Alien aquatic biota:

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• Alien aquatic biota
• patterns and current issues
• Dan Minchin
• INVASIVE SPECIES IN IRELAND
• Belfast, 22 March 2007

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I gratefully acknowledgeDr Cathy Maguire

• IRELAND EHSNI, EPA, MI, NPWS, NRFB, SRFB, SRBD,
  UL, WI, WRFB,
• ELSEWHERE CAWTHRON NIWA-NZ, CRIMP-CSIRO,
  EU-ALARM, EU-DAISIE, Friday Harbour, ICES-BWSG,
  ICES-WGITMO, IUCN-ISSG, PICES, Queensland Museum,
  NCMCC, Plymouth ML, SAMS
• and many good friends

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• EU projects ALARM DAISIE
• Some case histories
• Species on the move

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EU FW6 Integrated Project - ALARM

• Environmental risk assessment
• Modules
• climate, pollination, socio-economics, chemicals,
  bioinvasions
• Bioinvasions
• - pathways
• ecosystem invasibility risk
• assessment
• - traits of invaders
• - management issues

http//www.alarmproject.net/alarm/
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Invasions Socio-economics

• Management of zebra mussels on the Ebro River
  National not regional problem

Binimelis et al. 2005 ALARM Report
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Invasions - Chemicals

• Organotin (TBT) toxicity in ports
• 1987-1993-1999-2005
• Overall decline of TBT
• Similar trend in France
• Minchin Oehlman (in prep)

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Toolkits

• Rapid assessments
• Minchin 2007 Aquatic
  Invaders (in press)
• Biopollution index
• 
  Olenin et al. 2007 Marine Pollution Bulletin
  (in press)
  
• 
  Community/habitat/ecosystem

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Principle human activitiesMinchin 2007. Marine
Pollution Bulletin (in press) Minchin et al.
(in prep.)

• Shipping
• Wild fisheries
• Culture
• Ornamental
• Live food
• Leisure
• Research/edu.
• Biocontrol
• Flow change
• Others

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Invasion corridors in Europe
Expansion of Ponto-caspian species
Northern corridor special study area
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Records of alien species in European coastal
waters reported in Aquatic Invasions in 2006
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EU FW6Strategic Targeted Research Project DAISIE

• Linked to ALARM
• Register of experts
• Alien species register
• Invasive species
• documentation
• Mapping European
• distributions

www.europe-aliens.org
Join the European Alien Species Expertise
Registry !http//daisie.ckff.si
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Irish database

• Alien Cryptogenic
• Freshwater (101)
• Marine and brackish (75)
• 6 new species in last year
• ca 40 new localities in last year
• UK marine brackish (142)

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1

• Decommissioned vessels
• Ghost ships

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US naval vessels

• 71 ships
• Idle for many years
• In oyster area
• Oysters fouling hulls?
• US to Europe

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Breaking up yard in Britain

• Idle while being dissembled
• Opportunities for colonisation

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Commercial species on hulls

• Minchin Gollasch 2003 Biofouling 19 111-122
• Blue mussel 19
• Pacific oyster 10
• Horse mussel 3
• Flat oyster 2
• Olympic oyster 2
• Soft shell clam 2
• Surf clams 2

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Oysters can carry diseases
Minchin Mann 2003 ICES ITMOWG

• Risk of transporting Perkensis and MSX
• Risk of transporting other biota

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Decommissioned vessels
Mytilus galloprovincialis Styela clava
Minchin 2006 In The ecology of transportation.
Springer
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2

• Movements of fishes

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European fish movements
García-Berthou et al. 2005. Introduction pathways
and establishment rates of invasive aquatic
species in Europe. Canadian Journal of Fisheries
Aquatic Science 62, 453-463.
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The top-mouthed gudgeon
! Orfe fish farms Wild Gudgeon
Gozlan et al. 2005 Nature 435 1046
Pseudorasbora parva
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Adverse Impact of intron on native species
Adverse impact of an introduction on native
species
Rosette-like Agent
Identical
Rosette Agent
Mass Mortalities
Mass Mortalities
Global scale
Coarse fish
Salmonids
Threat to biodiversity
Recreational fishing
Aquaculture industry
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• An aquaculture story

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An aquaculture story

• Japanese eel imports
• Parasite escapes to the wild
• Parasite infects native eels
• Native eels suffer organ damage
• Atlantic eel stock alreading declining
• Anguillicola a coffin nail

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Pacific parasite of eels

• Spread
• Adult eel movements in tanks
• Infected intermediate stages, ballast water
• Natural spread
• Paratenic hosts (insects?)

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4

• Oysters move other species again!

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Pressed for trade

• Oyster movements have a long history
• Since 1960s Ireland prevented entry
• EU trade in pacific oysters
• January 1993 half-grown imports

Minchin 1996 Aquatic Conservation, Marine and
Freshwater Ecosystems 4 229-244
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Pacific oysters are imported

• Trade agreement enter Ireland - 1993
• Mytilicola orientalis becomes established
• Oyster summer mortalities appear
• Slipper limpets may be introduced with bottom
  cultured oysters or mussels

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5

• A gardners faut pas

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The gardeners hand
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Garden centresIntroductions of plants
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Ornamental pond plants rapidly speading
Lough Corrib
Country-wide
Lough Derg, Shannon
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Nuttalls pondweed2005 2006


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Water violet
Minchin Boelens 2005 Irish Naturalists
Journal
2006
o
o
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o
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lt2002-2006
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6

• The cryptogen

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Didemnum sp a sea squirtLikely to impact
aquaculture and fisheries

Photo Liz Sides
Photo Damien Offer
Minchin Sides 2006 Aquatic Invasions 1 143-147
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Potential impact on aquaculture
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St Georges Bank_at_80m, 140km2

• Potential impact on benthic resources

Likely impact on benthic food chains
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• Species on the move

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Corbicula sppAsian clam

• Now spreading from SE Britain
• Can survive in air long periods
• A small number can create a new population
• Very invasive
• Likely to arrive in Ireland

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Pacifastacus leniusculusa freshwater crayfish

• Moved for culture
• Ambulatory
• Predatory
• Interferes with bait angling
• Competes with native crayfish
• Likely to arrive in Ireland

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Undaria pinnatifidaJapanese kelp

• Introduced for culture to Brittany
• In southern Britain
• Excludes native algae
• May be transported with small craft

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Eriocheir sinensisChinese mitten-crab
Marlin
Minchin 2006 Irish Naturalists Journal 28 303-4
Photo Stephan Gollasch
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Mitten-crabs could spread throughout Ireland

• Cyst in lung
• Prey on fish eggs and insects

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Future scenarios facing Ireland

• Unexplained and crisis events
• Further expansion of unwanted species
• New routes new risks
• Human economy/health issues
• Rapid transport high risk
• Managing secondary spread from Britain
• New industry aquaculture biotechnology
• Leisure activities
• Imported live foods

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So how do we manage?

• Pro-active management
• Risk assessments
• Pre-border controls
• Rapid assessment monitoring

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• Join the European Alien Species Expertise
  Registry !http//daisie.ckff.si