Just as the weather heats up in the Mediterranean a nasty surprise makes it uncomfortable to surf and swim. After Egypt created the man-made Suez Canal to link the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea a nightmare of invasive animal, plant and bacterial species have overtook the Mediterranean Sea.

They compete with fish and habitat, causing harm to natural ecosystems. It’s been over 150 years since the canal was created and there is little evidence that Egypt has done anything to protect habitats on either side of the canal. Toxic jellyfish and invasive lionfish are two of the more well known invaders. Most worrisome has been the arrival of the Lagocephalus Sceleratus, an extremely poisonous bony fish commonly known as the silver-cheeked toadfish.

Desalination plants could create a salinity barrier that would slow the invaders from traveling back and forth but meanwhile research continues on the expansion and behavior of the newcomers.

The phenomenon of migrating from the Red to Med Sea is called the Lessepsian migration (or the Erythrean invasion). It is more rare for the migration to happen in the opposite direction.

One jellyfish, the invasive Rhopilema nomadica, is a nomad jellyfish indigenous to tropical warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Since the 70’s it has been also found in Mediterranean Sea, where it entered via the Suez Canal. It is now the the commonest jellyfish in the southeastern Mediterranean, and they actually direct themselves and “swim” to the west while swimming, according to researchers who studied them.

“Until now, it was assumed that jellyfish aggregations swim in a random manner, so that their direction is dictated solely by water currents…We discovered that along the coast of Israel, jellyfish swim toward the west, i.e., against the direction of the waves,” said Dr. Yoav Lehahn of the Department of Marine Geosciences at the University of Haifa, the editor of the study.

Jellyfish belong to the phylum Cnidaria and have existed for around 500 million years without any morphological changes. Researchers’ knowledge about jellyfish is still very limited in many respects. One of the biggest unknowns  about jellyfish aggregations is the nature of their movement and migration patterns.

The lack of understanding of this aspect impairs the ability to prepare for the arrival of jellyfish at various facilities, such as power stations and desalination plants. “If the jellyfish were passive – in other words, if they were not able to move independently and simply drifted along in sea currents, we could predict the arrival of aggregations. We cannot do so, and this suggests that jellyfish have swimming capabilities that we do not yet understand,” the researchers explained.

The data collection stage in the study was complex: a light airplane flew along the coastline from Ashkelon in the south to Nahariya in the north, mapping the distribution of aggregations and identifying the largest ones. Next, the researchers monitored and photographed the direction of progress of the aggregations using drones operated from a nearby research boat.

The researchers examined the direction in which the aggregations swam relative to the sea currents and waves and found they swim collectively at a speed of around 10cm a second, moving to the west in a counter-wave direction. By so doing, they distance themselves from the coast and increase their chances of survival. The researchers added that the swimming patterns may vary between different jellyfish species and different maritime environments:

“When the strong tidal currents are dominant, it is possible that the jellyfish would swim against the current rather than against the waves, in order to reduce the risk of being swept onto the beach. In other cases, jellyfish may prefer to stay close to the coast, in inlets or estuaries. Swimming toward the open sea may not always be the first choice – the underlying objective is to reach a place where they have the best chances of survival.”

After storms, for example, large numbers of jellyfish are swept onto the beach, because they were unable to overcome the undertow created by the waves, the researchers note. The study advances our understanding of their movements, and in the future may allow us to predict when accumulations will arrive on coasts and when they will depart.

During the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year, the Suez Canal revenues hit a record-breaking $9.4 billion. Canal revenues are a key source of foreign currency for Egypt alongside tourism. Egypt should be earmarking a significant amount of these profits to helping protect the ecosystems that have been devastated. Why is no one holding Egypt accountable?

The post Invasive jellyfish aren’t just drifting in chaos appeared first on Green Prophet.

AD Ports Group, the operator of industrial cities and free zones in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates is spearheading a consortium to develop a green methanol plant in Egypt.

Green methanol, made from biomass such as plant waste, is a synthetic fuel produced renewably and without polluting emissions (in theory), and can be produced from green hydrogen. This chemical compound can be used as a low-carbon liquid fuel and is a promising alternative to fossil fuels in areas where decarbonisation is a major challenge.

Green, Blue and Grey Methanol – what’s the difference in fuel types?

