You are here:
Land-use proxies for aquatic species invasions in the Laurentian Great Lakes
Citation:
O'Malia, E. AND J. Hoffman. Land-use proxies for aquatic species invasions in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Society for Freshwater Science, Milwaukee, WI, May 17 - 21, 2015.
Impact/Purpose:
not applicable
Description:
Aquatic invasive species adversely impact ecosystems, human health, and the economy of the Laurentian Great Lakes region. Targeted preventative and eradication efforts in response to early detection of invasive species can be both cost advantageous and effective. But where should we focus limited time and resources searching for the next new invader. We investigated land-use metrics of three prominent anthropogenic introduction pathways (commercial boat traffic, recreational boat traffic, and live release from urban centers), to explain the apparent spatio-temporal patterns of historic aquatic invasions. Of those evaluated, city population size was the best indicator of aquatic invasive species presence and richness, even for species introduced through ballast water discharge. Near shore waters adjacent to large cities had a much higher probability of species presence than medium or small cities. Additionally, commercial boat traffic was a significant indicator of where initial introductions occurred, but was inconsistent at predicting spread post-introduction. Development and evaluation of indicators of historic aquatic invasions will guide future early detection efforts to slow and prevent new introductions.