'Ocean aliens playing havoc with environment'

The rapid spread of alien species through oceans and seas is playing havoc with the world’s delicate environment, experts will warn this week.

Marine specialists from over 32 countries will gather in Ireland to debate the best way to tackle the growing problems caused by the spread of parasites and different species.

The conference in Ennis, Co Clare will examine how local environments are changed and corrupted by alien creatures carried by boats involved in increased global trade.

“This can affect the ecosystem by taking over the habitat that they use, or food or consuming them. It sounds a bit nightmarish but it is survival of the fittest and if they are stronger they will take over,” said Frances Lucy of the Institute of Technology Sligo.

Ms Lucy, who is chairing the conference, said this would be the first time it had taken place outside North America.

There will be 210 experts from 32 countries giving presentations at the 13th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species, which will make it the largest in its history.

“What is really important about this event is the research opportnities opening up for people as a result of having it here,” Ms Lucy added.

“We made an effort to have people come from everywhere – New Zealand, Russia, Australia and one person from the Philippines. You just don’t know what is going to come out of it.

“It is sowing the seeds for future scientific cooperation on an international basis, to me that is the most exciting aspect.”

The five-day conference will be opened by Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher, Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, on September 20 at the Lynch West County Hotel.

The United States Naval Research Laboratory will be speaking about filtration methods to ensure nuisance species do not survive in a ship’s ballast water and travel with them.

“A lot of the species that come in might just die off if they don’t like the habitat,” Ms Lucy added.

Ms Lucy, an ecologist and fisheries scientist, said many biologists would be delivering their research findings on attempts to contain and prevent non-native species, like seaweed, settling abroad.

Experts will also be discussing the best way to contain problems, including one close to the Irish marine environment, non-native zebra mussels.

The species, which have been located in 56 different water blocks, have already spread throughout most of the Shannon system, killing native species by dominating the food supply.

In the areas along the Shannon River where the zebra mussels have moved in, they have suffocated native swan and duck mussels.

Ms Lucy said the zebra mussels have caused damage estimated at seven billion dollars (£3.9billion) in America after they blocked up the city pipes which were drawing water for households from the Great Lakes.

The Sligo lecturer, who will be making a presentation on the invasion of zebra mussels into Lough Key, said they were monitoring Irish lakes to see if they have spread to areas where water was being removed for towns.

Ms Lucy said they were looking at introducing a joint policy North and South to try and combat the problems.

There will be many major organisations attending the Co Clare next week’s conference, which has taken a year to organise, including the International Joint Commission between the US and Canada, as well as the International Maritime Organisation.