Saturday 23 February 2013

gelatinous creatures wash up and alien species invade



Weird News: Gelatinous sea creatures wash up in Washington
Associated Press
SEATTLE — The same gelatinous sea creatures that clogged the intake at California's Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant last spring have shown up this winter on the Washington coast, marine life experts say.The harmless jellyfish-like animals are called salps.They've been found by clam diggers and turned up in the pots of crab fishermen who have been asking what they are, said state Fish and Wildlife Department biologist Dan Ayres at Montesano.He hasn't seen them in more than 30 years and says their appearance now is unusual, but not alarming."I suspect these guys came from the deep ocean," Ayres said Wednesday. "Why they've been washed up is a question I can't answer."Salps are common in the blue water off Oregon and Washington, said Rick Brodeur, an oceanographer known as the "jellyfish person" at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Northwest Science Center in Newport, Ore.

Report tracks threats from Europe's alien invasion
By Mark Kinver Environment reporter, BBC News
Invasive alien species pose a greater risk to Europe's biodiversity, economy and human health than previously thought, a report has concluded.The European Environment Agency (EEA) has compiled a list of 28 invaders that highlight the range of threats facing ecosystems in the continent.Non-native species, such as food crops, can also be beneficial, the study adds.The reports have been published ahead of a high-level meeting at the European Parliament to discuss the issue.

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