Researchers dissected a surprising data source and found a sign of ecosystem health
Parasites plague almost every creature on Earth, from ticks on dogs to lice on whales. But for marine ecologists, it’s hard to analyze the tiny creatures that lurk in big, elusive ones. Now, a new study uses a novel sample—commercially canned salmon—to do just that. The finding of more parasites in recent years may be good news for the health of salmon and other Pacific Ocean creatures, researchers say.
When it comes to marine ecosystems, however, such data on past parasites are sparse. “We don’t have baseline data,” says Natalie Mastick, a marine mammalogist and postdoc at Yale University’s Peabody Museum. The cans, set aside to monitor packaging integrity over time, contained chum, coho, pink, and sockeye salmon caught in the Gulf of Alaska and Bristol Bay from 1979 to 2021. Mastick and her colleagues suspected they also contained common, centimeter-long parasitic roundworms called anisakids, also known as sushi worms. “You wouldn’t notice them,” Mastick says. “They look like muscle filament, and are the exact same color as the filet.
The rising numbers of worms in chum and pink salmon could reflect the fact that those species tend to live near shore as juveniles, closer to marine mammals that perpetuate the parasites’ life cycle. Alternatively, it could mean that parasites that infect chum and pink salmon are thriving, Mastick says. But although finding worms in a tin of fish might seem bad news to people, the boost in anisakids could be good news for the environment, the researchers wrote.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
ILLIT Scores 1st Billboard 200 Entry With “SUPER REAL ME”ILLIT has made their debut on the Billboard 200! On May 6 local time, Billboard officially announced that ILLIT’s debut mini album “SUPER REAL ME” had entered its Top 200 Albums chart (which ranks the most popular albums in the United States) following its U.S. release.
Read more »
Over 200 victims of Jan. 22 floods file lawsuit against City of San DiegoJermaine Ong is a Digital Content Producer at ABC 10News/KGTV in San Diego.
Read more »
Pa. health insurance company has laid off more than 200 people since MarchThe latest round of layoffs include 47 employees.
Read more »
Can-Am Maverick X3 X RC RR First Drive: With 200 HP, Sometimes Less Is MoreAs applies to the vehicle’s power and width, not necessarily the number and variety of letters in its name.
Read more »
GBP/USD Price Analysis: Range bound around 200-DMA, awaiting BoE’s decisionThe Pound Sterling registers anemic losses against the US Dollar as traders brace for the Bank of England’s (BoE) monetary policy decision on Thursday.
Read more »
Bitcoin's 200 Day MA Hits New All-Time High as BTC Jumps 10%Anthony Pompliano has revealed key triggers that have driven Bitcoin's 10.35% recovery
Read more »