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Volunteer Divers Remove Invasive Corals Near Rio's Ipanema Beach
Sentiment: NeutralHigh Priority
What Happened?
Volunteer divers are manually removing invasive sun corals from the waters near Ipanema Beach, as these species threaten native reefs along Brazil's coastline.
Key points
- Sun corals, Tubastraea coccinea and Tubastraea tagusensis, have invaded Brazilian waters since the late 1980s.
- These corals spread at a rate of 2 kilometers per year, now covering approximately 3,500 kilometers of Brazil's coastline.
- They compete with native corals, causing damage and threatening marine ecosystems.
- A national plan was launched in 2018 to control these invasive species, led by marine biologist Adriana Gomes.
- Manual removal of sun corals has proven effective when done in repeated cycles.
Key insights
- The ongoing efforts to remove sun corals may help restore balance in local marine ecosystems.
- Successful removal could encourage similar initiatives in other regions affected by invasive species.
- The absence of natural predators for sun corals in Brazil complicates eradication efforts.
Why it matters
The removal of invasive corals is crucial for protecting Brazil's native marine biodiversity.
Tags
Entities
Adriana Gomes· PersonCagarras Islands· LocationChico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation· OrganizationBrazil· Country
Source
Times of India
