Alien species in aquatic environments: a selective comparison of coastal and inland waters in tropical and temperate latitudes

Abstract

ABSTRACT1. Biological invasions have had severe impacts on ecosystems globally, particularly affecting freshwater habitats. In the aquatic realm, marine environments have received less attention from researchers than their freshwater counterparts, and comparisons of the relative susceptibility of coastal and inland waters to alien species and their consequential impacts are lacking.2. The main aim of this review is to assess the 'knowns and unknowns' for alien species in aquatic habitats, evaluating the possible differences and similarities in biological invasions between freshwater and marine (coastal) environments. Three study areas with different climates and histories of bioinvasion were selected for comparison: temperate Europe, tropical Asian Hong Kong, and Neotropical Brazil.3. Although there were differences in spatial scale and availability of data for the three areas, fresh waters seemed to be more susceptible to invasion -and experienced more impacts -than coastal habitats, at least in Hong Kong and partly in Europe. Despite information about alien species in aquatic environments having increased in recent years, regional inventories remain incomplete, especially in the tropics where rigorous studies of the impacts of invasive species are generally lacking.4. More systematic effort is needed to develop up-to-date national and regional inventories of invaders, especially in the seas and particularly in the more biodiverse tropics, where the conservation gains from preventing alien invasions could be substantially greater than in other regions. Greater efforts are also required to increase public awareness of the need to prevent the establishment of potentially invasive species.

Invasive Chinese pond mussel Sinanodonta woodiana threatens native mussel reproduction by inducing cross‐resistance of host fish

“…Although the reasons for freshwater mussel decline are numerous and idiosyncratic, one of the causes of most concern is related to the introduction (deliberate or accidental) of invasive alien species (IAS). The number of freshwater IAS has been increasing rapidly in both tropical and temperate latitudes and rigorous studies of the impacts of IAS are often lacking (Tricarico, Junqueira, & Dudgeon, 2016). It is supposed that introductions of other freshwater bivalves are particularly problematic for native freshwater mussels (Baker & Levinton, 2003;Ricciardi, Neves, & Rasmussen, 1998;Sousa, Novais, Costa, & Strayer, 2014;Sousa, Pilotto, & Aldridge, 2011).…”

Are well‐intended Buddhist practices an under‐appreciated threat to global aquatic biodiversity?

“…Unregulated mercy releases have also resulted in Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied‐Neuwied, 1839) (the red‐eared slider turtle), native to central America, but widely invasive (Van Dijk, Harding, & Hammerson, ) yet readily procured from pet shops in the USA, dominating and outcompeting native terrapin species in New York's Central Park (Selleck, ). Prayer releases have also resulted in red‐eared slider turtles becoming widespread in Hong Kong (Tricarico, Junqueira, & Dudgeon, ). Indicative of the potential scale of the problem, Liu, McGarrity, Bai, Ke, and Li () evaluated the release of two highly invasive species – Lithobates catesbeianus (Shaw, 1802) (American bullfrogs) and red‐eared slider turtles – by 123 Buddhist temples surveyed across four provinces in China, together with intensive field surveys of release sites.…”

“…If awareness and education about the ecological consequences of such practices is not provided to local communities, this may serve as a major avenue for the introduction of alien species into the fresh waters of Bhutan (Gurung, Dorji, Tshering, & Wangyal, 2013 (Selleck, 2015). Prayer releases have also resulted in red-eared slider turtles becoming widespread in Hong Kong (Tricarico, Junqueira, & Dudgeon, 2016). Indicative of the potential scale of the problem, Liu, McGarrity, Bai, Ke, and Li (2013) (Sherwood, 2017).…”

Managing the invasive crayfish Procambarus clarkii: Is manual sterilisation the solution?

“…For centuries, inland aquatic ecosystems have been subject to biological invasions (Havel, Kovalenko, Thomaz, Amalfitano, & Kats, 2015;Tricarico, Junqueira, & Dudgeon, 2016). Today, with increasing globalisation, invasive alien species (IAS) are becoming an even greater threat to biodiversity of inland waters because of their capability to strongly affect the functions and services offered by these ecosystems across the globe (Aquiloni et al, 2010;Strayer, 2010).…”