Warming Seas Stir Crab Invasion

[not.a.sock.puppet]

An invasion of European green crabs, encouraged by rising ocean temperatures,  is eating its way north through Maine's clam flats, threatening the US state's  third-largest fishery and an iconic summer treat for tourists.

"If something isn't done soon, it will mean the death of the clam fishery,"  said Chad Coffin, president of the Maine Clammers Association. "I don't think  people understand just how big a problem this is."

The invasive crabs likely reached U.S. shores in the early 1800s after  hitching a ride across the Atlantic on ships, according to scientists. Once  here, the crustaceans gradually worked their way to Maine, where they have been  present for at least a century.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/warming-seas-stir-crab-invasion-20130531-2nfjp.html...

Last year, the state's hallmark $US350 million lobster industry was rocked by  drastically warmer spring water temperatures that threw off the timing of the  annual harvest, leading to a glut of early-season lobster and plummeting  prices.

Coffin said he recognizes the need for further study before cause and effect  can be established, but says clammers do not have the luxury of time.

"We used to take and expect Mother Nature to replenish, but that's a thing of  the past," he said, turning over a clump of mud to expose hundreds of scurrying  crabs. "Things are changing fast and it's getting out of control."

Sock don't like crabs, ay.

[icyfroth]

Oh, not this global warming nonsense / scam again.

If you want something to worry about, try something real

eg

Gulf of Mexico oil spill - still ongoing and will have more impact than any of this man made global warming nonsense

Fukushima - still ongoing and serious despite being dropped off the media's attention.

GMO crops -  monsanto protection act being quietly passed

We might not agree on Global Warming but I'm pretty sure the planet is suffering as never before under the impact of human activity as shown in your 3 examples above. We now have the technology to wipe ourselves off the planet, and leave the planet itself a desolate lifeless rock spinning around in outer space.

However, we can't take all of the world's problems on, so we choose the ones we most care about, such Lakeland's concern about our oceans in above posts, shared by me and many others, see the following article:

Queensland grandmother June Norman is walking 1200 kilometres to let Australians know how important it is to look after the Great Barrier Reef.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/06/01/16/25/qld-granny-s-1200km-reef-awareness-walk

Ms Norman says the reef, which is a World Heritage-listed area, is under threat from the expansion of Australia's coal export market and growing coal seam gas industry.

"I want Queensland Premier Campbell Newman and federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to stop these coal and gas ports and to protect the reef," she said.

Now that's commitment!

What, if anything, will you be doing about the concerns you raised, Ashjoma?

[monman12]

IF: ""Outrageous! We’ve just received news that WITHIN WEEKS coal port companies could be allowed to rip enormous holes in the ocean bed of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area "
"Destructive dredging could cripple the local fishing industry and destroy the homes of turtles, dugongs and rare snubfin dolphins."

"Could cripple" but is hardly likely to considering that i.e. for Port Abbott, the port has been there for years, and they wish to build another 3 terminals (piers) adjoining the existing one in the designated port area. Did I mention the actual GB Reef is  many KMs away?

"allowed to rip enormous holes in the ocean bed" What nonsense exaggeration IF, they wish to dredge some of the seabed/sand (from the port area) and then  transport it and deposit on to a different part of the seabed.

The whole (scientifically uneducated) anti any port expansion protests strike  me more of another cause célèbre sans research.

A while ago, here in Melbourne, it was proposed to dredge the Port Phillip Bay  shipping channel to the Port of Melbourne. A vociferous woman started  an anti dredging campaign (Blue Wedges) that held up the process for a couple of years, cost the Victorian people $100 Million in extra work studies/tests, and her dire predictions of ecological catastrophe in "The Bay" were shown to be utter nonsense.

Protest by all means, but use research/science/logic not wild unfounded statements.