* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Penn State-Themed Restaurant and Entertainment Spot Happy Valley Live Set to Open in State College – StateCollege.com

    Penn State-Themed Restaurant and Entertainment Spot Happy Valley Live Set to Open in State College – StateCollege.com

    The Police Made Chart History With This 1979 Hit Nearly 50 Years Ago – Yahoo

    How The Police Changed Music Forever with Their Iconic 1979 Hit Nearly 50 Years Ago

    Good Deed Entertainment Acquires Worldwide Rights To Liza Mandelup’s Documentary ‘Caterpillar’ – Deadline

    Good Deed Entertainment Lands Global Rights to Liza Mandelup’s Captivating Documentary ‘Caterpillar

    Danielle Fishel Explains Why Being on “DWTS” Makes Her Feel ‘Like It’s 1994 Again’ Filming “Boy Meets World” (Exclusive) – Yahoo

    Danielle Fishel Explains Why Being on “DWTS” Makes Her Feel ‘Like It’s 1994 Again’ Filming “Boy Meets World” (Exclusive) – Yahoo

    Jussie Smollett Claims He Was ‘Disrespected’ on the ‘Special Forces’ Season Premiere – Yahoo

    Jussie Smollett Opens Up About Feeling ‘Disrespected’ During the ‘Special Forces’ Season Premiere

    TicketSmarter Fall Entertainment Guide – Eastern Illinois University Athletics

    TicketSmarter Fall Entertainment Guide – Eastern Illinois University Athletics

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    STELLA Automotive AI Appoints Fred Seidelman as Chief Technology Officer – Yahoo Finance

    STELLA Automotive AI Appoints Fred Seidelman as New Chief Technology Officer

    Saving Energy and Money with Smart Technology – Terms of Service with Clare Duffy – Podcast on CNN Podcasts – CNN

    Saving Energy and Money with Smart Technology – Terms of Service with Clare Duffy – Podcast on CNN Podcasts – CNN

    Four Strategic Signals Technology Leaders Are Tuning In To – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM ARM – Harvard Business Review

    Four Essential Strategic Signals Every Technology Leader Should Watch

    Virginia Tech hosts annual New Music + Technology Festival this week – Cardinal News

    Virginia Tech Kicks Off Exciting Annual New Music and Technology Festival This Week

    Why I gave the world wide web away for free | Tim Berners-Lee – The Guardian

    Why I Decided to Make the World Wide Web Free for Everyone | Tim Berners-Lee

    From shale to steam: Fossil fuel technology boosts clean geothermal energy – Washington Examiner

    From Shale to Steam: How Fossil Fuel Technology is Powering a Clean Geothermal Energy Revolution

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Penn State-Themed Restaurant and Entertainment Spot Happy Valley Live Set to Open in State College – StateCollege.com

    Penn State-Themed Restaurant and Entertainment Spot Happy Valley Live Set to Open in State College – StateCollege.com

    The Police Made Chart History With This 1979 Hit Nearly 50 Years Ago – Yahoo

    How The Police Changed Music Forever with Their Iconic 1979 Hit Nearly 50 Years Ago

    Good Deed Entertainment Acquires Worldwide Rights To Liza Mandelup’s Documentary ‘Caterpillar’ – Deadline

    Good Deed Entertainment Lands Global Rights to Liza Mandelup’s Captivating Documentary ‘Caterpillar

    Danielle Fishel Explains Why Being on “DWTS” Makes Her Feel ‘Like It’s 1994 Again’ Filming “Boy Meets World” (Exclusive) – Yahoo

    Danielle Fishel Explains Why Being on “DWTS” Makes Her Feel ‘Like It’s 1994 Again’ Filming “Boy Meets World” (Exclusive) – Yahoo

    Jussie Smollett Claims He Was ‘Disrespected’ on the ‘Special Forces’ Season Premiere – Yahoo

    Jussie Smollett Opens Up About Feeling ‘Disrespected’ During the ‘Special Forces’ Season Premiere

