Zoe Roberts (3rd)-- Red Sea jellyfish 'invading' Mediterranean through Suez Canal- Oren Liebermann

Summary-- Since the Suez Canal has recently gotten bigger and thus allowed numerous new invasive species into the Eastern Mediterranean Sea as well as the Levantine Basin. Most recent offender being the clouds of nomadic jellyfish. Bella Galil, a marine biologist, says that nomadic jellyfish should be no where close to the Mediterranean, their natural homelands being in the Indian Ocean. These nomadic jellyfish are not only stinging tourists and locals of the area, they are very quickly changing the fragile ecosystem. However, they are not the only organism at fault for this, the Devil Fire Fish, and Rabbit Fish, are also disrupting food chains and thus the ecosystem. The Canal used to have a safe way to prevent invasive species from entering this fragile ecosystem, Bitter Lakes surrounding areas of the Suez Canal prevented other species from entering. However, since the Suez Canal has been enlarged it has now become a sort of super highway for new and invasive species. There is no way the Mediterranean Sea will be able to adjust quickly enough to support a healthy ecosystem with these newcomers, "You can see that there is less life," said underwater photographer Hagai Nativ. Acknowledging the grim reality of the Mediterranean Sea.

Analysis-- It always upsets me to hear about yet another unintended consequence of our actions. I had not heard much about an expansion of the Suez Canal, but I was not surprised to see that there was a new invasive species destroying an ecosystem. We have had much our fair share of those in the states as well. With snakes in the Florida Everglades and Carp in the Great Lakes, we know first hand how devastating invasive species can be. Although it honestly is quite dumb that it seems no one really considered the possibility of invasive species, or at least did not take the time to invest in the creation of more Bitter Lakes. Perhaps at the time there was already so much money being poured into the Canal expansion there was no more room for funding Bitter Lakes or other protection. Though, because of that, we are now left with a devastating consequence and one that will not just cost us money as the invasive species disrupt the food chain and thus disrupt commercial fish populations, we face the consequence of losing a health, beautiful Mediterranean Sea.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/30/middleeast/jellyfish-invading-mediterranean-through-suez/index.html