Photo credit: The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
What is ‘sea vomit’ and why is it a concern?
Despite its nickname, sea vomit is not vomit. It is an invasive marine organism that can grow in thick, slimy colonies on seaweed, pontoons, oyster cages and other marine structures. According to IFAW, the species can spread rapidly and poses a threat to native marine life. As reported by The Independent carpet sea squirt can spread across harbours and oyster farms, where it can smother native organisms and become difficult to control once established.The organism is believed to have originated in Japan and was first reported on shorelines in England and Wales in 2008, according to a BBC report. Its appearance can make it difficult to distinguish from other marine growth. Finding it early is important because conventional identification can require specialist laboratory analysis and DNA testing. Sgiath offers another way to search for it: using her sense of smell.How Sgiath moved from mountain rescue to marine conservation
Photo credit: The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
Why a dog’s nose could help conservationists
Detecting an invasive species before it spreads widely can give conservation teams more time to respond. Sgiath’s scent-based searches could help identify the organism in places where visual inspection alone may not be enough. Her work is also helping explore a new use for detection dogs in marine conservation. IFAW described the project as a pioneering approach to tackling invasive marine species in UK waters. The approach does not replace all existing detection methods, but it could provide conservationists and site managers with another tool for finding the species earlier and more efficiently.Another Labrador is learning the job
Sgiath is not the only dog involved in the project. Sim is also training Uisge, a three-year-old Labrador, to detect the invasive organism and support the work. According to West Coast Today, the dogs have demonstrated an ability to distinguish the target species from other sea squirts and marine organisms, including detecting traces of its scent in water samples. Their work could become increasingly useful if changing sea conditions allow invasive marine species to spread into new areas. Early detection is particularly important because established colonies can be difficult and expensive to manage.Source link
