July 30, 2003
Scientists Search for Invasive Species on Maine Coast
The Casco Bay Estuary Project, together with other Northeast
National Estuary Program partners and MIT Sea Grant, are bringing
in a team of 25 scientists from around the world to determine
how many marine invasive species are present on floating docks
and piers in our coastal waters. The team begins work in Portland
on Monday, August 4. The National Geographic Society will
be following the scientific crew for two days to film a segment
for an upcoming "Explorer" television program.
TIME/PLACE: 11 a.m., Monday, August 4, at Portland
Yacht Services, 58 Fore St., Portland. Phineas Sprague of
Portland Yacht Services will pull one of his floating docks
to offer close inspection of the dock by the team.
CONTACT: Bev
Bayley-Smith, Casco Bay Estuary Project, 207-807-6405
(cell phone); 207-780-4306 (O).
The social and economic consequences of these invasions
include impaired sport and commercial fishing, degraded recreational
experiences, and sometimes cause public health problems. Many
species destroy the structural integrity of piers and pilings.
In the United States the economic costs of non-native species
invasions reach billions of dollars each year.
While some invasive species spread naturally like plants
and animals that are transported on floating debris, other
pathways are created through human activities. A ship's ballast
water, for example, can spread organisms as small as bacteria
and as large as fish, from one port to another. Invasive species
may tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions and/or
have no natural predators, allowing them to spread rapidly.
The survey team is conducting an eight-day rapid assessment
of invasive species from Casco Bay through New York Harbor.
The goals of this study are to develop a baseline inventory
of species, to identify creatures recently introduced into
the ecosystem, and to assist managers in preventing and controlling
future invasions.
A 2000 survey conducted in Massachusetts revealed that 10
percent of all identified species were invasive, including
some that had never been identified before on the east coast
of the U.S. Some of the familiar marine invasive species known
to inhabit the waters of Maine include European green crabs,
periwinkles, and wood-chewing ship worms.
Editor's Note: The Casco Bay Estuary Project supports
cooperative efforts to protect and restore the health of the
Casco Bay ecosystem, while insuring compatible human uses
through effective management and stewardship. The Casco Bay
Estuary Project is hosted and administered by the University
of Southern Maine Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service
and the Marine Law Institute of the University of Maine School
of Law.
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