Green methanol (or bio-methanol) may be produced via biological pathways (anaerobic digestion), thermo-chemical pathways (gasification) or electrofuel pathways (power to gas). Blue methanol is made using blue hydrogen in combination with carbon capture technology. Grey methanol is produced using natural gas.

The new Egyptian facility will aim to supply low-carbon fuel for maritime transport, presenting an opportunity to establish clean alternative energy storage solutions globally.The addition of a facility in this area will provide fueling solutions for those mainliners who have ordered green methanol-powered vessels.

One challenge with Egypt and the Suez Canal, currently, is keeping terrorists such as the Yemenite Houthis terror group from sabotaging its shipping line from the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. Working with the moderate UAE will help broker peace in the region. The UAE even has a Green Sheikh who was a regular contributor to Green Prophet over the years.

According to Abu Dhabi’s AD Ports they anticipate more than 100 methanol-fuelled ships will be in service in the next 2 years by 2026, representing around a million tonnes of additional methanol demand.

According to Drewry and Clarksons, a maritime research group, the methanol-fuelled vessel fleet will grow from 2 per cent to 14 per cent of the global fleet based on orders already placed.

“This initiative not only aligns with the UAE’s decarbonisation goals but also accelerates the energy transition in shipping, positioning us at the forefront of the green hydrogen revolution and enabling us to contribute to global environmental stewardship and economic diversification,” said Ammar Mubarak Al Shaiba, CEO – Maritime & Shipping Cluster, AD Ports Group.

Developing carbon-friendly projects in other nations can earn countries carbon credits through UN mechanisms.

The group has signed a preliminary agreement with Egyptian container shipping line Transmar and Orascom Construction for the project, which will include storage and export facilities for the synthetic fuel.

Green methanol, a low-carbon synthetic fuel, can be produced from biomass or through carbon capture and green hydrogen. It offers a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, especially in sectors like chemicals and plastics where decarbonization is challenging.

This fuel is also more cost-effective to store and transport, utilizing existing infrastructure for regular fossil fuels.

Maersk and Hapag Lloyd are already integrating such green methanol ships into their fleets. Evergreen, Cosco, CMA CGM and HMM have ships on order, according to Bloomberg.

The post Egypt developing green methanol fueling stations with Abu Dhabi’s AD Ports appeared first on Green Prophet.

The invasive blue crabs that made their way to Tunisia from the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal were not welcome at first but since have turned into a new export. Another species of blue crab that originated in America is causing its share of problems for fisherman right now in Italy.

The Callinectes Sapidus, the blue crab, the Atlantic blue crab, or the Maryland blue crab is threatening Italy’s clam-farming and fishing industries. The Italian government has allocated about $3 million USD to fund the capture of as many blue crabs as possible.

As a past researcher on invasive species, working for CAB Biosciences in Switzerland, I am pretty certain that offering a bounty to catch these crabs will have no impact in the long run. The species, as invaders do, will only be balanced when a natural predator finds a way to keep them in check. Remember when the mayor of Hebron offered a $20 bounty for a truck of dead dogs?

At the same time, the blue crab is the fifth most popular crab in the world market. It is especially sought out in the Asian, United States and Australian markets where it is featured on the menus of many restaurants.

According to Nature, the blue crab in Italy was first observed in the Mediterranean Sea in 1949, where it was probably transported in the ballast waters of transoceanic ships.

“The colonisation took some time, it is a slow process,” says Gianluca Sarà, marine ecologist at the University of Palermo. Before invading the Po River Delta, Atlantic blue crabs have been spotted in other locations in Italy. Established populations were first detected in 2014 in the lagoon of Lesina and Varano, in Apulia.

Climate change is suspected to be one of the reasons the blue crab was able to slide into Italy from the Adriatic Sea. Researchers are now looking on how their colonisation will impact other aquatic sea life and shores.

Invasive species like the Portunus segnis from the Indian Ocean or Callinectes Sapidus, the Atlantic blue crab, lived in ecosystems that that developed over thousands, maybe millions of years. The Suez Canal changed this separation between seas fast and is the reason why the Mediterranean is over-run with jellyfish every summer, making it impossible to swim in places like Israel and Lebanon for fear of getting stung during the hottest times of the year.

