Scientists map ship-borne invasive species

[Still Waters]

Scientists have developed the first global model that analyses the routes taken by marine invasive species.

The researchers examined the movements of cargo ships around the world to identify the hot spots where these aquatic aliens might thrive.

Marine species are taken in with ballast water on freighters and wreak havoc in new locations, driving natives to extinction.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...onment-22397076

[Keel M.]

I guess it would cost too much to filter the ballast water so that animals don't get sucked in...?

[Guest]

I guess it would cost too much to filter the ballast water so that animals don't get sucked in...?

Most will have a microscopic larval stage which will be all but impossible to filter out.

Its a devastating problem which has almost no easy solutions in the modern world.

Br Cornelius

[Ashotep]

How about heating the ballast water up to kill them. A lot of these invasive species are a big problem and their wiping out native species and something needs to be done before it gets worse.

[Abramelin]

Scientists have developed the first global model that analyses the routes taken by marine invasive species.

The researchers examined the movements of cargo ships around the world to identify the hot spots where these aquatic aliens might thrive.

Marine species are taken in with ballast water on freighters and wreak havoc in new locations, driving natives to extinction.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...onment-22397076

They forgot one... it's not inside the ship, but ON it:

Global invasive potential of the house crow Corvus splendens based on

ecological niche modelling

Arpad Nyari, Colin Ryall and A. Townsend Peterson

Although most

European occurrences are of vagrant birds and isolated

individual sightings, the growth of the small Hoek van

Holland population and establishment of a satellite

colony at den Haag in the Netherlands, the first cases

of the species breeding in a temperate climatic region, is

key in indicating the potentially broad tolerances of this

species, at least with human subsidy (Ryall 2002).

http://www.aseanbiodiversity.info/Abstract/51011620.pdf

What appears to be an INDIAN HOUSE CROW was photographed in an Edinburgh (Lothian) garden this past weekend (see attached photo). The location and further images of the bird are being sought.

This would be a British first if confirmed, although of course the species has occurred in Ireland. This is one ship-assisted vagrant that is fully acceptable on UK400 Club rulings, despite the fact that it is largely a sedentary species

http://uk400clubrarebirdalert.blogspot.nl/2010/07/apparent-house-crow-in-edinburgh.html

Shipping volumes (cargo and passenger vessels) between India/Middle

East/South Africa/NW Europe and the Risk Assessment Area are high. Records

of House Crows observed travelling aboard ships indicate that they do so in

relatively low numbers, i.e. one or a few birds (Ryall 1994, 2002). The volume of

movement of actual House Crows by ship-assisted transfer to the UK will,

therefore be minimal.

There are daily movements of ships (cargo and passenger vessels) between

ports at which the species occurs (including Rotterdam) and the Risk

Assessment Area. However, there is a very low chance of a bird/s travelling

onboard an individual ship. A relatively low frequency of movement of actual

House Crows to a particular area is illustrated by Ryall's (2002) records of >50

arrivals in Western Australia and Victoria since the 1920s and June 2000 -

equating to less than one arrival a year. The frequency of movement of actual

House Crows by ship-assisted transfer to the UK will, therefore, be very rare.

In the Risk Assessment Area there are a number of widely distributed major

ports receiving shipping from regions of the world occupied by the Indian House

Crow, e.g. Liverpool, Southampton and London. House Crows, however, have

been recorded at smaller ports, e.g. Dunmore East (small fishing port) in County

Waterford, Ireland (Mullarney et al . 2000). There are also ferry routes between

the site of the Dutch population of House Crows and ports on the east coast of

England - Hoek van Holland/Harwich and Rotterdam Europort/Hull. Records on

the distribution of the House Crow indicate that populations are largely restricted

to coastal areas (Bijlsma & Meininger 1984, Ryall 1994, 2002). Where there are

suitable resources, however, House Crows can also be found further inland (e.g.

Yemen, Ryall 1994; Utrecht, Netherlands, Ottens & Ryall 2003). House Crows

arriving at a UK port would have suitable resources either on the coast or further

inland.

Could establish during any month of the year. In the Netherlands, individual birds

have survived a series of winters, with temperatures as low as -8°C (Ryall 2002).

Could transfer very quickly from ship to shore. Would then quickly and easily

locate suitable foraging and roosting habitat.

http://home.tiscali.nl/demortel/RA_Corvus_splendens_(Indian_House-crow).pdf

As some will know, I don't mind at all, lol.

[skookum]

How about heating the ballast water up to kill them. A lot of these invasive species are a big problem and their wiping out native species and something needs to be done before it gets worse.

I would imagine they would have to be pretty hardy species. They will be in pitch black, in polluted ballast tanks with changing water temperatures and PH/salt levels for weeks on end.

They will probably be in there even longer as many shipping companies are giving longer ETA times as they slow their ships down to combat increasing fuel prices.

A filtering system would be easy to do, if needed.

[Doug1029]

How about heating the ballast water up to kill them. A lot of these invasive species are a big problem and their wiping out native species and something needs to be done before it gets worse.

Ballast water isn't the only problem: Dutch elm disease is known to have crossed the Atlantic eleven times on improperly cured lumber.

Doug

[spud the mackem]

The Great Plague of London was started by infected Black Rats seeking asylum in the U.K. from the continent.Nowadays its Humans that bring in all sorts of diseases due to Air travel.I was in an Airport Baggage Hall one day when I noticed this huge Flea on my shirt.Yuk.It didnt bite me but I felt dirty all day.

[spud the mackem]

In British Ports, if a rat or cockroach or other nasty is seen by anyone they are required to inform the Port Health Authority,and the ship is then fumigated.Watch out for green snakes in boxes of Bananas.