The Asian tiger prawn, a gigantic shrimp that can grow to more than a foot long, is invading the Gulf of Mexico. This year the species was found for the first time in Texas waters.
This giganto breed of crustacean threatens the survival of crabs, oysters, and regular old normal-sized shrimp. It could disrupt the thriving Gulf ecosystem and also the incredible bounty of seafood that cities like New Orleans serve up. How'd these suckers get into the Gulf? One likely culprit is aquaculture: storm surges could have swept them from fish farms into the open water.
As with any invasive species, getting rid of them is tricky. We recommend sending a BP oil tanker down there with a payload of cocktail sauce.
