It would be difficult to imagine creatures more damaging to fragile coastal ecosystems such as those at Blackwater. Their travel lanes erode into canals, funneling brackish water into the depressions. As the water evaporates it becomes saltier, killing even more plants. The nutria-dug ponds coalesce into large bays, which are further eroded by tidal surge and storms. The destruction occur with awesome speed.
Scientists are quick to point out that marsh losses occurs even without nutria.
But the rodents exacerbate such losses. Or a fistful of matches. In addition to prodigious appetites, nutria are amazingly prolific. A female matures at six months of age and can get pregnant just two days after giving birth, so she can produce 10 or more young a year. The only limiting factor to the rodents in northern areas seems to be cold weather, but they have learned how to cope.