SOS Marine life! Conserve Natives & Control Aliens
“My love for the sea allowed me to undergo many beautiful experiences, from rowing and fishing in harbours from the age of six to adult handling all type of crafts.
I learnt to respect the sea since it holds the land we live on, supplies us with water to drink and provides endless species which we can consume as food but also keep out sea alive.
We can only continue to enjoy what the fun fishing and delicious marine food by supporting the conservation of our seas and oceans.
We at gofishtoday.com are supporting this ongoing conservation research project by the University of Malta Conservation Biology Research group (CBRG-UOM). Through their dedicated and independent research, they can provide us with knowledge that will improve our activities to be sustainable and respectful of our wonderful sea.”
Capt. Norbert Spagnol
The Conservation Biology Research Group at the University of Malta – (CBRG-UM) has been actively working with both commercial and recreational fishermen for many years as part of its long-term research efforts to monitor changes in local marine species and their environment. The group, through peer-reviewed publications, has documented the arrival of many new species in our waters including the Indopacific sergeant, the Niger Hind, the cocoa damselfish, the dory snapper, the lowfin chub, the longjaw squirrelfish, the Monrovia doctorfish and the African sergeant amongst others and whilst also recording the presence of the Lionfish.
The research team is led by Prof. Adriana Vella, Dr. Sandra Agius Darmanin, and Dr. Noel Vella.
The tools being used for this research are also being used to assess changes in biodiversity in Maltese waters. Some of these non-native species have now adapted to their new environment, reproducing and rapidly increasing in numbers with a risk to destabilizing local ecological communities. Examples of such species include the blue swimmer crab and the dusky spinefoot.
This conservation research group invites all sea users to submit any sightings of alien or new or strange species supported by photographs here with relevant information.
For donations of alien specimens for conservation research, you may contact Prof Adriana Vella on +356 99429592 or Dr. Sandra Agius Darmanin on +356 99820014.
Specimens that contribute to new records and therefore to timely conservation measures will be eligible for a thank you gift sponsored by gofishtoday.com
