WHAT IS A MARINE INVASIVE SPECIES YOU ASK?

GREETINGS AND GOOD DAY my fellow bloggers and readers I AM BACK AGAIN. Last time we met I had introduced my topic to you and now with its continuation. 

   Today i would like to give you an insight to what, MARINE INVASIVE SPECISES are and describe one of the many species out in our deep blue waters. Marine Invasive Species are plants and aquatic animals that evolved in one location and are introduced through a variety of means into another location. Be it swimming or attaching itself to ride on a log, leaf, coconut, ships, and another organisms these Species have found new worlds in which to prosper. An invasive, or non-native, Marine species can be any organism that exists somewhere in water where it doesn't belong. When an alien species like this arrives in a new location, several things can happen: It can find its new habitat unwelcoming and die off; it can survive with little environmental impact; or it can take over, harming the naturally existing wildlife it was introduced to in a variety of ways.

   Invasive species that thrive in its new environment usually do so because their new habitat lacks natural predators to regulate their population. They do damage mainly by consuming native species, competing with them for food and space.

  One notorious example I would like to bring to your attention today is the zebra mussel and no they are not fast like the actual Zebra we have on land and was given its name by its stripes on it's shell.

 

IMAGE OF ZEBRA MUSSELS

  This species was accidentally introduced by a cargo ship into the North American Great Lakes from the Black Sea in 1988. The tiny mollusk reproduced uncontrollably as a result this caused the starving out many of the Great Lakes' native mussel populations and meddling with human structures such as factory pipes to ship rudders. They have now spread from Canada to Mexico and are considered a major nuisance species. This causes millions of dollars to be used for the control of this species yearly. Now isn’t that a problem. :O

  The Zebra mussels are small, fingernail-sized animals that attach to solid surfaces in water. Adults are 1/4 to 1-1/2 inches long and have D-shaped shells, often with alternating yellow and brownish coloured stripes. Female zebra mussels can produce 100,000 to 500,000 eggs per year. This is a fast rate at which these grow meaning if you were to even remove some one female could make close to half a million more in just a mere 365 days.

 IMAGE OF LARGE AMOUNT OF ZEBRA MUSSEL

  Well that wraps up this week’s post folks. I hope you found this species interesting and come back for more next week when we talk about ways in which to help curb and control the spread of the Zebra Mussels. And many more to come.