NISAW 2026 – Thrush Cowrie

National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) 2026

 

In our last video for this year, we will introduce to a new species that was first discovered in the panhandle during the summer of 2025 – the Thrush Cowrie.  This small snail is from the Indo-Pacific and has been slowly dispersing across the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea most likely by ship ballast.  In many of these areas it has become invasive.  It first appeared in Florida about five years ago along the shores of Southeast Florida – again, most likely by ship ballast, and has now been found in the Florida panhandle.  We are not sure what problems this snail will cause but we do know that they have been seen in large numbers where found and there is some concern.  You can learn more about this snail and how to identify it from today’s video.

 

We hope you have learned something new from this series of videos.  If you have questions about these, or any invasive species on your property, you can always contact your local county extension office for help and advice.

 

https://youtu.be/86htHTBC6w0