Five of the highest-risk invasive species have made their way from Turkey and the Ukraine to the waters of Britain, and the local ecosystem is in serious danger.
These destructive species, including the quagga mussel, could put Britain in a state of "invasional meltdown," the University of Cambridge reported. A research team highlighted the need to address the Ponto-Caspian problem (named after the invaders from a region of the Caspian seas) in order to protect biosecurity.
"Pretty much everything in our rivers and lakes is directly or indirectly vulnerable," said Dr David Aldridge, co-author from the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology, who confirmed the quagga find only two weeks ago. "The invader we are most concerned about is the quagga mussel, which alarmingly was first discovered in the U.K. just two weeks ago. This pest will smother and kill our native mussels, block water pipes and foul boat hulls. We are also really worried about Ponto-Caspian shrimps, which will eat our native shrimps."
These ominous shrimps, dubbed the demon shrimp, bloody red shrimp, and pink peril, could act as gateway species to allow others in by allowing for favorable inter-species interactions such as food provision.
An example is the zebra mussel (a relative of the quagga), which has been seen in Britain since 1824 and smothers native species so they cannot move. These mussels allow invasive shrimp to thrive because they can more easily camouflage into their striped shells. The shrimp, in turn, provide food for the invasive Ponto-Caspian gobie fish that have made their way down the Rhine. The presence of these non-native fish is problematic because they eat and displace native species.
"If we look at The Netherlands nowadays it is sometimes hard to find a non-Ponto-Caspian species in their waterways," Aldridge said. "In some parts of Britain the freshwater community already looks more like the Caspian Sea. The Norfolk Broads, for example, typically viewed as a wildlife haven, is actually dominated by Ponto-Caspian zebra mussels and killer shrimps in many places."
In a study published Oct. 12 in the Journal of Applied Ecology the researchers identified the 23 most high-risk invasive Ponto-Caspian species.
"Due to globalisation and increased travel and freight transport, the rate of colonisation of invasive species into Britain from The Netherlands keeps accelerating - posing a serious threat to the conservation of British aquatic ecosystems," said co-author Dr Belinda Gallardo, now based at the Doñana Biological Station in Spain. "Cross-country sharing of information on the status and impacts of invasive species is fundamental to early detection, so that risks can be rapidly assessed. A continuing process for evaluating invasive species and detecting new introductions needs to be established, as this problem is increasing dramatically."
