La Altagracia, RD- The Grupo Puntacana Foundation reported that a consortium of national organizations have formed an early surveillance network to detect a new invasive species from the Pacific in the Caribbean. This is the species Unomia stolonifera, an invasive soft coral in the Caribbean region, introduced from Venezuela, which has the ability to proliferate rapidly and exterminate local corals. The alert was raised by the recent sighting of a very similar octocoral on the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico in February 2024.
For these purposes, two workshops were held to educate and train aquatic centers, fishermen, and the general public in the timely identification of Unomia, if presented. The workshops were held in Bayahibe and Punta Cana in coordination with the Dominican Foundation for Marine Studies (FUNDEMAR), the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the Dominican Reef Network (RAD), with the technical facilitation of The Nature Conservancy.
Aldo Croquer, marine program manager for The Nature Conservancy in the Caribbean, noted that “Unomia has not yet been detected in the country. However, we have to remain alert and prioritize early detection, given that it will depend on designing better management strategies for the invasive species, in case it manages to reach the country.”
The organizations that will integrate the network will play an important role in the early warning network to guarantee the use of best practices for its eradication if it reaches the country.