How Dogs Can Detect the Invasive Carpet Sea Squirt

What is invasive sea vomit?

“Sea vomit” is an informal nickname for carpet sea squirt, whose scientific name is Didemnum vexillum. It is an invasive marine organism: one that has spread beyond its usual range and can cause harm in the places it reaches. The supplied reports describe it as a threat to coastal wildlife and to businesses such as oyster farms. ¹²⁴

The concern is that colonies can cover surfaces and smother native species. The organism may also attach to boat hulls, fishing gear and ropes, which can give small fragments a way to travel. The reports say it can spread around harbours, farms and other marine structures. ¹²

How does a dog find carpet sea squirt?

Sgiath has been trained to recognise the scent of carpet sea squirt. She searches with her handler, Dr Texa Sim, a marine ecologist based near Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands. They work along beaches at low tide, when the dog can investigate exposed coastal surfaces. ¹

The reports say Sgiath can identify the organism by smell, including small fragments attached to equipment or ropes. This offers a way to flag possible colonies for attention. It does not mean the dog removes the organism or prevents its spread by herself. ¹²

Why use a dog to search for it?

The reports describe identification as work that can require specialist laboratory analysis and DNA testing. A trained dog may help locate material more quickly in the field, including when it is mixed in with other marine life. The supplied sources do not give a measured comparison of the dog’s speed or accuracy against laboratory methods. ⁴

Early detection matters because established colonies can be difficult and costly to manage, and the organism can smother native wildlife. A dog’s role is to help find possible targets; the sources do not set out a complete process for confirming a find or controlling the species. ¹²

Who is Sgiath, and what award did she receive?

Sgiath is a black Labrador who was first trained as a mountain rescue dog. Sim later explored whether the dog’s skills could support marine conservation, and trained her to detect carpet sea squirt. The BBC reports that Sgiath is thought to be the UK’s first dog trained for this kind of search. ¹

On October 15, 2026, the International Fund for Animal Welfare named Sgiath its Animal of the Year. The award recognises her work with Sim in finding the invasive organism. ¹⁴

What can Sgiath’s work tell us—and what can’t it?

The reporting shows that a trained dog can be used to search for carpet sea squirt in coastal settings. Sgiath has reportedly found hundreds of colonies, but the supplied sources do not provide a full account of where they were found, how many searches she completed, or how her detection results were independently checked. ¹

Her work is a detection effort, not proof that the species has been eliminated or that dog searches alone can control it. The sources also do not explain how broadly this approach could be used elsewhere. Those details would help readers judge the method’s reach and effectiveness.