Specialists warn that the Unomia Stolonifera on the coasts of Venezuela threatens the Caribbean: what methods are being utilized?

• The Meals and Agriculture Group of the United Nations (FAO) permitted a contribution of virtually 6 million {dollars} for the plan to manage invasive coral

The Unomia Stolonifera coral, initially from Indonesia, has been invading the coasts of Venezuela for nearly twenty years, however its fast unfold lately has begun to disrupt human actions comparable to fishing and tourism, an issue that, in response to consultants, threatens to unfold all through the Caribbean.

Marine biologist José Grieco, coordinator of the environmental group Proyecto Unomia, stated that that is the primary time that the uncontrolled proliferation of this unique species has occurred in Venezuela.

“That is not an issue for Venezuela, it has already gone to a brand new degree, that is now a matter for the higher Caribbean, as a result of it’s already there, it’s in Cuba, it’s presumed to be within the Dominican Republic and in Puerto Rico as effectively, so that is right here to remain,” Grieco instructed the EFE information company.

The Minister of Ecosocialism, Josué Lorca, identified that the Unomia Stolonifera is a “organic pandemic”, for the reason that Invader kills stony corals and imposes its darkish tone on the seabed.

Picture: EFE/ Ronald Peña R

The Venezuelan authorities, with the assistance of the Meals and Agriculture Group of the United Nations (FAO), is at the moment engaged on standardizing protocols for the management and administration of this delicate coral.

Technique to cease invasive coral on Venezuelan coasts

The plan to cease the invasive coral Unomia Stolonifera brings collectively biologists, ecologists and researchers typically, a few of whom describe the scenario as a “environmental catastrophe”.

Based on Minister Lorca, the technique have to be oriented in direction of mitigation, a plan that was agreed upon by virtually all of the researchers who met in Anzoátegui to signal, along with representatives of the Govt and the FAO, a dedication to create and implement a basic protocol to guage and supervise management strategies.

Primarily based on this premise, FAO permitted a contribution of 5.9 million {dollars} for the management plan for Unomia Stolonifera, which will likely be channeled via the joint protocol that will likely be led by the Govt, with the assistance of scientists and different organizations.

Picture: EFE/ Ronald Peña R

The aim, Lorca instructed EFE, is to create a uniform methodology for everybody that can permit them to assault the issue in a complete method.

Based on figures dealt with by the group Proyecto Unomia, not less than 4 states of Venezuela, of the ten positioned dealing with the Caribbean Sea, are affected by this invasionIn these areas, the colonization of this invasive species is simply starting or has already destroyed arduous corals, from which it has robbed them of sunshine.

Doable options to cease Unomia Stolonifera

Researchers concerned within the plan have steered numerous strategies to mitigate the issue, together with inserting blankets over the coral which are soaked in a substance that kills the Unomia in regarding three days, each by depriving it of sunshine and due to the form of poison contained within the plastic that covers it.

“It is a method for cleansing the courtyard of the inn,” stated the creator of the protocol, Sinatra Salazar, a professor on the College of Oriente (UDO) to the EFE company.

Picture: EFE/ Ronald Peña R

He added that they’re betting on coordination between the State and fishermen to extend the implementation of this or some other technique that serves to manage the invader.

The researcher defined that this invader has discovered perfect circumstances on the Venezuelan coast to breed.

The group Unomia Options has created a number of units, together with a robotic that walks on the seabed to eradicate the intruder and extraction hoses that may get the issue out of the water. In each instances, the velocity of those prototypes must be elevated, stated creator Jorge García.

The developer of those units stated he had spent round a thousand hours researching this species in an effort to examine attainable options to the issue.

“The thought is to protect arduous corals in an effort to cease invasive corals in time, with the assistance of expertise and coordinated work,” stated García.

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