Posted on 06/24/2006 7:05:52 PM PDT by Jedi Master Pikachu
Scientists are calling for action to prevent foreign species from taking hold in Antarctica and wrecking the continent's unique ecosystems.
Despite Antarctica's inhospitable environment, non-native species introduced by tourists, scientists and explorers are gaining a foothold.
Species can hitch a ride on ships and planes carrying visitors and supplies.
A paper on the matter tabled at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Edinburgh met with "good agreement".
It costs thousands and sometimes millions of dollars to try and get rid of something... prevention is better than a cure Neil Gilbert, Antarctica NZ "Antarctica has long been considered as an isolated continent with a harsh environment. So the general perception has been that we don't need to worry about non-native species. We know better now," Dr Gilbert, environmental manager at Antarctica New Zealand, told BBC News.
Male and female North Atlantic spider crabs (Hyas araneus) have been found in waters off the Antarctic Peninsula. Neil Gilbert says the species could not have migrated such a great distance by its own accord.
In addition, a cosmopolitan species of grass, Poa annua, is surviving on King George Island, north of the Antarctic Peninsula.
According to Dr Gilbert, two principal factors are facilitating colonisation of Antarctic habitats by foreign species: the increased numbers of people travelling to the continent and climate change.
Visitor growth
"There are more and more people going to Antarctica and we know that people and ships and planes carry plant seeds and other non-native species," Dr Gilbert explained.
"The Antarctic Peninsula region is warming more quickly than anywhere else on the planet. Those species capable of surviving in polar climates are more likely to survive in a less harsh climate."
Spider crab, Noaa Spider crabs have arrived in Antarctic waters (Image: Noaa) More than 26,000 international tourists visit Antarctica each year and numbers grow by the thousand each season.
Dr Gilbert said: "I think we can say with some confidence that the [treaty] meeting has recognised this as a really important issue, that there is a need for research.
"We don't know much about what species are in the marine environment around Antarctica. We've got to get a better handle on what is there, so that we know what is native and non-native.
"Secondly, we need to know what are the vectors by which all this material is being brought in."
Code of conduct
Those behind the motion presented at the meeting are to work on developing a code of conduct related to the introduction of foreign species - a set of minimum standards to which Antarctic visitors should abide.
Icebergs off Antarctic Peninsula Image: Noaa The Antarctic Peninsula has seen rapid warming (Image: Noaa) However, there is still no consensus on what to do with non-native species that have already arrived and those that could arrive in future.
"It's a challenging question. In some cases, management - trying to contain them - may be the best option. The chances are that the North Atlantic spider crab is already established," Dr Gilbert said.
"It costs thousands and sometimes millions of dollars to try to get rid of something. One of the things we have been pressing at this meeting is that prevention is better than a cure."
Dr Gilbert said proposals would also need to cover the transfer of species between isolated - and often fragile - ecosystems within Antarctica.
The Antarctic Treaty's Committee for Environmental Protection has agreed to make the issue of invasive species a standing item on its agenda and to consider management options at its next meeting, which will be held in India in April 2007.
Global warming ping.
Time to buy land in Antarctica while it's cheap.
Just let nature take its course.
It's about time that Antarctica became habitable and hospitable.
I would only add one word at the end of that sentence...AGAIN!
I always check my pockets for spider crabs and cosmopolitan grasses before I head off to Antarctica. Gee whiz.
Let me know when you see Nicole Simpson of Texas and California sporting about in her bikini. She definitely should be sent South, but Alaskan scientists would likely keep her as a permanant transplant.
"isolated - and often fragile - ecosystems" ~ you got that right ~ the ecosystems are pretty fragile, and mostly microscopic in size. Antarctica's been a regular humdinger in recent millenia, Fur Shur.
Warm weather species? Like, maybe, parrots? Bulldogs? Kudzu?
Golf courses can't be far behind!
we cannot control climate or nature btw.. no matter how hard we try to blame ourselves... we are an insignicant speck in the earth's climatological history. plus we have that huge variable called the Sun!
