Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/584253
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 11 OCTOBER 2015 13 TEODOR RELJIC MARINE biologists have flagged up a number of concerns following the newly inaugurated expansion of the New Suez Canal, claiming that the expansion of its shipping line will not only pose evident en- vironmental risks – such as the increased probability of oil spills – but that Malta's marine biodiver- sity will also be affected. Officially opened in 6 August of this year, the New Suez Canal adds an additional 35-kilometre-long second shipping lane in the exist- ing 164-kilometre-long historical artificial waterway. The expan- sion, whose construction first be- gan in 5 August 2014, allows for separated passing of ships in op- posite directions. It also includes the deepening and expansion of a 37-kilometre-long section of the existing canal. Perhaps the more readily ap- parent impact will arise from the increased frequency of shipping rates. In fact, marine biologist Prof. Alan Deidun explained how the expansion will add further pressure to "a Basin which is al- ready one of the busiest shipping waterways in the world". "90% of all the shipping which traverses the Mediterranean makes use of the Malta-Sicily Channel which is the only nexus between the eastern and western halves of the Mediterranean," Deidun said. "Hence, a beefed-up shipping volume in waters close to Maltese shores translate into a higher oil spill risk for the same waters and shores," he added. However, the biological impact of the expanded Suez Canal is not insignificant. Commenting in the September 2015 edition of Univer- sity of Malta research publication Think Magazine, Prof. Patrick J. Schembri, who leads the Marine Ecology Research Group at the Department of Biology within the University of Malta, said that the expansion has given rise to an 'al- ien invasion' of sorts in Malta. Elaborating on this point to Mal- taToday, Schembri added that more species from the Red Sea will find their way to the eastern Medi- terranean, and the rate of influx of these 'aliens' will be higher than usual because the New Suez Canal will facilitate their passage. "Judging by what has been happen- ing in the past 20 years or so, some of these alien species will race across the Mediterranean and will appear in Malta in a short period of time after their entry; others (the majority) will first establish themselves in the Levantine Sea – some of these will eventually spread westwards, in due course reaching Malta and beyond," Schembri added. Deidun explained how the ma- jority of the 'invading' species will be of the 'Lessepsian' variety – that is, marine species that are native to the waters on one side of the Suez Canal. In fact, "Roughly half of the circa 1,000 non-indigenous marine species known from the Mediterranean to date hail from such warmer waters (Indo-Pacific and Red Sea areas)," according to Deidun. But why should we be concerned about the sudden appearance of these migrating species? Deidun confesses that, "some of these species have no apparent impact, which is at least not evident for now," however this is unfortunate- ly not the case will all of the species in question. Both Schembri and Deidun agree that such an invasion invari- ably "changes the ecosystem", and in this particular case could have a commercial as well as biologi- cal impact. While it's too early to predict the long-term impact with much accuracy at this point, both of the marine biologists we spoke to mentioned a worrying possibil- ity – that alien species could eat away at local seagrass, disrupting the habitat and reproductive cycle of local species. "The newcomers will obviously compete with the indigenous spe- cies, with some of the latter declin- ing as a result," Deidun said. But the appearance of exotic new species also comes with a more ob- vious problem: which of them are poisonous upon consumption… even touch? Deidun flags the toxicity to hu- mans when consumed of the silver-cheeked toadfish, a species of puffer fish, or the impact of the nomadic jellyfish on local fisheries in the East Mediterranean. In fact, the nomadic jellyfish is venomous upon being touched (i.e., not just toxic if consumed), which is pushing further west in the Mediterranean ever since entering the Mediterranean in the early 1990s and which regu- larly closes off beaches and power plants in Israel. "Such a jellyfish species also im- pacts the fishing industry through the massive plankton quantities it grazes upon and by bursting nets through sheer abundance and weight," Deidun added. However, when it comes to tackling the matter in the public sphere, both Deidun and Schem- bri are resigned to the fact that changing – not least challenging – perceptions may be easier said than done. In fact, Deidun laments that "ma- rine aliens grab the limelight much less than terrestrial ones do – the introduction of the red palm wee- vil and the justified media atten- tion is received is a case in point". "On the flipside, no one ever dwells on the potential damage to seagrass meadows being inflicted by invasive Caulerpa (green algae) species. I believe that authorities and the media should take the cue from marine biologists and take the issue of marine aliens more se- riously," Deidun adds. Schembri goes so far as to sug- gest that, "Some might even wel- come the arrival of new alien spe- cies, especially if they are colourful tropical species as, from their point of view, it enhances local marine life," adding that this kind of reac- tion is partly understandable since the impact of these changes may happen over a long period of time and may not be readily apparent to most people. This, despite the fact that "long-term ecological and commercial impacts may be quite severe". As ever, "education" remains key to increasing awareness and po- tentially leading to tangible action. "There is not much anybody can do about the New Suez Canal… but this is not the only way alien species arrive here," Schembri points out. "One common mechanism is when people throw unwanted plants and animals from tropical marine aquaria into the sea. Many of these aquarium species die, but some survive and may estab- lish themselves. If people become aware of the dangers of such ac- tions, they will tend not to do it." Deidun similarly condemns "the impact of the aquarium industry, through which thousands of tropi- cal fish individuals are being legally imported each year", while adding that the Maltese authorities could foster better awareness about the impact of invading alien species by adopting the information cam- paigns implemented in Sicily and Tunisia, where seaside boards, printed informative material and informal talks have all been used to inform fishermen and other sea users about the risks associated with consuming or touching some of these alien species. treljic@mediatoday.com.mt News Alan Deidun: "The newcomers will compete with indigenous species, with some of the latter declining as a result" New Suez Canal poses biodiversity risks for Malta Alien species making their way into Maltese waters through the newly- expanded Suez Canal could have a significant impact on Malta's marine biodiversity Lethal to the touch: the dreaded nomadic jellyfish The impact of invasive Caulerpa (green algae) is often overlooked Prof. Patrick J. Schembri: "The New Suez Canal is not the only way alien species arrive here"