Scallop fishers scoop invasive sea vomit from Bay of Fundy in aid of science [Video]

Scallop fishers in the Bay of Fundy are keeping an eye out for a creamy-white species that grows on the seabed and could be described as gross.  

The invasive marine invertebrate is known as sea vomit, sea squirt and pancake-batter tunicate, and large patches of it were found near Deer Island in 2020 and 2022, according to the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in Saint Andrews.

The centre approached the Fundy North Fishermen’s Association for help collecting samples of sea vomit for a three-year research project.

Emily Blacklock, the science director for the association, will be among 50 scallop fishers looking for sea vomit in their scallop catches, scraping off any they find and storing it in ethanol-filled vials.

“They can be scraping it off rocks or …