Page 28 - AT

A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 22 January 2020
Experts say Med Sea altered by Suez Canal's invasive species

By ARON HELLER and ISABEL "Invasive species is a huge
DEBRE and nonspecific category,"
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — As said Moustafa Fouda, an
Egypt marks the 150th an- adviser to Egypt's environ-
niversary of the opening ment minister. "They can
of the Suez Canal, marine even be productive, re-
biologists are bemoaning placing species that are
one of the famed water- overfished, bringing eco-
way's lesser known legacies nomic benefits or simply
— the invasion of hundreds adapting to the new envi-
of non-native species, in- ronment."
cluding toxic jellyfish and He estimated that less than
aggressive lionfish. 5% of invaders could be re-
The canal, which connects garded as "disruptive" and
the Red Sea to the Mediter- that most of the shrimp,
ranean Sea, revolutionized mollusks, puffer fish and
maritime travel by creat- crabs caused no harm. He
ing a direct shipping route said even toxic invaders,
between the East and the such as lionfish, were edi-
West. But over the years, ble if their venomous spines
the invasive species have were removed.
driven native marine life Egyptian experts also de-
toward extinction and al- In this Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018 file photo, Lebanese fishermen sit at the bow of a fishing boat, in the nied the invasions resulted
tered the delicate Mediter- Mediterranean Sea as the sun sets, at Ramlet al-Baida public beach, in Beirut, Lebanon. directly from the Suez ex-
ranean ecosystem with po- Associated Press pansion. They argue that
tentially devastating con- rising water temperatures
sequences, scientists say. deepening of the canal Galil said half of all the Is- Lebanese scientists at the brought on by global
The influx has increased had created a "moving raeli fish intake — and all American University of Bei- warming and untreated
significantly since Egypt aquarium" of species that, the crustaceans — are now rut recently wrote that fail- ballast water discharged
doubled its capacity in if unchecked, could make of the invasive variety. ing to mitigate the eco- by cargo ships spurred the
2015 with the opening of coastal waters inhospitable With the "rolling invasion" logical risks associated with exotic arrivals.
the "The New Suez Canal," for humans. now reaching as far as the expansion of the Suez "Invasions are a global
raising alarm in Europe Galil said the number of Spain, European countries Canal would place a large trend due to pollution and
and sparking criticism from invasive species, currently are increasingly taking part of the Mediterranean climate change, the natu-
various countries along the about 400, has more than note. The issue is set to fea- ecosystem in jeopardy, an ral result of which is every
Mediterranean basin. The doubled over the past 30 ture prominently at a Unit- opinion shared by marine species struggling to sur-
sharpest criticism comes years, a phenomenon she ed Nations ocean sustain- scientists across the eastern vive and searching for its
from neighboring Israel, called a "historic example ability workshop this month Mediterranean, from Tur- optimal environment," said
which once battled Egypt of the dangers of unintend- in Venice. key to Tunisia. Tarek Temraz, a marine bi-
in war alongside the 193-ki- ed consequences." "These non-indigenous or- A relatively simple option ology professor at Suez Ca-
lometer (120-mile)-long ca- Already, Israel is coping ganisms present serious for damage control seems nal University, and author
nal. with an unprecedented threats to the local biodi- to be available in the form of the environmental min-
Bella Galil, an Israeli marine wave of toxic jellyfish that versity, at the very least of the Qatari-funded desal- istry's impact assessment of
biologist who has studied has damaged coastal comparable to those ex- ination plants the Egyptians the canal expansion.
the Mediterranean for over power plants and scared erted by climate change, are building along the ca- The Suez Canal Authority,
three decades, said much off beach-goers and tour- pollution and over-fishing," nal, the first of which is ex- the government agency
of the ecological damage ists. Several other venom- Galil said. pected to be opened later that operates the canal,
is irreversible. ous species, including the She said the new species this year. claimed environmental
But with the invasive fish aggressive lionfish, have es- have caused "a dramatic If carried out properly, Galil concerns over its enlarge-
and crustaceans buoyed tablished permanent colo- restructuring" of the ecosys- said the brine output of the ment have been overstat-
by warming water tem- nies, creating a potential tem, endangering various plants could be funneled ed. It said water volume
peratures and rapidly health hazard when they local species and wiping into the canal to recre- flowing into the Mediter-
spreading toward Europe- end up on plates of beach- out native mussels, prawns ate a "salinity barrier" that ranean increased by 4%,
an shores, she argued that side restaurants. Most wor- and red mullet. could stem the flow of spe- creating "little impact on
urgent action is needed to risome has been the ar- Israel's Environmental Pro- cies from south to north. The water flow and plankton
minimize its long-term im- rival of the Lagocephalus tection Ministry said it was Great Bitter Lakes, about 45 movement."
pact. Galil, of Tel Aviv Uni- Sceleratus, an extremely monitoring the process with kilometers (30 miles) north Canal officials say they are
versity's Steinhardt Museum poisonous bony fish com- concern since its coasts of Suez, once created such closely monitoring species
of Natural History, said the monly known as the silver- were the new species' "first an obstacle. But as the ca- migration, imposing regu-
continued widening and cheeked toadfish. stop" in the Mediterranean. nal widened and Egyptian lations on ships that unwit-
It stressed that Israel could cities and farms flushed ag- tingly ferry invasive crea-
not stop the phenomenon ricultural wastewater into tures and curtailing water
alone but is promoting reg- the lakes, that bulwark dis- contamination in hopes
ulation to protect the most appeared. of restoring salinity to the
vulnerable marine habitats. Egypt, which signed a lakes.
With Israel increasingly reli- peace accord with Israel in The canal authority said a
ant on the Mediterranean 1979 and recently signed a recent drive to divert agri-
Sea for drinking water, the massive deal with it to im- cultural wastewater away
ministry said protecting the port natural gas, has large- from the Bitter Lakes has
country's marine environ- ly rejected the dire warn- successfully raised salinity
ment was "now more im- ings of the Israeli scientists there by 3% over the past
portant than ever." as politically motivated. years.q