Lionfish in the Bahamas

An invasive species is a species that comes out of its natural environment, and enters another. These animals are usually very bad for the ecosystem and may cause an unbalance. These animals usually come in with many competitive advantages and can easily dominate any competition. This will give them the ability to eat as much as they would like without being threatened in any way. This could possibly diminish many populations and end an entire ecosystem.

An introduced species is a species that were intentionally or accidentally transported to another area in consequence of human activities such as planes, ships, heavy water pulling it away from its natural environment. These organisms do also commence becoming invasive after they are shipped on purpose to be supplied as exotic pets, decoration, food for livestock or humans, or way to eradicate native `pests.

Invasive species are very common all over the world. Invasive species are an organism that lives in an ecosystem in which they don’t belong. Invasive species are not only dangerous to people, but also the ecosystem and must be removed.

Issue: The environmental issue that I have chosen is the impact that invasive species have on the environment. The impact that invasive species have on the environment is vast, yet little is done about it. This issue is extremely important and will impact the world for generations to come. In this paper, I hope to learn about the effect they have on environment and what we can do about it.

In 2008 the U.S Army Corps of Engineers observed 17 Steller Sea Lions eat 606 White Sturgeon below the Bonneville Dam. Which counted for 98 percent of the predation documented by sea Lions on Sturgeon that year. While California Sea Lions counted for 96 percent of the predation on Salmon and Steelhead that Year. As the facts shows the Steller Sea Lion is mainly the one preying on the White Sturgeon and the California Sea Lion is mainly preying on the

Invasive species are organisms that are accidentally or intentionally introduced into an environment, that adapts quickly and disrupts the natural ecosystem. Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) are native to the northeastern part of North America and are some of the most damaging invasive species. Many cultures around the world eat frog as a delicacy, so bullfrogs were gathered up and sold around the world. However, some of the species were introduced into countries around the world. Currently, they have become established in over fifteen countries as invasive species (Save The Frogs! et al. 2013).

Most people would not appreciate a stranger walking into their home unannounced, taking their food, and making themselves at home. That is exactly what lionfish are doing along the Florida coastline. Lionfish are an invasive species that need to be contained. The reefs that they consistently invade off of the coast of the Florida are not the lionfish's natural habitat. This invasive species takes shelter and resources out of the reef that other species need to survive, and they destroy the environment around them. Humans have complicated the balance of the ecosystem by introducing lionfish, and now they need to help rectify the situation.

Invasive species are organisms that harm a new environment that they are not native to. Many invasive species like Eurasian milfoil are easily able to reproduce and can do so fast. Due to this, the limited space in a body of water or area of land is quickly taken over by the invasive species so other native plants face the risk of death or even extinction. Overall, these invasive species can do great harm to an ecosystem or an economy, causing problems that are destructive to numerous organisms.

Invasive species are plants or animals that spread to a non-native ecosystem and cause harm to that area. Common characteristics of invasive species include their ability to permit a variety of conditions, produce lots of seeds or eggs, separate easily, has long growing period or quick reproduction time, and their new environment has comparable conditions to the original habitat. Invasive species most often have negative impacts when they are transported to another environment. A recent study done by the Center for Aquatic Conservation describes the effect some invasive species have. In various states of the U.S, it has been found that invasive species are costing more than “$200 million a year in losses to commercial

An invasive species is a plant, fungus, or animal species that is not native to a specific location and one point should be noticed is that invasive species does not have to come from another country. For example, lake trout are native to the Great Lakes, but are considered to be an invasive species in Yellowstone Lake because they compete with native cutthroat trout for habitat. Although there are some invasive species arrive with spread and establish populations, like the native butterflies feed on non-native plants in California, the alien trees help restore abandoned pastures to a condition suitable for native plants in Puerto Rico and even the much-maligned zebra mussel helps filter toxins from great lakes, most policymakers regard invasive

Steller sea lion pups possess thick rough coats with a mostly dark appearance. After the first molt, their color lightens. The complexion of female and male Steller sea lions is a golden-brown to a reddish brown. They have a somewhat darker shade in their chest and abdomen. Steller sea lions also display sexual dimorphism which means that the males are remarkably larger than females. Similar to all pinnipeds, the Steller sea lions have whiskers to sense prey. They also molt every year which parallels to other pinnipeds, and they are mainly insulated by blubber. In addition, they have flippers that are used for locomotion. Their sensory organs are accommodated to operate both underwater and in the air, but because they are mammals they have to come up to the surface in order to breathe.

Invasive species have caused losses in biodiversity and shifts in ecosystem function (Lovell et al. 2006). Under the Executive Order 13112, species are considered invasive if they are “an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.” Aquatic invasive species have been intentionally and unintentionally introduced to other parts of the world through the transportation and release of ballast water, pet trade and aquaculture (Keller et al. 2011, Rahel and Olden 2008). Examples of aquatic invaders throughout the world include the Topmouth Gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva) in the United Kingdom and the Eastern Gambusia (Gambusia holbrooki) in Australia. The Topmouth

Influence on ecosystems range from human causes like the bulldozing of a forest to natural causes like a fire or a flood.  In recent times, the introduction and spread of invasive species has transformed native communities rapidly and, in some cases, created irreversible damages.  In the Earth’s history, changes have often occurred in the ecosystems.  For example, glaciers and the retreat of glaciers cause wide-spread changes.  However, although change is a constant in ecosystems, animals and habitats often cannot adapt to the rapid alterations of non-natural stresses.  Harm to the environment from the introduction of invasive species occurs through changes in the habitat and declines in the native species.  Invasive species

The biodiversity effects of non-native invasive species have been described as “immense, insidious and usually irreversible” (Veitch and Clout, 2002). There is significant evidence proving that invasive species can cause severe economic, environmental and ecological damage (Mack et al., 2000). A lot of time and research has been devoted to dividing the world into regions with distinctive habitats and species. Numerous pathways, mostly anthropogenic, are breaking down these realms and facilitating the ecological and biological invasion of non-native species.

Invasive species are organisms that are not native to an ecosystem and cause harm to it. These organisms are capable of bringing about a great deal of damage to the ecosystems they are foreign to. This can range from disrupting the growth of the environment it has taken over to completely decimating other species. The introduction of invasive species to new environments often involves humans. The way that invasive species are introduced to a new environment varies greatly. Invasive species may be introduced by something as simple as humans accidentally tracking species into a new environment from the bottom of their shoes, or something bigger like destroying an ecosystem to clear the land, forcing the species that lived there to flee to a new ecosystem that can be disrupted by the presence of a new species.