Aussies Mobilize After Remarkable 260kg Find at Popular Beach
A community group has removed 260kg of invasive seastars, urging more support to protect local ecosystems in Tasmania
Tasmania, Australia, Invasive Species, Seastars, Environmental Protection
Tasmania: A community volunteer group recently made headlines by clearing an astonishing 260 kilograms of invasive North Pacific seastars from local waters. This effort has sparked a call to action from experts urging more people to join the fight against these marine pests.
Dr. Tiana Pirtle from the Invasive Species Council highlighted that while completely eradicating these seastars is nearly impossible, every little bit helps. The group, known as the Invasive Seastar Clean Up, has been actively working to remove these pests, especially around the Derwent River.
Benita Vincent, who leads the program, shared that they’ve already taken out over 200,000 seastars in their 64 events. These seastars, which arrived in Australia as stowaways on ships back in the 1980s, have been wreaking havoc on local ecosystems, preying on native shellfish like scallops and oysters.
With estimates suggesting there are around 30 million of these seastars in Tasmanian waters, the situation is pretty dire. They have no natural predators here, allowing them to breed uncontrollably. Dr. Pirtle pointed out that while local control efforts can help, the ongoing influx of new seastars makes it a tough battle.
Vincent added that these seastars reproduce at an alarming rate, releasing thousands of eggs each, which totals billions annually. It’s a real challenge to manage them in such a vast environment like the ocean.
Despite the uphill battle, local efforts can still make a difference. It’s all about protecting what we can, even if it feels like a losing fight sometimes. So, if you’re in the area, consider lending a hand to help keep our waters clean!