5.9.

22

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220809-how-the-mediterranean-became-the-worlds-most-
invaded-sea
FUTURE PLANET | OCEANS

The crab invading the Mediterranean Sea

Almost a thousand alien, or non-native species have been listed in Mediterranean waters. Some
of these pests are becoming a surprising source of opportunity.

 TASK #1:
Based on this section of the article, above, make a list of the questions that come to
mind –
-what would you like to ask about this event?
-what more do you want to know?
 Most of the questions you ask will have an answer, or
experts/researchers/scientists/fisherman would be able to find out the answer.
 These kinds of questions are called ‘first order questions’. They are concerned
with knowledge ‘content’, data or information.

 TASK #2:
Skim read the sections of the article, below, and see if you can find answers to your
questions.
"As for many invasive species, the proliferation of the blue crab has intensified with the
warming of surface waters due to climate change, and with the increase of maritime traffic,"
says Jamila Ben Souissi, a researcher on biodiversity and climate change in the Mediterranean
and member of the Mediterranean Science Commission.
Indeed, the blue crab is far from alone in making the journey to the Mediterranean. The
rabbitfish (Siganus rivulatus and Siganus luridus), is another particularly successful new entrant.
These fish devour the vegetation that provides habitat to native species, decreasing native
vegetation cover – mostly canopy algae – by as much as 65% in Greece and Turkey.

"Given that rabbitfish are a tropical species generally confined to warm waters, we think that
their expansion is linked to [ocean] warming," says Adrianna Verges, a researcher on the
ecological impacts of climate change at the University of New South Wales in Sydney and an
author of the Greek and Turkish survey. "In our study, we found that large populations of
rabbitfish are confined to the warmer eastern parts of the Mediterranean."
Another new entrant to the Mediterranean is of even greater concern. Sometimes considered
the single most damaging invasive species known to science, the lionfish (Pterois miles) is a
highly aggressive fish sporting fierce venomous spines. Well established in southern and
eastern areas of the Mediterranean Sea, it is now heading west and north towards the Aegean
and Ionian seas. The lionfish eats large quantities of small native fish and crustaceans, and its
stomach can expand up to 30 times its original volume to accommodate them.
Experiences from other parts of the world show how much damage it can do: in the Bahamas, it
was responsible for a 65% reduction in its prey biomass in just two years. In the French West
Indies, the cost of this invasion is estimated at more than €10m ($10.2m/£8.4m) a year through
damage to the fishing and tourism industries. A recent stomach-contents analysis in
Mediterranean lionfish revealed that 95% of their prey were ecologically and economically
significant native fish.
"The Mediterranean is changing very quickly," says the Mediterranean Science Commission's
Ben Souissi. The blue crab larvae require an optimal rearing condition under a constant water
temperature at 30C (86F). Temperatures in the Mediterranean are going up 20% faster than
the global average, with sea level rise expected to exceed 1m (3.3ft) by 2100.
In the last four years, with the help of public subsidies, [the fisherfolk] have created an entire
value chain out of the new arrivals. They've figured out how to process and package the crabs
in more than 30 factories and market it for export worldwide.
It takes a concerted effort, quick thinking and adaptability to turn an invasive species into an
opportunity, but in some Mediterranean communities it seems to be working. "We have
observed a notable decrease in their numbers. This is also confirmed by the fishermen," says
Marouene Bdioui, a researcher at the Tunisian National Institute of Marine Science and
Technology. According to his research, the average blue crab catch tripled in 2020 compared
with 2018.

 TASK #3:
Answer the following questions using bullet points:
1.What are the different perspectives about the fish?
Some believe that lionfish are harmful to marine life
2.Which knowledge communities are involved in this real-life situation?
Fishing folk, marine biologists, journalist,
3.How are they gaining and justifying their knowledge? Consider the relevance of these
words:
collaboration observation data collection communication
certainty connections analysis memory
estimation/projection/models language intuition
evidence imagination
 TASK #4:
Task 3, above, leads us into TOK thinking. Now we can start to form ‘second order
questions’ or Knowledge Questions (KQs) based on this real-life situation.
Eg
1. Is there a distinction between knowledge claims dependent upon observations
(sense perception) and knowledge claims dependent upon observations assisted
by technology?
2. To what extent might some of these discoveries be the result of intuition rather
than luck?
3. There are conflicting views as to the harms and benefits of invasive species. How
do we decide between competing views?
 We could be able to fine the appropriate solution by comparing the harms
alongside the benefits. To Invasive species can cause the extinction of native
plants and animals, reduce biodiversity, and compete with native organisms for
limited resources.
 When there are conflicting opinions, the situation could be decided by how much
evidence each side has got and how big and strong their evidence is.

4. The development of research techniques requires financial investment. Should

knowledge be shared when techniques developed in one part of the world are
more applicable in another?
5. How can we know whether there is a causal link in such cases or simply a
correlation?

6. What criteria are necessary for assessing the reliability of evidence?

If someone you can trust is what you need to evaluate the validity of the evidence you
rely on to make belief and action decisions, then someone trustworthy comes to mind.
Their reliability is unquestionable. Their results are consistently high-quality. A faithful
person. When it comes to assessing the validity of evidence, whether it comes from a
consultant or a customer survey, it can be more challenging than it appears. Moreover,
bad data, covert biases, and confusion between reliability and precision. As a first
problem, inaccurate data often appears to have a small sample size or an unrepresentative
sample size. Further, how reliable the evidence is depending on its type and source, as
well as the circumstances surrounding its acquisition.
 Kognity- discussion section:

 Does voicing an opinion on an issue place on you any particular responsibilities? Does it
matter whether your opinion is well based on facts?
It is the right of every individual to express himself or herself freely. This right includes the freedom to
hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference from public authorities
and regardless of borders. However, when people start to believe and follow you, you become more
responsible. It is important to use facts to engage the reader in the argument. By using the facts, the writer
automatically wins the reader's consent because they are indisputable.
 Does the context influence your response to the previous question – for instance, whether
you are chatting privately or posting on social media?
It depends on the topic. Some topics are less sensitive than others. Therefore, they are less responsible and
less important. Clearly, football topics are less sensitive than politics topics, so discussion of football topics
requires less responsibility. You could potentially offend a whole nation or country if you say something
wrong
 Should some opinions be excluded from public discussions (for instance, those that are
offensive to the majority)? Who should make this decision, and which guidelines should
they use?
To protect the security of the state, the government can restrict freedom of speech and expression.
Nevertheless, threats against security must be aggravating threats to public order, such as rebellion,
rebellion, waged war on the government, etc.
 What is the difference between ‘public opinion’ such as voiced in the media and ‘expert
opinion’ such as solicited, for example, from a consensus of doctors or scientists? Does
‘opinion’ change its meaning from the first usage here to the second?