Team Looks for Invasive Species in New Bedford

A team from the state's Coastal Zone Management department was in New Bedford Thursday morning, collecting samples and searching for potential invasive species.

CZM Director Bruce Carlisle says the surveys are part of a New England-wide project to find out which non-native species have migrated here or are becoming established.

Carlisle tells WBSM's "Mid-Day Live" some of the discovered invasive species, like the colonial tunicate, can be a real threat to native species.

Carlisle says some invasive species can even threaten fishermen's livelihoods.

This year’s study aims to help establish a baseline inventory of what’s out there, and follows a series of four similar surveys taken since 2000.