Researchers see increase in Asian Tiger Shrimp sightings

Researchers with NOAA Fisheries say they are seeing a rise in the sightings of non-native Asian tiger shrimp off the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts and that has them concerned.

The government has been tracking reports of Asian tiger shrimp since 1998, when nearly 300 of them were collected off the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida within three months.

Reports of the species died down until 18 years later when a commercial shrimp fisherman caught a single shrimp in Mississippi Sound near Dauphin Island, Ala.

Within months, more shrimp were reported off North Carolina, Louisiana, and Florida.

In 2011, however, the number of reports increased ten times and researchers believe there are probably even more sightings than reports suggest, because the more fisherman and other locals become accustomed to seeing them, the less likely they are to report them.

Government scientists are now working to determine the cause of the increase and the possible consequences for native fish and seafood in those waters. 

Anyone who sees one or more shrimp suspected to be an Asian tiger shrimp is asked to note the location and report the sighting to the US Geological Survey – we’ve posted the reporting website on the news page at oysterradio.com

http://nas.er.usgs.gov/SightingReport.aspx.

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