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The ornamental plant Lagarosiphon major from Lough Corrib in the west of Ireland. Photo: Dan Minchin
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One-hundred-and-twelve alien species are recorded for marine, brackish and freshwater environments in Ireland, of these sixty-eight are thought to be established. Their arrival has been mainly due to shipping, aquaculture and the ornamental industries. There are almost thirty species considered to be invasive and some that have arrived recently may...
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Context 1
... in Ireland the zebra mussel has had important impacts (Minchin et al. 2006) and is likely to continue to spread over decades (Karatayev et al. 2006). To this list three further aquatic species have become notable since these accounts were assembled, the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis, the South African pondweed Lagarosiphon major ( Figure 9) and the colonial tunicate Didemnum sp. (Figure 10). Specimens of the Chinese mitten crab have only recently appeared in the Waterford Estuary on the Irish south coast but it has the potential to expand its range throughout much of Ireland because many of the main river basins are connected by canals (Minchin 2006b). The South African pondweed has become dominant in a large area of one lake (J Caffrey pers. comm.) and there is a risk this species will spread. The origin of the Didemnum sp. is unknown and is classed here as being cryptogenic although all indications suggest it is an alien species. This marine tunicate has not yet been fully identified due to the small number of anatomical features, which can be variable. However, its growth and often pendulous appearance is similar to D. vexillum described from New Zealand (Kott 2002) and D. vestum described from the east coast of North America (Kott 2004) where invasive forms have been noted (Pannell and Coutts 2007; Valentine 2007a, 2007b). There are no previous records to the findings of Minchin and Sides (2006) in Irish waters who between them will have had over fifty years diving experience. It is true that some species are likely to have been recorded many years after an arrival, likely to be the case for ...
Citations
... Pilgrim (1965) commented that individuals collected from Whitstable were 15 cm long, while those from Beaufort, North Carolina (USA), only measured 6 cm, but were otherwise the same. Since then, C. torquata has been recorded once off the coast of Northumberland in 1976 (Eno et al. 1997) and in 2006 in Irish waters (Minchin 2007). Imports of juvenile American oysters (Crassostrea virginica) were hypothesized as the likely vector for the introduction of C. torquata to the British Isles (Eno et al. 1997). ...
... NIS specimens recorded from beached seaweeds, plastics, and other flotsam, like Isognomon radiatus (Anton, 1838) and Ostrea equestris Say, 1834 [18], are acknowledged but were excluded from this analysis, as was the case in overview lists for other EU countries such as the Netherlands [14]. This is because this review focuses on species that have survived transport and have established specimens in local habitats. ...
... They were recorded during surveys focused on nonindigenous species, issued by BIM in shellfish production areas and marinas. The highest diversity of marine alien species within these surveys was found in the Dun Laoghaire marina, Dublin (e.g., Figure 2), a region also known from other studies as an alien species hotspot [18]. ...
... They were recorded during surveys focused on non-indigenous spec issued by BIM in shellfish production areas and marinas. The highest diversity of mar alien species within these surveys was found in the Dun Laoghaire marina, Dublin (e Figure 2), a region also known from other studies as an alien species hotspot [18] Laoghaire marina, Dublin. The highest diversity of marine alien species in the Republic of Ireland, is generally found on floating objects in marinas. ...
Documenting temporal and spatial occurrence trends of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) is essential to understand vectors and pathways of introduction, and for horizon scanning for future introductions. This study provides an overview of marine NIS found in the Republic of Ireland up to 2020. Taxonomic groups, species origin, and location of first reporting (counties) were compiled and analysed focusing on the last three decades. While the unambiguous characterisation of introduction events is challenging, analysis of 110 species corroborated the global weight of evidence that shipping activities to/from ports and marinas are the most likely vectors and pathways in Ireland. A comparable review study for the Netherlands revealed that most NIS were first introduced to mainland Europe and subsequently would take on average >15 years to reach Ireland. In the last two decades there has been an increase in NIS-focused surveys in Ireland. Incorporating data from these surveys in centralized national repositories such as the National Biodiversity Data Centre, will strongly aid the evaluation of potential NIS management responses. Furthermore, the availability of robust baseline data as well as predictions of future invaders and their associated vectors and pathways will facilitate the effective application of emerging monitoring technologies such as DNA-based approaches.
... Only few records are known from earlier centuries, but the rate increased particularly strong since 1990 (Buettger et al. 2022). Increasing rates were similar in neighboring coastal regions such as in Belgian, Irish, British, Danish, and French Atlantic waters (i.e., Kerckhof et al. 2007;Minchin 2007;Minchin et al. 2013;Staehr et al. 2020;Pezy et al. 2021), in other aquatic environments (Karatayev et al. 2008;Leuven et al. 2009;Bailey et al. 2020), and globally in major groups of organismsexcept intentionally introduced mammals and birds (Seebens et al. 2017). The non-linear increasing trend in the Wadden Sea is typical for mainly unintended introductions, closely linked to increasing global trade . ...
For about a century, biodiversity in the tidal Wadden Sea (North Sea, European Atlantic) has increased by more than one hundred introduced species from overseas. Most originate from warmer waters and could facilitate the transformation of this coastal ecosystem to comply with climate warming. Some introduced species promote sediment stabilization and mud accretion. This could help tidal flats to keep up with sea level rise. Although some introduced species also entail negative effects, introductions have diversified lower food web levels, and may benefit foraging birds. So far, no resident populations have gone extinct because an introduced species had established. Rather than degrading the ecosystem, the establishment of introduced species seems to have raised the capacity to follow environmental change. We support increasing efforts against introductions to avoid risk. However, once species are integrated, the common condemnation attitude against “non-natives” or “aliens” ought to be reconsidered for tidal ecosystems of low biodiversity.
