Introduced Macroalgae – a Growing Concern

By Britta Schaffelke, J. Smith, C. Hewitt. Journal of Applied Phycology, 2006

285 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Introductions of non-indigenous species to new ecosystems are one of the major threats to biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services. Globally, species introductions may lead to biotic homogenisation, in synergy with other anthropogenic disturbances such as climate change and coastal pollution. Successful marine introductions depend on (1) presence of a transport vector, uptake of propagules and journey survival of the species; (2) suitable environmental conditions in the receiving habitat; and (3) biological traits of the invader to facilitate establishment. Knowledge has improved of the distribution, biology and ecology of high profile seaweed invaders, e.g. Caulerpataxifolia, Codium fragile ssp. tomentosoides, Sargassummuticum, and Undariapinnatifida. Limited, regional information is available for less conspicuous species. The mechanisms of seaweed introductions are little understood as research on introduced seaweeds has been mostly reactive, following discoveries of introductions. Sources of introductions mostly cannot be determined with certainty apart from those directly associated with aquaculture activities and few studies have addressed the sometimes serious ecological and economic impacts of seaweed introductions. Future research needs to elucidate the invasion process, interactions between invaders, and impacts of introductions to support prevention and management of seaweed introductions.

Subfields: Global and Planetary Change, Oceanography

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Citations in the corpus

A Global Review of the Distribution, Taxonomy, and Impacts of Introduced Seaweeds (2007, background): “Excellent reviews on seaweed introductions have been recently published (Inderjit et al. 2006, Ribera & Boudouresque 1995, Ribera Siguan 2003, Schaffelke et al. 2006, Trowbridge 2006) as have case histories on specific species (Chapman 1998, Mathieson et al. 2003, Meinesz 1999).”
Ulva, Umbraulva and Gemina: genetic survey of New Zealand taxa reveals diversity and introduced species (2009, background): “The capacity of many Ulva species to tolerate a wide range of conditions makes them ideal candidates for human-mediated dispersal; they are among the most notorious fouling organisms on ships’ hulls (Schaffelke et al , 2006 ).”
Crustose coralline algae can suppress macroalgal growth and recruitment on Hawaiian coral reefs (2011, unknown): “…Prog Ser 422: 1–7, 2011 composition of algal communities at every location, but other factors (e.g. seasonality, coral abundance, storms, invasive species; Williams et al. 2001, Schaffelke et al. 2006) must be considered to fully explain the abundance of macroalgae on reef communities worldwide.”
Seasonal growth, erosion rates, and nitrogen and photosynthetic ecophysiology of Undaria pinnatifida (Heterokontophyta) in southern New Zealand 1 (2007, unknown): “: 0.2–0.9 cm Æ d)1, Chapman and Craigie 1977; C. costata: 0.01–1.8 cm Æ d)1, Maxell and Miller 1996; Lessonia variegata J. Agardh: 0.04–0.12 cm Æ d)1, Schwarz et al. 2006).”
Effects of benthic algae on the replenishment of corals and the implications for the resilience of coral reefs (2008, background): “Release of organic carbon from benthic algae has been shown to alter microbial colonisation of live coral tissue (kline et al. 2006, smith et al. 2006), in some cases causing coral mortality. in another study, contact with the calcified, upright green alga Halimeda opuntia caused infection of the…”
Introductions of seaweeds: accidental transfer pathways and mechanisms (2007, background): “…Verlaque 2001, Leppäkoski et al. 2002, Oresanz et al. 2002, Hewitt et al. 2004, Castilla et al. 2005, see Figure 1), or as assessments of vectors associated with introduced macroalgae (e.g., Ribera and Boudouresque 1995, Wallentinus 1999, 2002, Ribera Siguan 2002, 2003, Schaffelke et al. 2006).”
Production and properties of agar from the invasive marine alga, Gracilaria vermiculophylla (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta) (2010, background): “An increasing number of marine macroalgae has been reported to be invasive and threaten the ecological balance of coastal ecosystems (Schaffelke et al. 2006; Schaffelke and Hewitt 2007; Williams and Smith 2007).”
Impacts of introduced seaweeds (2007, background): “…muticum (Yendo) Fensholt and Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar; e.g., Ribera and Boudouresque 1995, Trowbridge 1998, Walker and Kendrick 1998, Boudouresque and Verlaque 2002, Levin et al. 2002, Ribera Siguan 2002, Wallentinus 2002, Occhipinti-Ambrogi and Savini 2003, Schaffelke et al. 2006x.”
Chapter 7 Vulnerability of macroalgae of the Great Barrier Reef to climate change (2007, background): “Changes in sea temperature may increase the potential for a new suite of introduced macroalgal species to establish in GBR habitats (especially ports and other disturbed environments that receive introduced species from human activities such as shipping) because the changed environmental conditions ”