Dennis Rabeling, Lanzarote, Kanarischen Inseln
Info
The Mediterranean Sea is a hotspot for the introduction of non-native species, which enter the Mediterranean either from the eastern Atlantic via the Strait of Gibraltar or via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal (Lessepsian migrants).
Rugulopteryx okamurae was probably introduced into the Thau lagoon on the Mediterranean coast of France through the aquaculture of the Japanese oyster Magallana gigas.
This species of algae will have made its way in the ballast tank of a cargo ship; worldwide, 12,000,000,000 tons of ballast water are released into the environment every year.
One thing is clear: the algae has come to hijack the Mediterranean ecosystem. It grows everywhere, even on the bodies of sea cucumbers, and reproduces rapidly, both asexually via spore formation and sexually via gamete formation – a veritable plague!
Within a few years, this algae has conquered almost the entire Mediterranean; only Greek waters have not yet reported any sightings.
Unfortunately, it is no longer uncommon to see accumulations of washed-up algae that have suffocated all life on rocky reefs and, when the wind blows, cause an unbearable stench of decay in ports and on beaches.
The fishing industry in the Mediterranean is lamenting extreme declines in fish catches, with the algae regularly filling the nets.
Dilkamural: A new type of chemical weapon used against the algae in the Strait of Gibraltar.
Further measures:
Removing floating algae before it reaches the coast is crucial, as this prevents the spread of highly invasive, photosynthetically active fragments.
Unfortunately, it is likely that Rugulopteryx okamurae cannot be eradicated, but measures such as removing floating algae biomass could help limit the spread of this invasive species.
This species has no natural predators, which is a key factor in its rapid growth and spread.
The invasive potential of Rugulopteryx okamurae is greatly enhanced by its ability to reattach its floating fragments to substrates, enabling rapid spread to new areas.
New in the fight against the algae is Dilkamural, a novel chemical weapon being tested on the invasive algae in the Strait of Gibraltar.
The limpet Patella ferruginea and the worm snail Dendropoma petraeum, both protected species because they are endemic to the south coast of Spain (nowhere else in the world), could become extinct.
Useful algae such as the kelp Laminaria achroleuca and Gelidium spinosum, both producers of alginate, are disappearing from the Strait of Gibraltar.
https://www.firmm.org/de/news/artikel/items/rugulopterix-okamurae-oder-wie-oekosysteme-kippen
These are the most harmful species among the ten most invasive species reported in the Mediterranean
Caulerpa cylindracea Sonder, 1845
Caulerpa taxifolia (M.Vahl) C.Agardh, 1817
Womersleyella setacea (Hollenberg) R.E.Norris, 1992
Asparagopsis armata Harvey, 1855
The impact on flora and fauna in the Mediterranean will be epic, causing massive damage to the economy and costing vast sums of money to combat the algae!
Synonyms:
Dictyota marginata Okamura, 1913 · unaccepted (synonym)
Dictyota okamurae (E.Y. Dawson) Hörnig, R.Schnetter & Prud'homme van Reine, 1993 · unaccepted (synonym)
Dilophus marginatus (Okamura) Okamura, 1915 · unaccepted (synonym)
Dilophus okamurae E.Y.Dawson, 1950 · unaccepted (synonym)
Rugulopteryx okamurae was probably introduced into the Thau lagoon on the Mediterranean coast of France through the aquaculture of the Japanese oyster Magallana gigas.
This species of algae will have made its way in the ballast tank of a cargo ship; worldwide, 12,000,000,000 tons of ballast water are released into the environment every year.
One thing is clear: the algae has come to hijack the Mediterranean ecosystem. It grows everywhere, even on the bodies of sea cucumbers, and reproduces rapidly, both asexually via spore formation and sexually via gamete formation – a veritable plague!
Within a few years, this algae has conquered almost the entire Mediterranean; only Greek waters have not yet reported any sightings.
Unfortunately, it is no longer uncommon to see accumulations of washed-up algae that have suffocated all life on rocky reefs and, when the wind blows, cause an unbearable stench of decay in ports and on beaches.
The fishing industry in the Mediterranean is lamenting extreme declines in fish catches, with the algae regularly filling the nets.
Dilkamural: A new type of chemical weapon used against the algae in the Strait of Gibraltar.
Further measures:
Removing floating algae before it reaches the coast is crucial, as this prevents the spread of highly invasive, photosynthetically active fragments.
Unfortunately, it is likely that Rugulopteryx okamurae cannot be eradicated, but measures such as removing floating algae biomass could help limit the spread of this invasive species.
This species has no natural predators, which is a key factor in its rapid growth and spread.
The invasive potential of Rugulopteryx okamurae is greatly enhanced by its ability to reattach its floating fragments to substrates, enabling rapid spread to new areas.
New in the fight against the algae is Dilkamural, a novel chemical weapon being tested on the invasive algae in the Strait of Gibraltar.
The limpet Patella ferruginea and the worm snail Dendropoma petraeum, both protected species because they are endemic to the south coast of Spain (nowhere else in the world), could become extinct.
Useful algae such as the kelp Laminaria achroleuca and Gelidium spinosum, both producers of alginate, are disappearing from the Strait of Gibraltar.
https://www.firmm.org/de/news/artikel/items/rugulopterix-okamurae-oder-wie-oekosysteme-kippen
These are the most harmful species among the ten most invasive species reported in the Mediterranean
Caulerpa cylindracea Sonder, 1845
Caulerpa taxifolia (M.Vahl) C.Agardh, 1817
Womersleyella setacea (Hollenberg) R.E.Norris, 1992
Asparagopsis armata Harvey, 1855
The impact on flora and fauna in the Mediterranean will be epic, causing massive damage to the economy and costing vast sums of money to combat the algae!
Synonyms:
Dictyota marginata Okamura, 1913 · unaccepted (synonym)
Dictyota okamurae (E.Y. Dawson) Hörnig, R.Schnetter & Prud'homme van Reine, 1993 · unaccepted (synonym)
Dilophus marginatus (Okamura) Okamura, 1915 · unaccepted (synonym)
Dilophus okamurae E.Y.Dawson, 1950 · unaccepted (synonym)
