We opened today with our daily article discussion. After Andrew and Sean presented their article, Alec and I presented ours. Our article discussed what is known as natural biocontrol. Biocontrol is the use of one species to eradicate another. The lionfish is an invasive species that can upset the delicate ecosystems in the Atlantic ocean. Originally from the seas around Asia, the lionfish has been artificially introduced into the Atlantic. Our article found that the grouper, a natural predator of the lionfish, could be used to suppress the soaring population of the lionfish and halt (or at least retard) the adverse effects of the lionfish on Atlantic ecosystems. This sparks scientific debate over whether or not we should introduce the grouper to a foreign ecosystem to control the lionfish, as that would have its own set of problems.
After our article discussion, we split into groups and came up with a plan to reintroduce a larvae of a nearly-extinct coral back into the wild. Our plan was to allow the coral to reproduce in a controlled environment so that we could have more larvae to work with, giving the species a greater chance of survival. These skills will allow us to better understand that challenges that scientists undergo everyday when working with nearly extinct species.
