Texas Standard. (2023, January 23) Texas Standard for Jan. 23, 2023: New invasive species 

sighted in Southeast Texas nature preserve. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/today-on-texas-standard-january-23-2023/ 

This article discussed an invasive deer species that has made its way into the Texas nature preserve. The deer species is the “axis deer”.”  This species is deemed to be very harmful because they “increase the risk of spreading chronic wasting disease, a deadly, highly transmissible neurologic disease that affects animals like deer, elk, and moose.”  They also eat the same food as the white tail deer, so they could be outcompeting them for a common resource. These deer are originally from India and Nepal and were bought and brought here by some Texas citizens. The deer managed to escape from their designated area and have made their way into the wild.  Texas made it legal for citizens to hunt as many as they wanted without having to pay or report.

This article is related to Environmental Science because it is about an invasive species posing a threat to a natural ecosystem.  This species will negatively affect the Texas wildlife preserve ecosystem because it will overcrowd the areas with its own species.  This will happen because it can eat the plants that the white tailed deer do not eat, so it could grow its numbers on that food source and once there are too many invasive deer eating their specific plant, they will shift over to the white tailed deer feed. This will lead to mass starvation and even extinction, starting a food web crisis..

Creative Loafing. (2023, January 23) Tampa Bay is now home to an invasive, air-breathing fish. 

Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.cltampa.com/news/tampa-bay-is-n ow-home-to-an-invasive-air-breathing-fish-14986316 

This article talks about a crazy new discovery in the waters of Tampa Bay.  They have found a fish that is able to potentially live outside of water.  This species is native to Thailand and made its way to the United States via bad trade practices. “By utilizing the ability to extract oxygen from both water and air, goldline snakeheads are able to survive out of water for almost four days.” These fish also have the ability to feed whilst on land.

This article is related to Environmental Science because it is about an invasive species posing a threat to a natural ecosystem.  These fish can travel between bodies of water by getting out of the body of water and flopping around to another.  They are able to live up to 4 days outside of water due to an evolutionary adaptation that they have made over the years.  This could be very detrimental to the native frog population because this fish can attack the frogs in the water and on land.  Also, the frogs can’t just run to another body of water because the fish can just follow them there on land.

News Break. (2023, January 28) Is This Invasive Flying Fish Going To Take Over The 

Tennessee River? Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://original.newsbreak.com/@april-killian-1599867/2906756829748-is-this-invasive-flying-fish-going-to-take-over-the-tennessee-river 

Right now in Tennessee, the rivers are being invaded by a silver asian carp.  This species of carp reproduces more than the other three species of asian carp, so it is going to be very hard to get rid of all of them. Also, this creature is a pro at destroying native habitat.  Boating in an area with this flying carp causes vibrations in the water that spook the fish and make them fly out of the water.  This is a problem because they can weigh up to 60 lbs and if a few of them hit you hard enough in the right places, it could knock you out or kill you.

This article is related to Environmental Science because it is about an invasive species posing a threat to human recreational activities.  Taking your family out to the river to go river rafting, or boating, or water skiing can now be deadly.  Humans are animals as well and our safety is being put at risk by this fish because it can jump up to 10 feet out of the water and hit us and cause serious damage.  This incident is terrifying parents near the areas of the rivers in Tennessee and may cause generation trauma in a way the movie “Jaws” did with the ocean.

Kaua’i Now. (2023, January 29). Stinging little fire ants grow their queendom on Kaua‘i to tipping

point levels. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://kauainownews.com/2023/01/29/st inging-little-fire-ants-grow-their-queendom-on-kauai-to-tipping-point-levels/ 

Recently in the Hawaii area there has been an outbreak of small red fire ants that have been taking over the landscape.  “They pack a mean punch” because when they bite or sting you, you will have burning and itching feelings that could last several weeks.  These mean little buggers can cause pain to livestock animals by stinging them near the eyes, making them go blind.  These ants now  have control of over 55 acres of land in the Hawaii area.  Getting rid of them will not be cheap, it will cost 1 or 2 million dollars. “In the Galapagos, the ants attack the eyes of adult tortoises and eat tortoise hatchlings.”

This article is related to Environmental Science because it is about an invasive species taking over natural habitat that they are not native to.  They cause damage to the native plants by protecting aphids from harm and they cause harm to the native animals by biting them near the eyes, causing blindness.  They have also invaded other areas like the Galapagos where they eat turtle eggs which decrease the future population of turtles, disrupting the entire ocean food web. 

