Marine Invasive Species in Puget Sound Kevin Aitkin U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Washington Fish and Wildlife Office Lacey, Washington.

Marine Invasive Species in Puget Sound

Kevin Aitkin

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington Fish and Wildlife Office

Lacey, Washington

What are nonnative species?What are nonnative species? Nonnative speciesNonnative species are species are species

introduced by man (either intentional or introduced by man (either intentional or unintentional) to a place that they did unintentional) to a place that they did not occupy prior to European settlement not occupy prior to European settlement

Nonnative species are also known as: Nonnative species are also known as: alien, exotic, introduced, or alien, exotic, introduced, or nonindigenous speciesnonindigenous species

Examples of nonnative speciesExamples of nonnative species

Nonnative animals in your Nonnative animals in your backyardbackyard

European StarlingEuropean Starling

Eastern Gray Eastern Gray SquirrelSquirrel

Nonnative mammals in Nonnative mammals in WashingtonWashington

Virginia PossumVirginia Possum

Eastern CottontailEastern Cottontail

Nonnative fish in WashingtonNonnative fish in Washington

LargemouthLargemouth Bass Bass ■ ■ Bluegill SunfishBluegill Sunfish

Nonnative shellfish in Nonnative shellfish in WashingtonWashington

Pacific OysterPacific Oyster ■ ■ Manila ClamManila Clam

Nonnative Plant Species Nonnative Plant Species

Himalayan and Himalayan and Evergreen BlackberriesEvergreen Blackberries

English IvyEnglish Ivy

Domesticated Nonnative Species Domesticated Nonnative Species DogsDogs

CatsCats

ParrotsParrots

Tropical FishTropical Fish

HorsesHorses

CowsCows

PigsPigs

SheepSheep

Take Home Message Take Home Message

Most invasive species are nonnative, but Most invasive species are nonnative, but not all nonnative species are invasivenot all nonnative species are invasive

Invasive SpeciesInvasive Species are nonnative are nonnative species whose introduction does or is species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to environmental harm or harm to human health (Executive Order human health (Executive Order 13112: 13112: Invasive Species -Invasive Species - February 3, February 3, 1999)1999)

Nonnative Species in Nonnative Species in Puget Sound Puget Sound

Over 60 records of established nonnative Over 60 records of established nonnative plants and animals in Puget Soundplants and animals in Puget Sound

Most are invertebrates – crustaceans, Most are invertebrates – crustaceans, mollusks, and wormsmollusks, and worms

(Source: USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (Source: USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database - http://nas.er.usgs.gov/)(NAS) database - http://nas.er.usgs.gov/)

Invasive Marine Plants Invasive Marine Plants

CordgrassesCordgrasses(Spartina spp.)(Spartina spp.)

S. alterniflora S. alterniflora is native to East coast U.S.is native to East coast U.S.

S. anglica S. anglica originated in England as a hybridoriginated in England as a hybrid

Willapa Bay: 15,000 to 18,000 acres covered (< 2 net acres)Willapa Bay: 15,000 to 18,000 acres covered (< 2 net acres)

Puget Sound: Prior to 1979 < 15 acres, by 1997 > 1,000 solid Puget Sound: Prior to 1979 < 15 acres, by 1997 > 1,000 solid acres (2011 – 16 acres, 2012 estimate – 6 acres)acres (2011 – 16 acres, 2012 estimate – 6 acres)

CaulerpaCaulerpa(Caulerpa taxifolia)(Caulerpa taxifolia)

A tropical green algae native to A tropical green algae native to the the Caribbean Sea and Indian Caribbean Sea and Indian OceanOcean

An aggressive clone of this An aggressive clone of this species hasspecies has adapted to cooler adapted to cooler water (> 5water (> 5ooC)C)

Clone reproduces asexually via Clone reproduces asexually via fragmentationfragmentation

Can cover up to 100% of the sea Can cover up to 100% of the sea bottom from 1 to 35 m, pushing bottom from 1 to 35 m, pushing out native invertebrates, fish and out native invertebrates, fish and algaealgae

Occurred at two locations off the Occurred at two locations off the coast southern Californiacoast southern California

Does not occur in Washington Does not occur in Washington 

Japanese or Dwarf Eel GrassJapanese or Dwarf Eel Grass((Zostera japonicaZostera japonica) )

Native to East AsiaNative to East Asia

Occurs higher in the intertidal than the native eel Occurs higher in the intertidal than the native eel grass (Zostera marina)grass (Zostera marina)

