Orconectes Rusticus: A Case Study

Brooks and Dodson, the authors of the article titled “Predation, Body Size, and Composition of Plankton”, conducted research on the effect the small fish called Alosa Pseudoharengus has on an ecosystem, more specifically, different lakes in New England. Along with the data they collected on the aforementioned matter, they studied the sizes and the composition of the miniscule zooplankton inhabiting the lakes, and compared it with that of the Alosa. Their research uncovered important facts regarding water ecosystems and how they are so easily thrown off balance.

Initially established in the lake as a food source for warm water fish the crawfish as well as mysid shrimp have polluted the naturally clear waters of Tahoe, and restricted the zooplankton community. The crawfish introduced into the lake may be thriving in the area for numerous reasons, and some scientists suggest that the current rise in other food sources for the non-native fish species has sparked the incline in their population (www.tahoescience.org).

As well as pollution, invasive species are damaging the lake ecosystems and food chains, made fragile by pollution and overfishing. The introduction of a new species throws off the balance of food chains. Some common invasive species include the sea lamprey, Asian carp, and zebra mussels, among many others. Zebra mussels have dramatically influenced and affected stable food chains by reducing the amount of zooplankton and phytoplankton. This presents a problem, as fish mostly feed on the drifters, and so they go hungry and die, leaving no food for larger fish to prey on. In addition to underwater disruption, it affects us as well, but only slightly. Plankton and algae especially are the most productive aquatic producers of oxygen, and by the decreasing population, we lose oxygen as well. The sea lamprey is also a problem, though it is not so influential to ecosystems as the zebra mussel.

Over 25 years ago, a new species was discovered that completely shocked the world, a crayfish-like no other, named the marbled crayfish.As their name suggests, they include an alluring brown colored marbled pattern, which is identical from individual to individual. To this day, the marbled crayfish is more diverse than any other crayfish because it is able to clone itself without any involvement of a male, in a matter of hours. This crayfish is new mutant species which has generated immense concern as a potential invasive species. What really shocks the scientists is the fact that they can reproduce at extraordinary rates from 250 to 300 clones in a few months and are already spreading rapidly throughout the globe. This creature was never

Introduced species are seldom a positive addition to an ecosystem as they cause great stress and harm to the populations of native species. Many introduced species become invasive as they have no natural predators in their new environment, therefore they thrive, and crowd out all other animals. Some examples of invasive species in Ontario waters include the round goby, zebra mussels, eurasian ruffe, goldfish, northern snakehead, rainbow smelt, and rudd, to name a few. A great example to show how destructive an introduced fish can be is the asian carp, this species spreads very aggressively and it is considered the greatest threat to aquatic ecosystems in Ontario. These fish grow to be very large in size, up to 40 kg and 1 meter long. The asian

In my ecology project the invasive species that interested me the most was the zebra mussel. In this report, I will be addressing the negative impacts that zebra mussels have on an ecosystem and the positive impacts of human actions on those ecosystems.

The Atlantic cod fishery collapse left terrible ecological consequences. As mentioned above, the fishing technology was a major destruction to the ecological system by using deployment and draggers. The huge nets that were dropped and dragged along the bottom of the ocean destroyed the underlying eco-system in the process. The effect of selective fishing on spawning grounds – that is, selectively over-exploiting one species in an ecosystem – had disastrous effect on the feeding relationships in that ecosystem. This contributes to the overall reduction of spawning stock biomass of the targeted species, but also an increase in the number of invertebrate and vertebrate predators such as crustacean and fish which will prey on cod eggs, larvae, and younger fish. It is a little wonder that a species like cod, would eventually run into difficulties struggling to survive when its habitat is being continuously destroyed and the balance of their food chain had been wiped out.

According to Van Driesche, nonnative species are more likely to establish if they invade habitats with lowered biotic resistance, encounter prey with poorly developed mechanisms of self-defense, or invade habitats unaccompanied by their specialized natural enemies or when their invasion is facilitated by earlier invaders (2000).  Damage to these communities, then, can be seen both in cumulative effects and in a cycle of self-reinforcement.  Although pristine environments are still at risk from invasion, this positive feedback loop makes habitats already with a disturbance by exotics even more vulnerable to other invasions.

