all, just accelerating like everything else.
Destructive Alien Species Being Transported Around the World by Sea
**yes
Humans
something has to be done about them.
"Alien Species"? Life outside of planet earth discovered? Do they have the proper immigration documents? No? Then they must be Illegal Aliens!
I have seen it myself. I like diving and sticking my head under the water.
In Italy and France I saw a sea grass which has overwhelmed and wiped out what used to be the local ecosystem. That species was introduced by exotic fish collectors flushing their aquarium water down the toilet. It's well known and studied, having virally taken over much of the Mediteranean Coast and decimating fish populations years ago. The view under water is that of a rocky golf putting green, devoid of most any life except grass.
In the US, on Catalina Island, part of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary off the California Coast, I recently encountered an alien animal that literally appeared to be a tiny walking seaweed monster. Hundreds of them crawling on my wetsuit. 30 miles from the Port of Los Angeles. My father and I have never seen this species before in our consecutive 50 years of diving that location. We believe it may be from Indonesia.
from the National Park Service website:
"Did You Know?
Channel Islands National Park has more endangered species that only exist within this park than any other unit of the National Park Service. This means that survival of these plants and animals depends entirely on our ability to protect and restore the habitat of the five park islands."
I agree with WTF, the genie bottle is cracked wide open.
Fake Democracy,
Did you ever identify the "tiny walking seaweed monster"? I was just diving to clean the hull of my sailboat (SF Bay, Redwood City), and came up with hundreds of things on my wetsuit and BC that fit your description. They hang on tight, using a hose to rinse off doesn't remove them. The way they walk and articulate is bizarre, and certainly looks alien. I've not been able to identify it yet... I'm guessing some type of tube worm, or young crustacean???
Yep that's them! They look like a tiny green fuzzy walking monster with no head. In a way they resemble those inflatable maniquens that car dealers put out on the corner to advertise with their arms waiving all around.
I haven't been able to identify them, but I'm going diving soon. This time I'll be sure to get some samples in a jar. Or maybe I can talk with the marine research center on the island and see if they know anything. I'm just assuming they come from a similar climate in Asia.. probably hitching a ride in the bilge water of container ships.
Sea monkeys?
Nope. The literally look like a smaller than a pencil eraser, branchy, fuzzy, green seaweed plant... until you see it get up and start walking around.
I finally think I've identified my alien creatures. Do a google search on images for Caprella mutica, if what you saw is different, I'm curious what it was that you saw...