Aly B. Putnam Talks to WBUR About Invasive Sea Squirts
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Sea squirts, or tunicates, are filter-feeding marine invertebrates known for squirting water when disturbed. While some are native to New England, most found by researchers in the region today are invasive species thriving due to warming waters and a lack of natural predators. One College of Natural Sciences researcher has been tracking these resilient invaders as they spread rapidly along the New England coast.
Aly B. Putnam, a marine ecologist and a post-doctoral researcher with the Spatial Ecology Lab housed within the College of Natural Sciences's Department of Environmental Conservation, was recently quoted in a WBUR story about warming ocean waters off the New England coast and the emergence of these sea squirts.
“We’re starting to have these warmer winters. Then species can gain a foothold.”
— Aly B. Putnam speaking with WBUR