Biological Sciences
One of the most important current world conservation issues is that of the impact of invasive species (IUCN guidelines 2002). Yet, the list of invasive (alien) species in aquatic habitats continues to grow as the process of globalisation has rapidly increased accidental and intentional introductions.
The consequent habitat modification, and competition with native species can be catastrophic for biodiversity but many also have significant economic effects. Estimated that costs of the introduced freshwater Zebra Mussel, Asiatic clam and the European shore crab was US$4.4 billion per year in the US alone.
We currently have projects investigating the spread of aquatic alien flora including the signal crayfish (above) and flora such as the Japanese Seaweed (Undaria pinnatifida) and Sargassum muticum and in collaboration with Dr Cynthia Trowbridge (Oregon State University) on the introduced green alga Codium fragile.
Matt Harris, a PhD student is researching the interactions between environmental factors and life history variables affecting recruitment of the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarium.