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Invasive Species

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PHOTO An Invasive Brittlestar These brittlestars (Ophiothela mirabilis) are not where they belong. These animals, usually found in the Pacific Ocean, were first spotted in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil in 20...MORE PHOTOS


	ARTICLE MORE STORIES Reducing the Risk of Transporting Invasive Species When people sail the sea, marine organisms tag along. If carried long distances,...
	ARTICLE MORE STORIES Rapa Whelks: Invaders of the Chesapeake Bay During the summer of 1998, scientists at the Virginia Institute of Marine Scienc...
	VIDEO MORE VIDEOS Lionfish on the Loose The majestic and highly predatory red lionfish (Pterois volitans), native to the...

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					Killer Algae (Caulerpa taxifolia) Feb 20, 2013 - 10:16AMA strain of this green seaweed, native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, escaped public and private aquariums in California, Japan, Australia, and Monaco. It has spread widely in the Mediterranean, replacing native plants and...

Lionfish on the Loose

Feb 19, 2013 - 10:24AM

The majestic and highly predatory red lionfish (Pterois volitans), native to...

Spotfin Lionfish

Nov 22, 2012 - 11:28AM

The spotfin lionfish (Pterois antennata), with venomous spines extended, is...

SPOTLIGHT


5 Invasive Species You Should Know Regardless of what continent you live on, the waters that surround it are home to marine invaders. The ocean is teeming with...

Rapa Whelk Jul 27 2011 - 11:20am Rapa whelks, native to Asia, have invaded the Chesapeake Bay and are raising concerns about economic and ecological impacts to the Bay region due to their shellfish diet. Scientists believe that this non-native species reached the Chesapeake by hitching a ride across the Atlantic, probably as...	Sea Squirts Fouling an Oyster Cage Sep 1 2011 - 10:22am Invasive species can have a range of environmental and economic impacts. In this photo sea squirts foul an oyster cage. Scientists at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's Marine Invasions Lab study the movement and effects of non-native species around the globe. One region they've been...
Seagrass and Seagrass Beds Feb 27 2013 - 9:38pm Around 100 million years ago, grass from land adapted to live and reproduce while submerged in seawater—the modern-day seagrasses. This sea invasion by land plants happened four separate times, resulting in four unrelated families of 50-60 total seagrass species, which can be found on the coast of...	Ballast Water in the Port of Oakland Jul 27 2011 - 1:09pm When people sail the sea, marine organisms tag along. If carried long distances, these hitchhikers can invade and disrupt ecosystems far from their natural homes, pushing out the local species. Some invaders catch a ride by attaching themselves to the sides or bottoms of boats. But many more stow...
An Invasive Brittlestar Sep 7 2012 - 8:54am These brittlestars (Ophiothela mirabilis) are not where they belong. These animals, usually found in the Pacific Ocean, were first spotted in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil in 2000. And since then, they've been seen crawling up and down the eastern coast of South America, all the way...	Chesapeake Bay Harbor Jul 27 2011 - 11:05am Shellfish from the Chesapeake Bay are prized by seafood lovers. But the Bay's ecosystem and fisheries are threatened by human disturbances, including the introduction of non-native species.
European Green Crab (Carcinus maenas) Aug 8 2012 - 12:06pm The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) has spread far beyond its native continent, to waters off North and South America, Asia and Australia. It's a voracious eater and poses a nuisance to shellfish farmers. Invasive species have various means of reaching new habitats.	Researching Invasive Species Near the Panama Canal Sep 1 2011 - 11:27am If you want to study invasive species in the ocean, the Panama Canal offers a lot to explore. The ships passing through can inadvertently transport plants, animals, and even parasites from the Atlantic into the Pacific, or the reverse direction. Some species stow away in ballast tanks, others cling...
Alaska Vulnerable to Invasive Species from Warmer Waters Sep 1 2011 - 9:35am Alaska’s pristine coastline is ripe for an influx of invasive marine species such as the European green crab and the rough periwinkle (an Atlantic sea snail), warns a new study by a team of scientists from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.	Reducing the Risk of Transporting Invasive Species Jul 5 2011 - 5:24pm When people sail the sea, marine organisms tag along. If carried long distances, these hitchhikers can invade and disrupt ecosystems far from their natural homes, pushing out the local species. Some invaders catch a ride by attaching themselves to the sides or bottoms of boats. But many more stow...
Make Me Care About: Phragmites (Video) Mar 31 2011 - 1:41pm Dennis Whigham, a senior botanist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, makes his quick pitch for why you should care about the wetland plant Phragmites australis. A European strain of phragmites has established itself in wetlands along the East Coast of the United States.	Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) Sep 29 2011 - 2:26pm This bivalve mollusk is native to the Caspian Sea, lagoons of the Black Sea, and their inflowing rivers. It lives in fresh and brackish water and cannot tolerate full seawater. In the 18th and 19th centuries, zebra mussels spread through European canals, reaching the Baltic Sea and many European...
Make Me Care About: Phragmites Mar 31 2011 - 4:17pm This week at the Smithsonian Ocean Portal we embark on an experiment we're calling "Make Me Care." The concept is simple: we ask a renowned expert to tell us why we should care about his or her marine subject matter. We're giving them only about a minute on video to accomplish the task, so it's a...	5 Invasive Species You Should Know Sep 27 2011 - 1:09pm Regardless of what continent you live on, the waters that surround it are home to marine invaders. The ocean is teeming with plants and animals willing and able to move beyond their native habitats. Often all they need is a ride. Enter: humans. Some invaders hitchhike on ship hulls or inside...
Sea Walnut (Mnemiopsis leidyi) Nov 1 2012 - 10:40am This ctenophore (a stingless jellyfish-like animal) is native to the east coast of North and South America. In 1982, it was discovered in the Black Sea, where it was transported by ballast water. It subsequently spread to the Caspian Sea. In both places it multiplied and formed immense populations...	Spotfin Lionfish Nov 22 2012 - 11:28am The spotfin lionfish (Pterois antennata), with venomous spines extended, is native to Indo-Pacific reefs, but has invaded reefs in Florida, the Caribbean and is moving up the Atlantic coast. It probably escaped from an aquarium. Lionfish are aggressive predators and threaten local species. It is...