Scallop fishers scoop invasive sea vomit from Bay of Fundy in aid of science

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scallop-fishers-scoop-invasive-sea-vomit-from-bay-of-fundy-in-aid-of-scienceScallop fishers scoop invasive sea vomit from Bay of Fundy in aid of science

New Brunswick

Scallop fishers in the Bay of Fundy are keeping an eye out for a creamy-white species that grows on the seafloor and would be described by some as gross.

50 fishers are assisting Huntsman Marine Science Centre as it studies rubbery species

Rhythm Rathi · CBC News

· Posted: Jan 21, 2025 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

A white woman wearing pink hat and jacket. She is holding a sheet of paper in one hand and a vial filled with clear liquid in the other.

Emily Blacklock, a graduate student and part-time scallop and lobster fisher, is among those collecting sea vomit samples for the research. (Rhythm Rathi/CBC)

Scallop fishers in the Bay of Fundy are keeping an eye out for a creamy-white species that grows on the seabed and could be described as gross.  

The invasive marine invertebrate is known as sea vomit, sea squirt and pancake-batter tunicate, and large patches of it were found near Deer Island in 2020 and 2022, according to the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in Saint Andrews.

The centre approached the Fundy North Fishermen’s Association for help collecting samples of sea vomit for a three-year research project.

Emily Blacklock, the science director for the association, will be among 50 scallop fishers looking for sea vomit in their scallop catches, scraping off any they find and storing it in ethanol-filled vials.

A gross looking, white coloured rubbery species kept in three different glass trays.

Samples of sea vomit, also known as sea squirt and pancake batter tunicate. The sample on the right is growing on a mussel.  » Read More


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