The Sea Squirts Are Coming

By Mark Bevis on Monday, May 2, 2005.

listen:

IT SEEMS EVERYTIME FISHERMEN IN NEW ENGLAND TURN AROUND THEY FACE A NEW DANGER TO THEIR LIVELIHOODS.

ONE YEAR IT'S A REPORT ON GROUNDFISH STOCKS....OR A NEW AILMENT STRIKING SHELLFISH.

NEXT IT'S NEW REGULATIONS RESTRICTING THE NUMBER OF DAYS THEY CAN FISH.

PROBABLY THE LAST THING THE NEW ENGLAND FISHING INDUSTRY WANTS TO HEAR IS THIS NEXT REPORT BY NHPR'S MARK BEVIS.

THE NAME SOUNDS INNOCUOUS.

SEA SQUIRTS.

I MEAN HOW NASTY COULD A SEA SQUIRT BE.

BUT THE PROBLEM IS NOT THAT THESE LITTLE MARINE INVERTEBRATES ARE NASTY.

IT'S JUST THAT THIS ONE SPECIES IS VERY PROLIFIC.

IN FACT, MARINE BIOLOGISTS ARE WORRIED THIS EXOTIC BREED COULD OVERPOWER THE OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS OFF THE COAST OF NEW ENGLAND.

WILLIAMS COLLEGE PROFESSOR JAMES CARLTON IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE MARITIME STUDIES PROGRAM AT MYSTIC SEAPORT.

TAPE:

PROFESSOR JAMES CARLTON TEACHES MARINE STUDIES AT THE WILLIAMS COLLEGE MYSTIC SEAPORT PROGRAM.

FOR NHPR NEWS, THIS IS MARK BEVIS.