Two blue crabs invade. Let’s get those crabs straight

Portunus segnis, is the scientific name for the African blue swimming crab. It is a crustacean, and a swimming crab belonging to the family Portunidae. It is native to the western Indian Ocean, but invaded the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal in Egypt. In 2015 it invaded the Gulf of Gabes, in southern Tunisia. Now the country has dozens of crab-processing plants. “At first fishers wanted this species to disappear, but now they are asking the authorities for regulations to protect it,” says one fisherman.

Another invasive blue crab, the one invading Italy currently is Callinectes sapidus, the Atlantic blue crab, or regionally known in the US as the Maryland blue crab. It is a species of crab native to the waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, and it is now introduced internationally. It is also known as the Chesapeake blue crab.

Global shipping industry to blame for invaders

According to The Revelator, “global shipping is moving invasive species around the world.”

They report that “in July 2021 federal agents in New Orleans abruptly ordered the 600-foot cargo ship Pan Jasmine to leave US waters. The ship, which had sailed from India, was preparing to offload goods when inspectors noticed fresh sawdust on the cargo deck and discovered non-native beetles and ants boring into wooden packaging materials. The unwelcome insects included an Asian longhorn beetle, a species that was introduced into New York 25 years ago, where it has killed thousands of trees and cost $500 million in control efforts.

“The crew of beetles aboard the Pan Jasmine is not an isolated incident. That same month bee experts north of Seattle were scouring forest edges for Asian giant hornet nests. These new arrivals, famously known as “murder hornets,” first turned up in the Pacific Northwest in 2019, also likely via cargo ship. The two-inch hornets threaten crops, bee farms and wild plants by preying on native bees. Officials discovered and destroyed three nests.

“And this past autumn Pennsylvania officials urged residents to be on the lookout for spotted lanternflies, handsome, broad-winged natives of Asia discovered in 2014 and now present in at least nine eastern states. Believed to have arrived with a shipment of stone from China, the lanternfly voraciously consumes plants and foliage, threatening everything from oak trees to vineyards.”

Can world governments agree on necessary preventative measures?

The post Blue crabs invading Italy; can Slow Food solve the problem? appeared first on Green Prophet.

The Mediterranean Sea is being invaded by hundreds of species of fish, jellyfish, prawns and other marine species from outside the region. This happens when we create artificial waterways like the Suez Canal or when ships release bilge water into new territories. According to a new United Nations report (we covered the last one in 2018 here) there are now more than one thousand non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. 

The waters we love may never be the same. And these invaders are pushing out native species causing fishermen to adjust.

It’s already impossible to go swimming on the beaches of Gaza, Tel Aviv, or Beirut in July when the jellyfish that came from the Red Sea invade. What’s next?

Your favorite fish might go extinct

Over half of the invaders have established permanent populations and are spreading, causing concern about the threat they pose to marine ecosystems and local fishing communities, says a United Nations group called the FAO. 

“Climate change and human activities have had a profound impact on the Mediterranean and the Black Sea,” says Stefano Lelli, a fishery expert for the eastern Mediterranean working for the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean: “We have witnessed a swift and significant alteration of marine ecosystems, and this has led to several impacts on local communities’ livelihoods. In the coming years, we expect the number of non-indigenous species to continue rising. 

This regional fisheries management body, established by FAO, is leading efforts to promote sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. It works with fishers, conservationists, scientists and government authorities to better understand the rise in non-indigenous species and help countries improve their mitigation and management measures. 

How Climate change is making the Mediterranean Sea Tropical

The Mediterranean Sea is undergoing a “tropicalization” process as water temperatures rise, largely due to climate change. In addition, many species have migrated via well-travelled shipping routes such as the Strait of Gibraltar or the Suez Canal, often attached to the hull of ships or inside them in the ballast waters.

Other species, such as the Pacific cupped oyster and the Japanese carpet shell, were introduced for aquaculture during the 1960s and 1970s and have since escaped and colonized Mediterranean ecosystems. 

Once established, non-indigenous (or non-native) species can outcompete native ones and alter their surrounding ecosystems, with potential economic implications for fisheries and tourism or even human health.

What is an invasive species? 

