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Invasive Species

Plants and animals introduced into coastal habitats from other areas can have detrimental effects on the pre-existing ecosystem. Such invasive species can, if they can establish themselves, prey upon or displace resident organisms, alter the function of the ecosystem, and reduce its stability, sustainability, and economic utility.

Anticipating the ability of these invaders to establish themselves and predicting their effects if established provides coastal managers a better opportunity to design sentinel monitoring programs, establish preventive and mitigative measures, and plan for their expected effects along our coasts.

CCFHR has been studying two invasive species along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. that now seem to have established themselves.

Lionfish
Indo-Pacific lionfish
Pterois volitans

The Indo-Pacific lionfish, Pterois volitans, has only recently been observed along the coast from Florida to as far north as Long Island Sound, New York. It is capable of venomous stings to divers and others using these waters. In its home in the western tropical Pacific and Indian oceans it is an aggressive predator. Along our coasts it could compete with important native reef fish species.

This species is thought to have been released via the aquarium fish trade. Because juveniles have been found it is thought that they are reproducing in western Atlantic waters. Its tolerance to different temperatures that might limit its geographic range has been determined by CCFHR researchers. Efforts to spawn the lionfish in the laboratory are underway, and models are being developed to forecast its reproductive potential and possible range limits.

A marsh plant, Phragmites australis, has been introduced to the U.S. from Europe. It has displaced native estuarine marsh plants such as the cordgrass, Spartina patens. CCFHR scientists have been studying the response of this displacement on the marsh fauna upon which many important estuarine fisheries species depend. We have also monitored the response of the marsh faunal community where Phragmites australis has been removed in restoration efforts seeking to reestablish Spartina patens.