Sunday, October 30, 2011

Huge tiger shrimp, not native to SC area suddenly appearing along the coast in large numbers | The Republic

Huge tiger shrimp, not native to SC area suddenly appearing along the coast in large numbers | The Republic
Hilton Head Island, S.C. — Shrimpers along the South Carolinacoast are noticing a growing number of some very large visitors: tiger shrimp.
The Island Packet of Hilton Head reports (http://bit.ly/rxN07b ) that the sea creatures, which can grow to more than a foot long and weight a third of a pound, have popped up in relatively large numbers this year, despite not being native to the region.
Federal officials say 70 have been caught, but far more have likely been caught and thrown back or not reported.
No one's sure why the shrimp, which are normally found in the Caribbean and Latin America, are showing up now.
Craig Reaves, president of the South Carolina Shrimpers Association, says people in his industry are worried about possible effects on the local ecosystem.

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