Non-indigenous species (NIS) are called invasive when they cause either ecological, economical damage, or pose a threat to human health. Marine invasive species can pose major threats to biodiversity by altering community structure and function, and by modifying ecosystem processes, which can have long-lasting ecological and economic consequences

For example, six poisonous and venomous non-indigenous fish species, such as pufferfish (pictured above), lionfish and several jellyfish species, are now present in the eastern Mediterranean and can be toxic to humans if touched or ingested. 

Invasive species pose threats to either human health or inflict ecological and/or economic damage. The silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus), a Lessepsian species, is one of the most harmful species in the Mediterranean Sea, because of its potent neurotoxin, impacts on marine biodiversity, and the increased costs and labor they inflict on fishers. It was first reported in Turkey in 2003, but it’s been sighted as washing up on beaches in Israel, Turkey and Greece.

Since the catch and consumption of this pufferfish is prohibited by almost all countries bordering the Mediterranean, they have now expanded into the entire Mediterranean and Black Sea. Read a scientific report on them here.

Regions of concern listed in the report include Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Lebanon, Israel, Syria and Turkey. 

Turning a threat into an opportunity 

Fishers all over the region have been affected by this trend. However, with support, they are finding new ways to turn these invasions into opportunities.  

In southwest Turkey, where invasive species can account for 80 percent of the catch in some areas, fishers are gradually creating new consumer and export markets for species like lionfish, urchins and Randall’s seabream.  

Lebanon is also training fishers to capture non-indigenous species, encouraging consumers to try them. “Red Sea goatfish and lionfish are some examples of non-indigenous species becoming a source of income in Lebanon,” says Manal Nader, Associate Professor and Director of the Institute of Environment at the University of Balamand in Lebanon.  

In Tunisia, two non-indigenous species of blue crabs, which were threatening traditional fishing, were turned into a lucrative business when the FAO and the Tunisian Government helped connect fishers to new markets. We wrote about the blue crabs here. The same is happening in Spain and other parts of the Mediterranean, triggering  research programmes to manage these species.  

Protecting native species of fish

“International and regional cooperation as well as concerted action are needed to tackle non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean and Black Sea,” says Bayram Öztürk, author of the GFCM’s study on non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean (links to PDF).

“Needless to say, the impacts of non-indigenous species need to be monitored by all countries in the region. Once a species is introduced, it may be too late to eradicate.” 

We covered a similar FAO report in 2018. See how they compare.

The post Invasive species of the Mediterranean Sea appeared first on Green Prophet.

Hydrogen is a fuel of the future if it’s created with renewable sources like the sun. 

With Tehran, Iran enveloped in black smog from dust and fuel and Cairo constantly being known as one of the more air polluted cities in the world, it is good to see that the United Arab Emirates, blessed with fossil fuels, making good on making the world better.

Masdar, a renewable energy company that built the net-zero energy city under its namesake, along with Hassan Allam Utilities, are investing in the future of renewable energy. They announced just now that they will develop green hydrogen production plants in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and on the Mediterranean coast.  

What is green hydrogen?

Green hydrogen featured is a number of emissions reduction pledges at the UN Climate Conference, COP26, is a means to decarbonize heavy industry, long haul freight, shipping, and aviation. Governments and industry have both acknowledged hydrogen as an important pillar of a net zero economy.

The Egyptian organizations concerned include the New and Renewable Energy Authority, the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company, The Sovereign Fund of Egypt, and The General Authority for Suez Canal Economic Zone.  

HE Mostafa Kamal Madbouly, Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt, expressed his happiness at this signing with the UAE, highlighting the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, to strengthen and consolidate relations with the UAE in various sectors, so as to contribute to achieving the interests of the two nations.

He stressed that the state is working to encourage investment in green energy projects, due to Egypt’s potential to become an important pivotal and regional hub in this vital sector, which is expected to transform the global energy system during the upcoming period. These projects will also accelerate energy transition process in the region.

Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change and Chairman of Masdar, said, “Today’s partnership agreements to explore the development of green hydrogen production demonstrates the strength of the close relationship between The United Arab Emirates and the Arab Republic of Egypt.

“These projects will build on the UAE’s and Masdar’s position as an early mover in the global hydrogen market and expand our capacity to deliver zero carbon energy solutions. As our two countries prepare to host the next two COPs [United Nations climate events], we look forward to working with our partners in Egypt to make practical advances in the energy transition that will provide significant benefits for the economy and the climate.” 

