2023-09-01 00:55:58
Various investigations carried out by the Marine Biology Laboratory of the University of Seville (US) have warned of the “uncontrolled and unprecedented worldwide” expansion of the Asian alga —Rugulopteryx okamurae— that it is having a “very significant impact” on the native species of the coastal seabed and the fishing fleet of the Strait of Gibraltar.
The studies reflect the need to “adopt urgent measures aimed at controlling the species and preventing it from settling in areas that are not yet colonized”
In a statement, the US has indicated that the studies reflect the need to “adopt urgent measures aimed at controlling the species and preventing it from settling in areas that are not yet colonized.” This is how he manifests it Professor of Marine Biology José Carlos García that together with his team he has been studying this species for years, which arrived in Ceuta for the first time in 2015, the year in which more than 5,000 tons of the invasive algae were removed from its beaches thrown by the sea.
Early detection of invasive alien species
“There is no efficient eradication system on site of the alga and its expansion is out of control. We have a very serious problem and it is necessary to work in a coordinated manner, in the implementation of a large international network of sentinel stations that allow, among other objectives, the early detection of exotic species with invasive potential to eradicate them early“he points out.
The detection of invasive alien species is frequently carried out in ports or surrounding areas because they usually arrive attached to the hulls of ships, and that is where their eradication must be carried out, before they leave the port, where their proliferation, if it is is triggered, it will be impossible to stop
It is not known with certainty how said algae reached the coasts of the Strait and where it was first installed. The professor explained that the detection of invasive alien species is frequently carried out in ports or surrounding areas because they usually arrive attached to the hulls of ships, and “it is there that their eradication must be carried out, before they leave the port, where its proliferation, if it triggers, will be impossible to stop”.
the seaweed, originally from Japangenerally settles on rocks and is spreading across the eastern Atlantic, through the west African coast, the Canary Islands, the Portuguese islands and the Portuguese mainland coast. The Spanish Mediterranean coast is “literally invaded” from the Strait of Gibraltar to Almeríaas well as other areas further north including the coast of Marseille, already in France.
circular economy
The “uncontrolled” expansion of the alga entails “serious consequences” for native marine ecosystems in which species such as hedgehogs, musselsstarfish, corals and sponges, which need to settle on rocky soils and are displaced by the “capacity to conquer space” of the algae, creating a lawn at the bottom, hoarding the resources and capturing the available nutrients that allow it to very fast growth.
Sea urchins, mussels, starfish, corals and sponges need to settle on rocky soils and are displaced by the algae’s “space conquest capacity”, creating a turf at the bottom, hoarding the resources and capturing the available nutrients that allow a very fast growth
“In all the seaweed invasions there is an initial phase of explosive nature of the algae and it becomes abundant, but over time the native ecosystem is reorganized and, in the end, it ends up stopping its excessive expansion, even reducing it, and accepting it as one more species, but without being so abundant. We have other invaders in the Strait, they are there and they have their space, but with the Asian algae, eight years after their arrival, there is no symptom of ecosystem controlas has been observed in other invasive macroalgae”, says the professor.
Currently, US studies are in a scientific phase aimed at know the strengths and weaknesses of the speciesto help study how to deal with it and to find methods of recycling and use that allow to value the accumulation of algae in some productive activity that involves the business cleaning of the beaches at no cost to municipalities.
With the algae, fertilizers could be produced from different techniques of compostingobtaining biogasproducts cosmetics or to manufacture shoe soles and laces, lines of work already undertaken by an expert from the Ifapa and the CSIC
“With the algae, fertilizers from different composting techniques, obtaining biogas, cosmetic products or to manufacture shoe soles and laceslines of work already undertaken by experts from the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training (Ifapa), the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and other universities, as well as by independent associations in the field of circular economy”, concludes the professor.
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