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How Sea Snail 'Snot' Could Be The Next Threat To Florida Reefs

A stationary sea snail (with mucus net attached)
Rudiger Bieler, The Field Museum
A stationary sea snail (with mucus net attached)
A stationary sea snail (with mucus net attached)
Credit Rudiger Bieler, The Field Museum
A stationary sea snail (with mucus net attached)

A sea snail with spider-like abilities.  Sounds like a sci-fi movie monster.

But the creature recently discovered in the Florida Keys is causing some very real anxiety for scientists worried that it could become a particularly troublesome exotic invader.

According to The Miami Herald,the stationary worm snail attaches itself to shells, coral and other hard surfaces. The mucous that coiled snails use to move around with, stationary snails spit out as webs to trap prey. Such snails can prevent reefs from growing and may carry parasites harmful to loggerhead turtles.

In the interview below, WLRN's Christine DiMattei talks with Miami Herald environmental reporter Jenny Staletovich about the so-called "spiderman snail":

 

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Years ago, after racking her brains trying to find a fun, engaging, creative night gig to subsidize her acting habit, Chris decided to ride her commercial voiceover experience into the fast-paced world of radio broadcasting. She started out with traffic reporting, moved on to news -- and never looked back. Since then, Chris has worked in newsrooms throughout South Florida, producing stories for radio broadcasts and the web.