First discovered in Washington in 1957First discovered in Washington in 1957

Copyright © 2006 Mary Jo Adams Copyright © 2006 Mary Jo Adams

Invasive Marine Animals Invasive Marine Animals

European Green CrabEuropean Green Crab((Carcinus maenasCarcinus maenas))

Native to Europe and Northern Native to Europe and Northern AfricaAfrica

Implicated in the decline of the soft-Implicated in the decline of the soft-shelled clam fishery in New Englandshelled clam fishery in New England

Eats clams, oysters, mussels, Eats clams, oysters, mussels, marine worms and small marine worms and small crustaceanscrustaceans

Chinese Mitten CrabChinese Mitten Crab((Eriocheir sinensisEriocheir sinensis) )

Native to SE Asia, does not occur in WANative to SE Asia, does not occur in WA

Catadromous – occurs in both fresh and marine waterCatadromous – occurs in both fresh and marine water

Problems - omnivorous, burrows into banks of Problems - omnivorous, burrows into banks of levees and dikes, and is an intermediate host for levees and dikes, and is an intermediate host for the Oriental lung flukethe Oriental lung fluke

Asian or Overbite ClamAsian or Overbite Clam((Potamocorbula (Corbula) amurensisPotamocorbula (Corbula) amurensis))

A marine clam native to estuaries of Russia, A marine clam native to estuaries of Russia, China, and Japan China, and Japan

Concern: could be carried from San Francisco Concern: could be carried from San Francisco Bay to WA via ballast waterBay to WA via ballast water

Does not occur in WashingtonDoes not occur in Washington

Tunicates or Sea Squirts Tunicates or Sea Squirts Primitive vertebrate (Phylum Chordata)Primitive vertebrate (Phylum Chordata)

Colonial Species - (Colonial Species - (Didemnum vexilliumDidemnum vexillium))

Solitary Species - Club Tunicate (Solitary Species - Club Tunicate (Styela Styela clavaclava))

Nancy C. Balcom, University of Connecticut Woods Hole Science Center, USGS

What You Can Do What You Can Do

Keep an eye out for unusual plants and animalsKeep an eye out for unusual plants and animals

Report any potential invasive species to the Report any potential invasive species to the WA Invasive Species Hotline or report onlineWA Invasive Species Hotline or report online

Hotline: Hotline: 1-877-9-INFEST (1-877-946-3378)1-877-9-INFEST (1-877-946-3378)

Website: Website: http://www.invasivespecies.wa.gov/report.shthttp://www.invasivespecies.wa.gov/report.shtmlml

Additional Information Additional Information Marine Invasive Species Identification Guide for the Puget Marine Invasive Species Identification Guide for the Puget

Sound Area (out of print) – Sound Area (out of print) – http://www.psp.wa.gov/downloads/ANS/MISM_Online.pdfhttp://www.psp.wa.gov/downloads/ANS/MISM_Online.pdf

Aquatic Invasive Species Guide Book for the Puget Sound Aquatic Invasive Species Guide Book for the Puget Sound Area (out of print) – Area (out of print) – http://www.psp.wa.gov/downloads/ANS/NewANSGuide.pdfhttp://www.psp.wa.gov/downloads/ANS/NewANSGuide.pdf

Selected Crabs of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and British Selected Crabs of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and British Columbia (free from Oregon Sea Grant) - Columbia (free from Oregon Sea Grant) - http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/sgpubs/onlihttp://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/sgpubs/onlinepubs/g05003.pdfnepubs/g05003.pdf

The Exotics Guide - http://www.exoticsguide.org/The Exotics Guide - http://www.exoticsguide.org/

Additional Information Additional Information (cont.) (cont.) WA Invasive Species Council - WA Invasive Species Council -

http://www.invasivespecies.wa.gov/http://www.invasivespecies.wa.gov/

Washington Invasive Species Education (WISE ) - Washington Invasive Species Education (WISE ) - http://www.wise.wa.gov/http://www.wise.wa.gov/

WDFW (Aquatic Invasive Species Species) - WDFW (Aquatic Invasive Species Species) - http://wdfw.wa.gov/ais/http://wdfw.wa.gov/ais/

WDFW (clam identification) - WDFW (clam identification) - http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/clams/http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/clams/

Marine Invasive Species Monitoring Program (MISM) - Marine Invasive Species Monitoring Program (MISM) - http://vmp.bioe.orst.edu/http://vmp.bioe.orst.edu/

Note: MISM no longer active, but website is still a good Note: MISM no longer active, but website is still a good resourceresource