Putting Invasive Species to Work

Summary:

First, pollution and over-harvesting caused the population of Puget Sound oysters to plummet. And then, a new sea creature came to town! The "arched slipper limpet," a native of the East Coast, hitch hiked west in ships' ballasts and planted itself firmly on oyster turf.

Additional Credits and Funding:

Isla Earth is funded by the Annenberg Foundation's Blue Planet Initiative and produced by the Catalina Island Conservancy, because, Earth IS an Island.

Tones:

Engaging, Informational, Inspiring

Language:

English

Description:

A pearl of an oyster - a favorite among seafood connoisseurs - is facing double trouble in Washington State.

First, pollution and over-harvesting caused the population of Puget Sound oysters to plummet. And then, a new sea creature came to town! The "arched slipper limpet," a native of the East Coast, hitch hiked west in ships' ballasts and planted itself firmly on oyster turf.

That's when officials in the town of Olympia took up arms, hatching eradication plans for the free-loading limpet - with an interesting twist.

Olympia gets a lot of rain, and storm water carries pollutants into the sound. A filler was needed to help slow and reduce storm water flows. So, city officials decided to declare the scoop-shaped shell of the arched slipper limpet the official substrate for sidewalks. Of course, millions of shells would be needed.

Oyster fishermen were delighted with the plan, what was once a nuisance would become a source of income. This clever financial incentive has made a healthier (and less crowded) bed for one of the tastiest mollusks of Puget Sound, where the world is, once again, its oyster.

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