A black Labrador from the Scottish Highlands has been named 'animal of the year' for hunting down an invasive marine species. Sgiath was trained to sniff out 'sea vomit', a nickname for carpet sea squirts, which can smother and kill native species if left uncontrolled.
A pioneering proof-of-concept
Marine ecologist Dr Texa Sim, Sgiath's owner, began training her pup to detect the invasive creature. 'No one had really explored whether dogs could help tackle this problem in the marine environment. It began as a proof-of-concept project and has exceeded every expectation I had,' she explained.
'Sgiath is incredibly clever. Her problem solving and her ability to take on new challenges and learn so quickly are just phenomenal, and it's so amazing to watch.'
Recognition from IFAW
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) awarded Sgiath the Animal of the Year title. Sharon Livermore, IFAW's director of Marine Conservation, said: 'For her life-saving abilities as a mountain rescue dog alone, Sgiath would be worthy of recognition. But by helping pioneer a world-first approach to detecting invasive marine species, she has placed herself in a league of her own. For her innovation and impact, she is a worthy recipient of this year's Animal of the Year Award.'
The threat of sea vomit
The carpet sea squirt is believed to have originated from Japan but was first detected in the UK in 2008. It gets its name from its vomit-like appearance – sticky and liquid – and is spotted among coastlines near seaweed patches. This summer's heatwave helped it multiply, as it thrives in warmer months.
Sea vomit poses an issue for native wildlife, sucking out nutrients from ecosystems and infiltrating oyster farms and marine infrastructure. In 1969, Portuguese oysters grown off the coast of France and Portugal were almost wiped out by sea vomit. Controlling its growth is difficult because it can clone itself and grow rapidly.
The Institute of Marine Research notes: 'The Sea vomit can withstand temperatures down to minus 2 degrees Celsius, but it needs 11–14 degrees in the water to produce larvae.' That means in colder waters, 'it probably fails to spread with larvae, but it can still spread with shipping and reproduce with the help of fragments.'
