Global Invasions of Marine and Estuarine Habitats by Non-Indigenous Species: Mechanisms, Extent, and Consequences

Abstract

Non-indigenous species (NIS) are increasingly conspicuous in marine and estuarine habitats throughout the world, as the number, variety, and effects of these species continue to accrue. Most of these NIS invasions result from anthropogenic dispersal. Although the relative importance of different dispersal mechanisms varies both spatially and temporally, the global movement of ballast water by ships appears to be the largest single vector for NIS transfer today, andmany recent invasions have resulted from this transfer. The rate of new invasions may have increased in recent decades, perhaps due to changes in ballast water transport. Estuaries have been especially common sites of invasions, accumulating from tens to hundreds of NIS per estuary that include most major taxonomic and trophic groups. We now know of approximately 400 NIS along the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the U.S., and hundreds of marine and estuarine NIS are reported from other regions of the world. Although available information about invasions is limited to a few regions and underestimates the actual number of NIS invasions, there are apparent differences in the frequency of NIS among sites. Mechanisms responsible for observed patterns among sites likely include variation in supply of NIS, and perhaps variation in properties of recipient or donor communities,but the role of these mechanisms has not been tested. Although our present knowledge about the extent, patterns and mechanisms of marine invasion…