    TicketSmarter Fall Entertainment Guide – Eastern Illinois University Athletics

    TicketSmarter Fall Entertainment Guide – Eastern Illinois University Athletics

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    STELLA Automotive AI Appoints Fred Seidelman as Chief Technology Officer – Yahoo Finance

    STELLA Automotive AI Appoints Fred Seidelman as New Chief Technology Officer

    Saving Energy and Money with Smart Technology – Terms of Service with Clare Duffy – Podcast on CNN Podcasts – CNN

    Saving Energy and Money with Smart Technology – Terms of Service with Clare Duffy – Podcast on CNN Podcasts – CNN

    Four Strategic Signals Technology Leaders Are Tuning In To – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM ARM – Harvard Business Review

    Four Essential Strategic Signals Every Technology Leader Should Watch

    Virginia Tech hosts annual New Music + Technology Festival this week – Cardinal News

    Virginia Tech Kicks Off Exciting Annual New Music and Technology Festival This Week

    Why I gave the world wide web away for free | Tim Berners-Lee – The Guardian

    Why I Decided to Make the World Wide Web Free for Everyone | Tim Berners-Lee

    From shale to steam: Fossil fuel technology boosts clean geothermal energy – Washington Examiner

    From Shale to Steam: How Fossil Fuel Technology is Powering a Clean Geothermal Energy Revolution

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

These creepy crawlies could be Florida’s next big invasive threats, scientists say

December 30, 2023
in Science
These creepy crawlies could be Florida’s next big invasive threats, scientists say
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Zebra mussel

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Florida has long been home to an unnatural assortment of creatures from faraway lands and habitats, and these tourists turned permanent residents have wreaked havoc on the natural ecosystem.

You can thank the Burmese pythons slithering around the Everglades for the lack of marsh rabbits, and the Asian swamp eels are to blame for cratering populations of native crayfish and flagfish.

But what’s next?

That’s the subject of new research from the University of Florida, where scientists tried to predict which species could be the next contender for the Sunshine State’s most annoying new invasive.

Scientists analyzed nearly 500 potential candidates before narrowing the field to 40 species that could pose the biggest threat.

Of those, four stood out. The UF team said the four species to watch out for next are alewife, zebra mussels, crab-eating macaques, and red swamp crayfish.

While the three marine species may not look impressive compared to the fanged beasts that draw the most headlines for their ecosystem-ruining behavior, they each could pose a real threat to Florida’s food web.

The report doesn’t suggest where these species might be likely to pop up next, but it does include predictions for how they might sneak into Florida, including hitchhiking on cargo containers or illegal releases from irresponsible pet owners.

The study mainly relies on a numerical model that scores and ranks the creatures based on their history of invading other places, how often Florida is exposed to places where they’re already invasive, and if Florida is the right habitat for this species. Researchers also ran their findings past a panel of 28 experts in academia, wildlife management nonprofits, and government agencies.

Alewife

The alewife, a tiny herring fish, is already causing problems with the trout population in the Great Lakes area. Alewives eat trout larvae, reducing the population, but when adult trout consume too many of them, the bigger fish get a vitamin deficiency that hurts their reproductive abilities.

They were originally introduced to freshwater lakes as prey for game fish, according to the USDA’s Invasive.org, and haven’t yet been spotted in Florida.

Zebra Mussels

Zebra mussels are already considered one of the “world’s worst” invaders. Originally from the Black, Aral, and Caspian seas in Eurasia, the shellfish have since made homes all around Europe, Great Britain, North America, Russia, and Scandinavia.

Scientists figure they spread through ballast water from large ships, which first brought them to the Great Lakes region in the 1980s, according to the USGS.

“Zebra mussels negatively impact ecosystems in many ways. They filter out algae that native species need for food and they attach to—and incapacitate—native mussels. Power plants must also spend millions of dollars removing zebra mussels from clogged water intakes,” the USGS website reads.

They haven’t been found in the wild in Florida yet, but a Gainesville pet shop was cited in 2021 after inspectors found one in a moss ball for sale in the shop.

Crab-eating Macaques

“The one that wasn’t even on my radar was the macaque,” lead author Diah Lieurance, who started the project while working at the University of Florida and is now an assistant professor of invasive species biology and management at Penn State, said in a statement.

