Gator-Size Bio-imports
Found this in the October, 2000 Scientific American:
SEA OF TROUBLES
Giant aliens have been spotted in the northern Gulf of Mexico. An
Australian native normally six to eight inches across, the spotted
jellyfish ( 'Phyllorhiza punctata' ) is reaching diameters of two feet,
aparently by feeding in the algae-rich waters of the Mississippi Sound.
They may threaten the local shrimp industry-the second most valuable
fishery in the U.S., behind that for Alaskan Salmon.
The crucial questions are whether the creatures will survive the winter and
if they'll turn their attention to shrimp eggs and larvae. If they do,
"Their effect on the Gulf's environment and commercial fisheries could be
one of the area's biggest problems next year." say Monty Graham of the
Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, a group made up of eight local
universities and research facilities.
FYI,
Mark
SEA OF TROUBLES
Giant aliens have been spotted in the northern Gulf of Mexico. An
Australian native normally six to eight inches across, the spotted
jellyfish ( 'Phyllorhiza punctata' ) is reaching diameters of two feet,
aparently by feeding in the algae-rich waters of the Mississippi Sound.
They may threaten the local shrimp industry-the second most valuable
fishery in the U.S., behind that for Alaskan Salmon.
The crucial questions are whether the creatures will survive the winter and
if they'll turn their attention to shrimp eggs and larvae. If they do,
"Their effect on the Gulf's environment and commercial fisheries could be
one of the area's biggest problems next year." say Monty Graham of the
Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, a group made up of eight local
universities and research facilities.
FYI,
Mark