'Alien' Sea Creature Found Near River Raises Concern Of Threat To Marine Life

An "alien" sea creature infesting an area in Scotland has raised concern among marine experts, who assume the former might "smother" aquatic life in the nearby river Clyde.

Marine biologist, David Nairn, told Largs & Millport news the creature could cause harm to the local marine environment, and the cost to remove it from the area near the river could be millions of dollars.

The sea creature has been identified as carpet sea squirt. It was first discovered in 2012 at Largs Marina. This was also the first time carpet sea squirt, originally from Japan, was sighted in Scotland.

Marine experts warn the spongy species could decimate native shellfish stocks by suffocating them. The species has already caused major economic and environmental problems in Canada, New Zealand and Ireland. Experts believe the creature had attached itself to the hulls of visiting boats and reached the shores of Scotland.

"We have two drill ships which are just gathering this stuff. There is going to be need to be a big eradication programme over the next few years, requiring teams of divers," Nairn told local media.

"If Peel Ports had been following the biodiversity situation they should never have brought these ships to the Clyde in the first place," Nairn said. "It is an environmental disaster in slow motion. The pier is infested with this stuff - part of the measures and management is that a boat shouldn't be tied up against that pier and left," Largs & Millport reported.

"If anything is left sitting there for a few years it will be riddled with this stuff - and it can't just be scraped off. This invasive species has been allowed to prosper," he added.

Nairn said he has alerted the Firth of Clyde Planning Partnership, chaired by Alex MacFie of the Field Studies Council in Millport, to the issue.

"It is a significant threat to conversation status. People should be taking this matter seriously," he said.

According to the Northland Regional Council, people can prevent the spread of these marine pests by regularly cleaning the boat’s hull, applying a thorough coating of antifouling paint, keeping marine equipment clean and dry and by checking for aquatic weeds tangled around anchors, trailers and other equipment.