Emergency action was taken to eradicate an invasive marine species that was discovered recently in Puget Sound waters off Edmonds, Washington. The species, colonial tunicate, could potentially pose a threat to Washington State’s diverse marine life. Divers found a 30-square-foot growth of the siphon-feeding animals, which form dense mats made up of thousands of organisms and can suffocate clams, mussels and other native species. Divers secured a plastic tarp over the colonial tunicate mass, and placed chlorine tablets under the tarp in an effort to kill the colonial tunicate. For more information, visit http://wdfw.wa.gov/.