They concluded that a single lionfish can have a reduction of up to 79 percent of a native reef fish species through either predation or competing for food. Here in the Florida Keys tourism has huge impact on the local economy. One of the bigger tourism platforms it has is diving and snorkeling. A Reduction to native marine life and coral reef health is a concern not only from an ecological aspect but an economic aspect as well. A significant amount of the keys revenue is reliant upon tourism. There is also the potential risk for envenomation to snorkeler’s and divers which is also a potential negative effect upon tourism as the lionfish is a venomous fish that can cause severe pain and even

Pterois volitans and Pterois miles, more commonly known as lionfish, are aquatic marine species native to the Indo-Pacific region (Carberry, 2014; Cote, Green, & Hixon, 2013; Hackerott et al., 2013; Kulbicki et al., 2012; Morell, 2010). Introduced to Florida in 1985, lionfish soon spread as an invasive species throughout the southeastern coasts of the United States and the Caribbean (Albins, 2015; Arias-Gonzalez, Gonzalez-Gandara, Cabrera, & Christensen, 2011; Bejarano, Lohr, Hamilton, & Manfrino, 2015; Carberry, 2014; Cote et al., 2013; S. Green, 2014; S. J. Green, Akins, Maljkovic, & Cote, 2012; Jud, Nichols, & Layman, 2015; Morell, 2010; Raymond, Albins, & Pusack, 2015; Ruiz-Carus, Matheson, Roberts, & Whitfield, 2006). Lionfish populations have grown exponentially in these coral reef ecosystems (Albins & Hixon, 2013; Arias-Gonzalez et al., 2011; Bayraktarov, Alarcon-Moscoso, Polanco, & Wild, 2014; Cote et al., 2013; Edwards, Frazer, & Jacoby, 2014; S. J.

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.

The Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea, is an invasive freshwater bivalve that is found in many streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs around the world (Bullard & Hershey, 2013). Originally native to Southeast Asia, it has had large ecological and economic impacts in many aquatic ecosystems (as cited in Gulyás, Sümegi, Szalóki, & Nenadic, 2012). Its asexual behavior, lack of need for a host, and strong sense of adaptability are the cause of its massive spread. Generally, Corbicula fluminea like warm climates and sandy silt-like substrate to burrow into, both of which can be found in the Laredo section [2304] of the Rio Grande River. This has made the Rio Grande River a prime breeding ground for this invasive species, and in turn has greatly effected

To biologists, alien species are of great interest, a wonder of “biological invasions” (Cox, 2004), by moving species beyond their native geographic range into an area in which it does not naturally occur have rapidly revealed alien species and how they react when introduced into an ‘alien’ world (Richardson DM, Pyšek P, Carlton J, 2011). Others simply find non-native species a nuisance. Various species have been transported from ballast waters during shipping operations. For example, over 4,500 exotic species have established themselves into the United States over the past 500 years. This was the case for the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) who invaded a ship to America via Black and Caspian seas (Ricciardi et al., 1996). Since its introduction, the mollusc has been documented in over 600 reservoirs and lakes within the United States. Many research of the impacts of alien species are negative. Myers and Bazely (2003) discuss the enormity of the invasions being a “problem”. As a result, researching the negative impacts the zebra mussel has caused researchers to ‘overlook’ views that all alien species serve as a threat (Goodenough, 2010). Opportunities have now risen for the zebra mussel, substantial research into the modifications of the clarity of water has

There are many environmental issues across the world. They range from many different areas. In the oceanic category of environmental issues, invasive mussels are a vast issue to our man-made waters and lakes. There are many types of invasive mussels in our lakelets. To illustrate: Zebra and Quagga mussels. We must become aware, and raise awareness as to what they are doing to the waters. They cause concerns regarding our recreation and dishearten the basic makeup of our oceanic food chain. There are solutions in place respecting the issue. We must study as to what these invasive mussels are doing to our environment, and how much it will impact the food chain.

Currently, eDNA has some weaknesses in the detection of target species, either endangered or invasive. These weaknesses are predominantly the appearance of false positives likewise false negatives which alter the prevalence of target organism in a certain area (Roussel et al, 2015).