National Geographic.  (2022, August 18).  Destructive lionfish are invading Brazil.  Retrieved 

August 21, 2022, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/lionfish-invading-brazil-coast-invasive-species

Lion Fish have earned the name the most destructive invasive fish.  They disrupt food chains and eat local fish. They have been spreading south in recent years to places such as Brazil.  Another place they have gone is the Mediterranean Sea, they came from the Indian Ocean and Suez Canal. They are predicted to eventually reach west Africa.  Lionfish have poisonous backs so they are hard to remove, they also are very good at adapting to new food sources and environments, hence why they are so damaging.

This article is related to Environmental science because it talks about how an invasive species is changing an environment and potentially the world if nothing is done soon.  Invasive species are damaging not only the species in the environment, but species from outside of it. In the case of the lionfish, they eat other fish, this disrupts how many fish the land and air animals get.  And if some land or air animals only get their food from the ocean they could die out completely.

Nature World News. (2022, July 29).  Cats are now considered an alien species in poland.  

Retrieved August 21, 2022, from https://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/52232/20220729/cats-now-considered-as-alien-invasive-species-in-poland.htm

Cats have been labeled an invasive species because they are killing local birds and other small animals.  They have been declared as an invasive species because in their pursuit to hunt these small animals scientists claim that they have hurt biodiversity.  Cats are so good at killing these birds they can even kill them while they are flying.

This article is related to Environmental Science because it is about an invasive species harming biodiversity.  The cats are making the birds and other small animals develop traits that will help them survive or hide from cat attacks rather than focus on more important things like how the animals could better adapt to the ever changing environment.  This happens in more places than just Poland, invasive species change the ecosystems and food webs that they are brought into.

Reuters. (2022, July 29).  Invasive frog and snake species cost the world economy $16 billion, 

study shows.  Retrieved August 21, 2022, from https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/invasive-frog-snake-species-cost-world-economy-16-bln-study-shows-2022-07-28/

The American Bullfrog and brown tree snake cost the world economy $16 billion between the years of 1986 and 2020.  They did this by damaging crops and causing power outages.  They cause outages by crawling into electrical equipment.  The brown tree snake is breeding a lot and their numbers in recent years have skyrocketed in places like Guam and the Mariana islands.

This article is related to Environmental Science because it is about how invasive species are attempting to adapt to a new environment.  For instance, the snakes are crawling in and on electrical equipment probably looking for warmth or shelter.  They also are damaging crops by trying to find food in this new environment.  Recently they have made their way into the exotic pet trade because they are only found in certain parts of the world.

BBC News. (2022, August 8). The crab invading the Mediterranean Sea. Retrieved August 21, 

2022, from https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220809-how-the-mediterranean-became-the-worlds-most-invaded-sea

Blue Crabs are an invasive species to the mediterranean sea.   Their habitat of origin is the Indo-Pacific waters and they made their way to the Mediterranean when the Suez Canal was opened back in 1898.  These crabs reproduce 4 times a year and produce over 100,000 babies per female.  They are also very aggressive; they like to nip fishing line, fishing nets, other fish, and fisherman.  At first their arrival distributed the fishing business, but over time it helped grow the business by becoming one of the most sought-after seafoods in the region.

This article is related to Environmental Science because it is about how we changed a species desired environment to a different location.  This change was by accident and of course there were many problems this new species caused to the ecosystem, but it benefits humans and the fishing industry greatly.  These crabs have become a common resource for the people of the region that are less fortunate.  Because of the abundance of this crab, many people that are poor can fish for this crab and sell or eat them.

The New York Times. (2022, August 15). Pigs to the Rescue: An Invasive Species 

Helped Save Australia’s Crocodiles. Retrieved August 21, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/15/science/invasive-species-pigs-crocodiles.html 

Wild pigs have been a problem in Australia for many years because they destroy the landscape without any predators or way to lower their population.  Recently the pigs have started to go to the crocodile’s natural habitat: the swamps.  They go here for the drinking water that they desperately need, but the crocs have become lazy hunters, so whenever a pig takes a sip from the swamp it’s like a dinner bell for the crocs. 

This article is related to Environmental Science because it talks about how populations of invasive species are kept in check and how invasive species can be helpful.  The pigs are an invasive species to Australia and they destroy the land, the crocodiles are helping by lowering the pigs numbers.  This is beneficial to the landscape of Australia because if there are less wild pigs, not as much damage can be done.  This is beneficial to the native species, the crocodiles, because they get a free meal.  The crocodiles were endangered before the pigs moved to the swamps, but now they will have enough food to survive and breed.