For several years, The Galician marine ecosystem is disturbed by the Japanese rugged algae Okamurae Immediately imported and that is quickly able to invade beaches and ports. The high level of proliferation threatens biodiversity and marine activities where it is rooted.
For worse, When they rot on the beaches when they are dropped off by the tidesis set They give off hydrogen sulfide, a flammable gas with a nauseating scent of rotten eggs that is also very toxic, so they are an important health risk for the population.
Japanese rugulopteryx algae
The Minister of the Sea, Alfonso Villares and the rector of the University of Santiago de Compostela, Antonio López, signed a cooperation agreement for the development of the Rugulopteryx project Okamurae Environmental DNA (Algasdet) with the aim of the goal Get new tools to detect these invasive Asian algae.
The regional head emphasized that the goal is to achieve parameters that identify this species to anticipate its proliferation on the Galician coast, because it is one Great capacity to expand and fully colonize ecosystemsWhere it comes, causing a loss of diversity in the biological communities of the seabed and generates economic effects on fish. So much so that the high accumulation occurs the use of some art and their presence on beaches requires interventions for usable coats.
The agreement, endowed with 203,220 euros, Framework in the cooperation network between the fishing sector and autonomous scientific organisms (redirect), created in 2022, in which the USC acts as a leading partner. For the development, whose period up to 2027 extends, there will also be the collaboration of the University of Coruña, the Galician Federation of Fismen’s Brotherhoods and the poses of a Coruña, Cangas and Baiona.
Job
The purpose of the agreement is also to encourage the consciousness of the sector to prevent the expansion in the short term. In that sense, Actions aimed at identification by DNA will be performed and its distribution on the coasts, into the transfer of the tool developed to the management agencies of the Coastal Environmental Monitoring programs, for the preparation of cartography and setting up monitoring stations, as well as for the distribution of the precautions that can be used to promote or at least not to promote, or at least not to promote, At least not promote, reproduction through human action in Marine Medium.
Around
The Ministry of Sea received two communication from a researcher at the University of Santiago de Compostela at the end of June 2024 Galician waters of a Coruña and Pontevedra of the presence of these invasive Asian algae.
Automatically, together with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, it was agreed to a working group for the Preparation of a biomass management plan Derived from this species and analyze the possible effects of its economic expansion in the fisherman’s sector as an ecological for the environment.
In September 2024, the first meeting of the technical working group was held (formed by representatives from different departments of the Xunt Actions for prevention, monitoring and control over the algae expansion. At the moment, the two regional departments continue to develop this working document.
This agreement contributes to the others who are in force and who are destined for the project of the Quality of the Coastal Marine Medium and its effect on the Maarschalk (Calimar) and to obtain molecular markers of salt content in the Berobe (peak). These two initiatives have an investment that is around 600,000 euros. They have an implementation period until 2026.