Making hydrogen from Egypt’s sun and wind

Egypt has abundant solar and wind energy resources that would provide a suitable location for renewable energy projects at a competitive cost. Along with its proximity to global markets that are looking to import green hydrogen via the Suez Canal, this will  allow significant growth for this sector in the future, and the agreements are in line with “Egypt Vision 2030” and its sustainable development strategy.

In the first phase of the project, Hassan Allam Utilities and Masdar aim to establish a green hydrogen manufacturing facility, which would be operational by 2026, producing 100,000 tonnes of e-methanol annually for bunkering in the Suez Canal.

The electrolyser facilities in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and on the Mediterranean could be extended to up to 4 GW by 2030 to produce 2.3 million tonnes of green ammonia for export as well as supply green hydrogen for local industries, according to materials released to the press.

Masdar and Hassan Allam Utilities see Egypt as a hub for green hydrogen production, targeting the bunkering market, export to Europe, and boosting local industry. Egypt enjoys abundant solar and wind resources that allow generation of renewable power at a highly competitive cost –a key enabler for green hydrogen production. 

Active in more than 40 countries across the world, Masdar is invested in a portfolio of renewable energy assets with a combined value of more than US$20 billion, and a total capacity of more than 15 GW. In December, it was announced that Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA), Mubadala Investment Company and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) will partner under the Masdar brand to create a truly global, clean-energy powerhouse intended to spearhead the drive to net-zero carbon by 2050 while cementing the UAE’s leading role in green hydrogen.  

The post Masdar’s developing green hydrogen plants with Egypt’s Sun appeared first on Green Prophet.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE, or the Emirates) and Israel signed an historic peace deal last month. For decades Muslim nations have boycotted and snubbed Israel in trade and tourism. It was so bad in the 70s with an oil embargo that Israel had only a handful of allies to help them buy energy. The strain caused Israel to develop in new ways, in solar energy and natural gas exploration. 

A new deal in the wake of a blooming love story between Israel and the Emirates has led to a landmark oil deal between Israel and the Emriates. In the deal, Emirate crude oil will be transported through the Indian Ocean and Red Sea by tanker, then shipped by pipeline through existing pipelines in Israel. 

From there the oil will be shipped to Europe and other nearby locations, hopefully avoiding the Taliban and the Houthis in Yemen along the way, because piracy is still an issue. Read about the sinking oil tanker off the coast of Yemen which could cause an oil spill 5 times the size of the Exxon Valdez. 

The new deal will be managed through a company called the Red-Med Land Bridge based in the Emirates and it is actually a joint venture between several companies:  Petromal, the oil and gas arm of Abu Dhabi’s National Holding and AF Entrepreneurship, an Israeli company.

The Red Med Land Bridge will work with Israel’s Europe-Asia Pipeline Co. (EAPC) to transport Emirati oil through Israel starting at its Red Sea port up to Haifa, which is an important energy transport hub to Israel and the rest of Europe. 

In the deal,  the Red Med Land Bridge will transport oil from the Gulf state and Eastern markets to the West via pipelines linking the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, as part of new commercial agreements between the two countries.

The agreement “offers oil producers and refiners the shortest most efficient and cost-effective route to transport oil and oil products from the Arabian Gulf to the consumption centers in the West, and provides access for consumers in the Far East to oil produced in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions,” EAPC offered in a statement.

Storing and processing crude oil in Israel?

The Emirates is one of OPEC‘s third-largest oil producers and they struck a peace deal with Israel in Washington on Sept. 15, 2020. The prime minister of the Emirates arrived in Israel on Oct. 20 to consolidate trade deals and tourism, which will include visa-free entry to both countries.

A high level Emirati delegation arrived in Israel on Oct. 20 to sign commercial agreements in agriculture, tourism energy projects that hopefully also include renewable energy. Critics say that at 30% renewables Israel has set a low bar.

The world is still addicted to oil, well we depend on it, but we can bank on the progressive Emirates to lead the way in renewable energy, with Israel as an innovation partner. Israel still only produces a small amount of its energy needs using solar energy, about 5% of its energy needs, but its intentions are there to increase this number.