... The NIS comprise a variety of species from across 24 phyla, with animals (mainly arthropods and molluscs) making up the majority of species (66%), followed by algae (18%) and chromista (13%) (Mirimin et al. 2019). This review followed a checklist of all aquatic NIS compiled by Minchin et al. (2007a) which identified 59 brackish and marine species, approximately half of which were thought to have established reproducing populations in Irish waters. The majority of marine NIS originated from the north Pacific, followed by the north-west Atlantic (Minchin 2007a). ...
... This review followed a checklist of all aquatic NIS compiled by Minchin et al. (2007a) which identified 59 brackish and marine species, approximately half of which were thought to have established reproducing populations in Irish waters. The majority of marine NIS originated from the north Pacific, followed by the north-west Atlantic (Minchin 2007a). ...
Report from the Mapping Ireland’s Marine Invasive Species project carried out at the University College of Dublin (Ireland).
Written by Giesler R, Clavel-Henry M, Crowe T, Yearsley J.
Project funded by the EMFF Operational Programme 2014-2020
Blue Growth & Marine Spatial Planning Scheme
... There are probably two reasons for this. On the one hand, the importance of inadvertent dispersion, as occurs with ballast water or in the hulls of boats (Roman 2006), and on the other, the action of marine currents that disperse organisms spontaneously (Ruiz et al. 2000;Hillebrand et al. 2001;Minchin 2007). The numerical representation that cryptogenic species can reach is considerable, as some prospective studies have shown. ...
... 1897, Hart 1897, Frewen 1899, Scharff 1900, Quigley 2012. Indeed, this controversial subject is still a matter of divided discussion today (Minchin 2007, Gozlan 2008. ...
... comm.). Minchin's (2007) subsequent reference to an Irish specimen of A. melas reported during 2001 is considered to have been based on the Cork Lough specimen captured during 1973 (Dan Minchin pers. comm.). ...
... While the aquarium trade and other live fish markets have frequently been identified as focal sources for potentially invasive species (Copp et al. 2005, 2007, Rixon et al. 2005, Duggan et al. 2006, Minchin 2007, Magalhaes 2015, Maceda-Veiga et al. 2013, non-native fish species are easily translocated by individuals from one country or catchment to another (e.g. Caffrey et al. 2008, Zięba et al. 2010, Macklin et al. 2016. ...
... There are probably two reasons for this. On the one hand, the importance of inadvertent dispersion, as occurs with ballast water or in the hulls of boats (Roman 2006), and on the other, the action of marine currents that disperse organisms spontaneously (Ruiz et al. 2000;Hillebrand et al. 2001;Minchin 2007). The numerical representation that cryptogenic species can reach is considerable, as some prospective studies have shown. ...
... Marine non-native species (NNS) are widespread in European waters, particularly near ports. They are often noted as of environmental concern and standard lists have been produced for the U.K. (Eno et al., 1997;Minchin et al., 2013) and other parts of northern Europe (Reise et al., 1999;Goulletquer et al., 2002;Wolff, 2005;Gollasch & Nehring, 2006;Minchin, 2007;Buschbaum et al., 2012;Katsanevakis et al., 2013). Several databases have also been produced to review NNS regionally and globally whilst new national and regional records are regularly published. ...
The non-native
bivalve Theora lubrica was recorded for the first time for the U.K. in April 2018, from Lake Lothing (Oulton Broad), Lowestoft, Suffolk. This represents the most northerly European record to date for the species. Several other non-native or cryptogenic species were recorded from the same location; in particular, the most northerly European locality
of the tubeworm Hydroides ezoensis was confirmed. Theora lubrica has also been found in the vicinity of Southampton Water and the earliest known U.K. records (May 2011) of the non-native mussel Arcuatula senhousia, from the same area, are documented here.
... Recreational vessels arriving at the Vauban basin are often covered by several colonizing organisms, and a possible transfer of species from the Arcachon Bay to Le Havre harbour is possible by such pleasure boats. Minchin (2007) noted that some recreational boats are used to travel long distances, and their relatively low speeds make them ideal vectors for those species that attach to their hulls. Species transfer by hull fouling is the most likely factor for the introduction of Paranthura japonica. ...
Specimens of the Asiatic isopod Paranthura japonica Richardson, 1909 were retrieved
for the first time in 2019 from two harbours situated along the Normandy coast in
the north of France: Le Havre (295 specimens), and Cherbourg (four specimens).
Paranthura japonica was accidently introduced for the first time in Europe in the
Archachon Bay in 2013 through oyster transfer. This species, native to the Sea of
Japan, may have been introduced to the English Channel through the accumulated
fouling of the hulls of ships used primarily for recreational purposes.
... Oncorhynchus gorbuscha were first recorded in Ireland in August 1973 when a single specimen was caught by an angler in the River Moy in the north-west of the country (Went, 1974). In the intervening period until 2017, individuals have been observed infrequently in Irish waters and such reports are largely anecdotal and unverified (IFI, 2017;Minchin, 2007). Initial reports of the capture of O. gorbuscha by anglers in rivers in the west of Ireland in June 2017, initiated an extensive awareness-raising campaign by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI; the competent state authority for wild salmonid management in Ireland) to alert stakeholders and the wider public to the potential presence of this non-native species in Irish river systems and increase reporting rates (IFI, 2017). ...
The occurrence of non‐native pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha in multiple river systems in Ireland in 2017 was unprecedented and reflected similar concurrent events observed in other countries in the North Atlantic region. Thirty‐six fish were captured in a total of 11 river systems located in the south‐west, west and north‐west of Ireland in the period June to September 2017. The biological characteristics of sampled specimens are described and the potential for establishment in Ireland are considered.
