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Cited by 54Marine Ecology and Invasive SpeciesMarine and coastal plant biologyCrustacean biology and ecology

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Habitat alteration by invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas) causes eelgrass loss in British Columbia, Canada

Howard, Brett R., Francis, Fiona T., Côté, Isabelle M., Therriault, Thomas W.·2019·Biological Invasions
DOI 10.1007/s10530-019-02072-z
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Abstract

Dominant, habitat-forming plant species, such as seagrasses, are key components of coastal ecosystems worldwide. Multiple stressors, including invasive species that directly alter, remove, or replace the foundation plant species, threaten these ecosystems. On the Atlantic coast of North America, ecosystem engineering by invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas) has been linked to the loss of some eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds. However, the interaction of the same co-occurring species on the Pacific coast has not been investigated. We conducted an enclosure experiment in Barkley Sound, British Columbia, to determine if the engineering impacts of green crabs on Pacific eelgrass ecosystems mirror those previously identified on the Atlantic coast. Eelgrass shoot density declined rapidly over 4 weeks, with a 73–81% greater loss in enclosures with high crab density compared to the low-density and control treatments. The low ratio of eelgrass blades to rhizomes in the high-density treatment suggests that blade shredding, rather than bioturbation of whole plants, was the main mechanism of eelgrass loss. Eelgrass was detected in green crab stomach contents, consistent with observations from the Atlantic coast. Crab density did not have a detectable effect on the biomass or community composition of benthic fauna associated with eelgrass over the duration of the experiment. The eelgrass loss we observed was consistent with losses observed on the Atlantic coast, which raises management concerns on the Pacific coast, particularly in areas where green crabs co-occur with other coastal stressors and with ecologically and economically important species such as salmon.

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  • The integration of novel species in ecosystems can generate fundamental alterations to the structure of native communities and ecosystem functioning.

    “In the ecological domain, the integration of novel species in the ecosystems can generate fundamental alterations to the structure of native communities and ecosystem functioning (e.g., Vitousek et al. 1996; Kideys 2002; Pranovi et al. 2006; Galil 2007; Ehrenfeld 2010; Vilà et al. 2011; Katsanevakis et al. 2014a; Howard et al. 2019)”

    From Bioinvasion impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human health in the Mediterranean Sea (2022) · cites this paper as Howard et al. 2019

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Authors
Howard, B. R., Francis, F. T., Côté, I. M., & Therriault, T. W.
Affiliations
  • Simon Fraser University (CA)
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada (CA)
Corresponding author
Howard, Brett R.
ORCID
Venue
Biological Invasions
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2019-08-16
Volume
21
Issue
12
Pages
3607-3618
ISSN
  • 1387-3547 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-1464
DOI
10.1007/s10530-019-02072-z
OpenAlex
W2968116925
Cited by
54
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1
FWCI
1.42
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
Biological Invasions (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada
  • Second Canadian Aquatic Invasive Species Network
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Marine Ecology and Invasive Species
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine and coastal plant biology
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Crustacean biology and ecology
Keywords
Carcinus maenas, Zostera marina, invasive species, ecosystem engineering, seagrass habitat, crab density, benthic fauna, enclosure experiments, Barkley Sound, Pacific coast, salmon habitat

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