How This Fungus Could Protect Little Penguins From Invasive Weeds

Authorities in Australia are set to release a type of fungi to help control an invasive weed. The move can also benefit little penguins.

Sea spurge (Euphorbia paralias) is an invasive weed that appeared in Western Australia some 70 years ago and made its way to southeastern Australia and the New South Wales (NSW) coastline. Each plant can produce up to 5,000 salt-tolerant seeds and they also have a milky sap that can irritate people's skin and eyes, which is why gloves and protective clothing is needed when removing it by hand.

The invasive species also causes problems for native species such as such as little penguins (Edyptula minor).

"The plant causes environmental problems along many beaches, outcompeting native plants and changing natural patterns of sand movement," Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) noted in a blog Thursday. "It's also a worry for endangered shorebirds that use the open sand for nesting."

So far, however, the main ways to get rid of sea spurge is either by hand or chemical sprays. But now, CSIRO researchers have found a biocontrol agent to address the sea spurge problem: a fungus called Venturia paralias.

Classical biocontrol uses the weed's "natural enemy" against it, CSIRO research scientist, Dr. Gavin Hunter, explained as per the blog. They found that venturia paralias, which is native to Europe, specifically attacks sea spurge. In fact, when it was first collected in France, it was on diseased sea spurge plants, CSIRO noted.

Now, the fungus has been approved by Australia's Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. CSIRO and Parks Victoria are set to release Venturia paralias in hopes of controlling the invasive weeds' proliferation. Authorities are even looking for citizen scientists who can help identify infestations and potentially help with the release.

"If it successfully establishes, the biocontrol will be particularly important for managing this highly invasive weed in the more remote parts of the coast where access is very difficult for manual or chemical control," Parks Victoria Program Leader for Marine and Coasts, Mark Rodrigue, said in the news CSIRO news release.

According to CSIRO, little penguins are among the species that may benefit from the effort.

Little penguins are said to be the smallest among the penguins at just one kilogram. They are also the only ones to have blue and white feathers. Although their populations are considered to be "stable," they are also facing threats including invasive weeds, oil spills, climate change, habitat destruction and entanglement or ingestion of plastics.

"We're hopeful the biocontrol agent will help reduce the dense weed from penguin nesting sites at Port Campbell, and many other beaches along the coastline where the weed occurs," Hunter said in the CSIRO news release.