Tel Aviv University researchers say they have found the three Red Sea fish species that are the likeliest candidates to move into the swiftly warming Mediterranean through the Suez Canal in the near future, spotting the potential invaders before they join dozens of other swimmers that have wreaked ecological havoc off Israel’s coast in past years.
In a peer-reviewed study, the researchers developed pioneering statistical and ecological modeling, combined with extensive underwater observations, to predict that the stellate puffer, the cinnabar goatfish, and the yellowspotted trevally were the most likely to migrate from their native Red Sea habitat to the Mediterranean.
While they cannot yet predict when a potential invasion might take place, the researchers believe their breakthrough model can be an important tool to help authorities and marine scientists detect potential newcomers early enough to plan proactive conservation management.
“If we understand the process, and can predict which fish are going to be invasive, then we’ll be better prepared,” Prof. Jonathan Belmaker of Tel Aviv University’s School of Zoology, who supervised the study, told The Times of Israel.
None of the three have been spotted in Mediterranean or Suez waters yet, but two of the potential culprits could throw undersea ecosystems off balance while the third is toxic to humans if eaten.