Some challenges in Israel: Just recently a large wind farm project slated to be built on a UNESCO bioreserve was axed. They said the noise pollution and damage to birds would be too great. Nature lovers and activists are well educated in Israel and it will be interesting to see how they react to an oil pipeline deal, given oil spills do happen in Israel. There was one at the end of October out of Ashkelon, some 2 miles out at sea.  Beachgoers in Tel Aviv got their feet covered in sticky tar.

Israel has oil spills in nature reserves to deal with. And an oil spill in the Red Sea port Gulf of Eilat almost destroyed the dying coral reef. 

The environment minister Dov Henan had said about the oil spill in Eilat: “During the deliberations of the subcommittee on oil dangers in the Gulf of Eilat, we discovered an alarming picture of neglect and an inability to cope. Unless the laws are changed to better regulate the petroleum industry an oil disaster in Israel is only a matter of time.”

The oil pipeline plan and potential for Israel

The Israeli pipeline company EAPC already has about 200 miles of bi-directional oil pipelines installed with a capacity to carry 30 million mt of crude/year from Eilat to Ashkelon.  

Israel consumes 10.5 million mt/year of oil, according to its energy ministry. Meanwhile the Emirates with a production capacity of 4 million b/d, sells most of its oil to Asia, according to S&P. The country sells mainly refined oil products over to Europe, and these are transported via tankers that travel up the Red Sea through to the Suez Canal and then onto Europe through the Mediterranean. 

Reviving a lost oil dream with Iran

The Israeli pipeline was built in a joint venture with Iran in 1968, but after the Islamic Revolution in 1979 Israel lost its energy partner. The company changed its name from the Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Co. to EAPC last year in 2019. 

The EAPC will help Gulf oil companies bypass the Suez Canal, the manmade canal built by Egypt in the 1960s to link the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, expanding trade from the east to the west. This canal also allowed damaging invasive species like these jellyfish to proliferate.

We can assume that since Israel has struck a deal with Chevron in natural gas that the EAPC may be able to provide infrastructure services in those areas to Europe.

The EAPC route through Israel is a good alternative to the Suez Canal in that the Suez it is limited by tanker size, and the pipeline that exists in Egypt, the SUMED, only carries oil products in one direction from the Red Sea to Sidi Kerir on the Mediterranean Coast. Sending a tanker to ship oil around the Cape of Good Hope is more expensive and slower. 

Israel is also proposing an oil pipeline deal with Saudi Arabia. Every OPEC  nation is looking to shorten its distance to market and Israel is a good shortcut to take. Especially given its experience in security.

Want to take action in cleaning up the sea? The UN has a new investment guide for bankers. We learned that banks are supporting the burning of the Amazon, whether or not investors at the bank are aware. Be one step ahead and invest in the sea, with this handy toolkit and guide you can download here. 

The post Secret oil pipeline deal revealed between Israel and the Emirates appeared first on Green Prophet.

The creation of the man-made Suez Canal that links the Red Sea to the Mediterranean has made it easier to ship goods from Asia and Africa to Europe, but it has caused a number of environmental problems. One is invasive species like jellyfish multiplying with no end in sight in the Mediterranean Sea.

While one company Cine’al thinks it can cull all the over-jellied seas into a new kind of disposable diaper, fears are getting super serious now that Egypt is talking about expanding the Suez Canal once again in an $8 billion project.

Local newspapers in Israel are calling the expansion ominous as it will lead to more invasive species – land creatures and plants that live in the Indian Ocean swimming and moving to the Mediterranean and vice versa.

While it sounds like a peace plan for the seas, invasive species tend to lack natural predators and completely take over and sometimes destroy entire ecosystems – like purple loosestrife in America. Or rabbits in Australia.

According to Haaretz, 18 scientists from 12 countries have signed a report  “warning about the ecological consequences of the Egyptian government’s plan to expand the Suez Canal by building a new, larger and deeper waterway parallel to the present one.”

The problem will be more severe when the waters warm up as the species coming from the Indian Ocean will be better adapted to warmer waters giving them an advantage in taking over territory in the Mediterranean Sea, the scientists warn in the the journal Biological Invasions. One of the scientists was Prof. Bella S. Galil from the National Institute of Oceanography, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research in Haifa. 

The planned expansion, they say, “is sure to have a diverse range of effects, at local and regional scales, on both the biological diversity and the ecosystem goods and services of the Mediterranean Sea.”

The post Suez Canal and the military problem appeared first on Green Prophet.