“But they’re already in the state in captivity, and as their name says, they’re good at eating crabs. This means they would have an impact on our native biodiversity.”

The crab-eating macaque was the only species on the list that ranked as a danger both to the ecosystem and to human health because the monkeys can carry diseases that affect humans. A close relative, the rhesus macaque, is already established in Silver Springs, Florida, and carries a deadly strain of herpes.

Red Swamp Crayfish

The red swamp crayfish, a hand-sized crustacean the color of a fire engine, is already a problem in Florida. According to the USGS, they tend to out-eat and out-compete native crayfish, as well as devour the eggs of other vulnerable species.

“Its introduction may cause dramatic changes in native plant and animal communities,” a report from the Fish and Wildlife Service said.

Floridians that spot one of these critters, or any other nonnative animals, can report sightings at the FWC’s Invasive Species Hotline at 888-Ive-Got1 (483-4681) to report nonnative animals.

“We ask the public to call the Hotline to report high-priority species, which include all nonnative snakes, monitor lizards, and tegus,” the agency said.

©2023 Miami Herald.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Citation:
These creepy crawlies could be Florida’s next big invasive threats, scientists say (2023, December 29)
retrieved 30 December 2023
from https://phys.org/news/2023-12-creepy-crawlies-florida-big-invasive.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Phys.org – https://phys.org/news/2023-12-creepy-crawlies-florida-big-invasive.html

Tags: CreepyscienceThese
Previous Post

A new way to characterize habitable planets

Next Post

South Africa accuses Israel of genocide at International Court of Justice

Atlanta Braves Manager Brian Snitker Moving to ‘Advisory Role’ – FOX Sports

Atlanta Braves Manager Brian Snitker Moving to ‘Advisory Role’ – FOX Sports

October 1, 2025
The sleepy SF neighborhood that just became one of the world’s coolest – SFGATE

The sleepy SF neighborhood that just became one of the world’s coolest – SFGATE

October 1, 2025
The “stuck economy,” tariffs and Wall Street – marketplace.org

How Tariffs and Wall Street Are Strangling the Economy’s Growth

October 1, 2025
LSU Theatre’s season opener: A handkerchief discovered by a lovesick suitor adds up to hilarity – The Advocate

Love, Laughter, and a Lost Handkerchief: LSU Theatre’s Season Opener Promises Hilarious Fun

October 1, 2025
Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program – Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services | CMS (.gov)

Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program – Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services | CMS (.gov)

October 1, 2025
Ex-NATO head on Russia: ‘We cannot change Putin’s mind’ – DW

Ex-NATO head on Russia: ‘We cannot change Putin’s mind’ – DW

October 1, 2025
PFAS in East Selah drinking water – Washington State Department of Ecology (.gov)

Alarming PFAS Contamination Discovered in East Selah Drinking Water

October 1, 2025
Science Expo – Northern Public Radio

Discover the Wonders of Science at the Exciting Expo!

October 1, 2025
Science and artificial intelligence could help personalize brain stimulation for smokers – News-Medical

How Science and AI Are Transforming Personalized Brain Stimulation to Help Smokers Quit

October 1, 2025
Review: What’s good at new prime-cuts steakhouse in Virginia Beach – Yahoo

Review: What’s good at new prime-cuts steakhouse in Virginia Beach – Yahoo

October 1, 2025

Categories

Archives

October 2025
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Sep    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (845)
  • Economy (866)
  • Entertainment (21,740)
  • General (17,348)
  • Health (9,910)
  • Lifestyle (879)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (868)
  • Politics (877)
  • Science (16,076)
  • Sports (21,367)
  • Technology (15,849)
  • World (849)

Recent News

Atlanta Braves Manager Brian Snitker Moving to ‘Advisory Role’ – FOX Sports

Atlanta Braves Manager Brian Snitker Moving to ‘Advisory Role’ – FOX Sports

October 1, 2025
The sleepy SF neighborhood that just became one of the world’s coolest – SFGATE

The sleepy SF neighborhood that just became one of the world’s coolest – SFGATE

October 1, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version