What? How Are Invading Soft Corals Choking Venezuela’s Reefs?

Marine biologists in Venezuela are racing against the clock to stop an invasive coral species that is destroying reefs.

Unomia stolonifera, is an octopus native to the Indo-Pacific and was introduced to Venezuelan waters by an aquarium keeper many years ago. It now threatens reefs that occur mainly in three Caribbean areas along Venezuela’s 2875 km coastline.

Ana Yranzo Duque, a coral reef researcher at the Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas, Venezuela, explains that she, in collaboration with researchers from the Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, have been studying the biological and ecological aspects of this species, to see what we can do to control its expansion.

“It is a very big problem for the country, as it affects the natural organisms of our reefs and also other marine communities,” he says, along with the additional challenge of conducting research in a country facing high inflation.

“Sessile organisms like hard corals compete for space and have defense systems to prevent others from covering them, but there are different levels of cruelty, some have greater ability to compete than others and in this case Unomia is winning the battle so to speak. ,” Yranzo says.

“In general, octopuses are more able to withstand an increase in temperature than hard corals,” he says, adding that soft corals can reproduce asexually, so if part of the colony shakes, that part can catch nets or fishing currents. put yourself on another website.

“In the midst of all this, the increase in temperature undoubtedly creates stress in corals and is suspected to reduce their ability to protect themselves,” he says, adding that the invasive Unomia has been found in water between 19-31 degrees Celsius.

Yranzo explains that coral reefs are the economic livelihood of many communities in Venezuela, either for tourism activities or for the use of fishing resources related to them.

“The importance of this research lies in the fact that it seeks to deal with conditions that affect the health of coral reefs, which are one of the most biological ecosystems in the world,” he says, “It acts as a natural way to protect the coast from storms and hurricanes and is a refuge for many creatures, including many for human consumption.”

Growing with Venezuelan Rocks

Yranzo grew up in the Venezuelan city of Barquisimeto and as a child he often visited a protected marine area with beautiful reefs, called Morrocoy National Park.

“It was there that my mother taught me to wear a mask and snorkel and I marveled at the hidden life under water,” he says, “we used to go every weekend to set up camp in a key called Playamero but one of those weekends, I was. I was shocked to see that all the colors had disappeared: almost every something had died and I didn’t understand what had happened.”

Yranzo later discovered that a mass die-off occurred that killed nearly 90% of the Park’s species, attributed to abnormal weather or chemical contamination.

“This really marked me, it awakened my interest and it was my moment of inspiration to want to know about the creatures that existed, who they are, what happened,” he says.

After passing his diving course as a teenager, Yranzo would go on to study for a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, a master’s degree in marine ecology and then receive a two-year grant from the Zoological Society’s “EDGE of Existence Program” of London in 2018.

“This focused on the study of the main reef-building species in the two marine reserves of the country’s coast (Morrocoy National Park and Cuare Wildlife Refuge),” he says, adding that this scholarship also gave him extensive education through training. courses included in the scholarship program.

Yranzo explains that scientific research to address global challenges requires the participation of all scientists in the world and all should be recognized equally.

“The science that is done from the Global South in relation to coral reefs for example, will include the perspectives of local scientists who live in the countries where the reefs are located,” he says. “This local knowledge is important and fundamental to the development of science.”

Crabs ‘Spiny Arms’ Invade Colombia

In nearby waters, Alejandro Lozano, a marine biology graduate of Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano with a Master’s Degree in Marine Science from Universidad Nacional de Colombia, studies the Indo-Pacific Swimming Crab (Charybdis hellerii), which was most likely introduced in Colombia. Caribbean coast for commercial shipping.

Lozano says the crab has not received much attention in Colombia and the impact it can have on the country, as shown in other areas of Latin America such as Venezuela and Brazil, where it has directly affected ecosystems and fisheries.

He explains that this crab has been widely reported: from the upper Guajira to the Gulf of Morrosquillo and in a study researchers showed that some areas where the crabs arrived were more suitable than others.

“Researching this species lays the groundwork for a better understanding of population dynamics in critical situations, similar to what is happening to the red lobster (Procambarus clarkii) in the Cundinamarca and Boyacá regions,” Lozano says, “I believe it is important for studies on invasive species be taken into account when enacting laws for the conservation and management of the species.”