Heey, if it's getting warm down there, we can begin drilling pretty soon, right? Heck, we could probably put down 1,000 oil wells, gas wells and so forth. A few company towns to service the whole mess. People would put out scraps of food for the Penguins, they'd multiply and be happy. It would be a winner for everyone!
Here's a far-fetched idea...maybe the earth is getting ready to return to Eden. ;)
Hey, man, I'm just sayin'.
Good for them. The warm species have been kept down too long. It's time that they had their day on the planet.
Don't forget the Arctic alligators?
Perhaps all the polar bears can go there when their arctic ice melts.
This is a perfect example of the flat earthers going to war against species they claim are invading pristine territory. They genuinely are clueless about the natural migration of species.
As an example I have personally researched hard coral communities in the lesser Antilles that originated in the south Pacific. These were not brought there by birds or vagrant ships. They swam there as tiny flagella all by themselves.
Animals travel the globe in search of better homes. Are we now about to outlaw birds flying over specific regions. Shall we pass a law prohibiting crabs from travelling into areas where they do not belong?
The sheer idiocy of these lunatic fringe edenists should be apparent to everyone. Sadly, only a few who genuinely love our nature system's extraordinary resilience get it.
Actually I would like to explore for oil there. Antarctica is the only undrilled continent left on the planet. The chances that there is oil to be found there is 100%. It is like Siberia without gangsters.
Until you have eaten a grapefruit from a Antarctic grapefruit tree, you don't know what a good grapefruit is.
I thought I read somewhere that the sun was the cause of global warming because it is burning hotter. Wonder if Al Bore has a solution for that problem.
Ummm...don't live up to your handle, lol! The ballast of ships carry a lot of water and other stuff....
Nuke the Sun?
I doubt the enviroweenies will have much better luck in the Antarctic than they had trying to re-populate Prince William Sound with otters saved from the oil spill.
If you haven't heard Rush's story on this - you've missed a classic. Net net - big ceremony to put the first reclaimed otter back in the sound, bands, school children let out for the day......poor little otter goes out about 50 yards from shore, floating blissfully on its back, everyone is so so happy.....when an Orca (killer whale) surfaces and gobbles it down in one gulp!
So much for environmental intervention by humans.
I saw some movie or another that showed people there. Imagine!
Well, I guess that's the end of civilization as we know it, I'm just gonna sit here and wait quietly for the world to end.
Sorry, but I just can't work up a whole lot of enviromentalist whacko style outrage about this matter for some reason.
MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH I COULD POSSIBLY CARE ANY LESS ABOUT NORTH ATLANTIC SPIDER CRABS INVADING ANTARCTICA.
Now if they were invading my little patch of land here in the Blue Ridge mountians of North America I might care unless they're edible, tasty, and easy to catch. But Antarctica, naaaaaahhh who cares?
You moron. You cannot control nature because you are only spending millions of dollars in your attempt.
Now if you spend BILLIONS of your tax dollars on preventing the relocation of the North Atlantic Spider Crab to Antarctica, you might be able to succeed where others have failed..
Because, you know, Pudge controls the weather....
oh.. sorry I am not worthy.. *goes back to corner*
This laundry list of "true news stories" began circulating on the Internet during the spring of 1998.
Just in case you were having a "bad day" . . .
The average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska was $80,000. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers. A minute later, in full view, they were both eaten by a killer whale.
According to Snopes, the story told by Rush (which, by the way, I remember hearing too) ain't true..
Still doesn't mean it isn't funny!
It's true.. it was noted in one of the Insurance Claims.. you know.. insurance companies recodr every little detail when it comes to paying out
I think Rush's point was that why should people spend so much money on bait?
But if you have a link or source for the insurance angle, let me know...
They've already discovered oil there. It's just a question of how much, and where.
I think that at this point, the Pentagon ought to have a plan to invade Antarctica and seize the oil in the event of an emergency. We should also be sending covert drilling teams there to figure out where it is.
Or perhaps we can send all the endangered whales to Club Gitmo and have the military torture the location of the oil out of them. After all whales are people too. On the other hand I am sure the ACLU will be happy to assert that whales have rights under the constitution just like everyone else.
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