New Zealand marine biosecurity research directions to underpin management

Since the Rio Convention, human-mediated activities leading to species loss have become central concerns, leading to significant effort to prevent, ameliorate, and mitigate impacts. One leading factor is the transport and establishment of non-native species in regions and communities where they did not evolve

Baseline survey of the Port of Darwin for introduced marine species

In 1997, the Northern Territory Government recognised that with development of Darwin as a major commercial shipping hub, there was a need to provide information upon which assessment could be made of the status of the Port of Darwin as regards introduced marine pests, and committed significant funding (approximately $340,000) for a major baseline study of the port to be carried out under National Port Survey Program guidelines over two years (1998-1999)..

Historical and modern invasions to Port Phillip Bay, Australia: The most invaded southern embayment?

Port Phillip Bay (PPB) is a large (1900km2), temperate embayment in southern Victoria, Australia. Extensive bay-wide surveys of PPB have occurred between 1803 and 1963. In 1995/96 the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Centre for Research on Introduced Marine Pests (CRIMP) undertook an intensive evaluation of the region with the aims of developing a comprehensive species list of native and introduced fauna and contrasting previous bay-wide assessments with a current field survey in order to detect new incursions and discern alterations to native communities. Two methods were used to meet the aims: a re-evaluation of regional museum collections and published research in PPB to identify and determine the timing of introductions; and field surveys for introduced benthic (infauna, epifauna, and encrusting) organisms conducted by CRIMP between September 1995 and March 1996. The historic component of PPB invasions groups into four periods based on significant shifts in trade activities: exploration/colonization (pre-1839), immigration (1839-1851), Gold Rush (1852-1860), and modern mechanisms (including aquaculture; 1861-present). Invasions within PPB appear to be increasing, possibly due to an increase in modern shipping traffic and an increase in aquaculture (historically associated with incidental introductions); however, the records of extensive biological surveys suggest that this may in part be an artifact of sampling effort. As expected, the majority of introductions are concentrated around the shipping ports of Geelong and Melbourne. Recent incursions into the region include Undaria pinnatifida, Codium fragile ssp. tomentosoides, Asterias amurensis, Schizoporella unicornis, and Pyromaia tuberculata. Port Phillip Bay is presented as one of the most invaded marine ecosystems in the Southern Hemisphere

The relative contribution of vectors to the introduction and translocation of invasive marine species

Whether intentional or not, humans have been responsible for the translocation of invasive marine species. The indicative representations of association suggest that biofouling has been the most prevalent mechanism contributing to such invasions across the globe. Biofouling is one of the oldest mechanisms of human-mediated transport of marine species, beginning with early human movements on small scales and eventually leading to world explorations with the European Expansion from 1500 AD onwards. The most common means of biofouling is marine species attaching themselves to any part of a vessel, or any equipment attached to or onboard the vessel, aquaculture equipment and mooring devices. In contrast, ballast water is a relatively new vector of transport, with the earliest ballast water use recorded in the late 19th century. Ballast water – water (including sediment that has been contained in water) held in tanks and cargo holds of ships to increase stability and manoeuvrability during transit – represents an expansion of transport opportunity to the vast majority of the benthic species associated with biofouling. This project assessed the relative contributions of known marine pest vectors in terms of the introduction and translocation of marine invasive species on a national basis (in Australia) through a review of the National Port Survey Database (NPSD) and on a worldwide basis through a literature review. The information represented by the global dataset and the NPSD provide a useful tool for identification of species associations with modern vectors of transport, and the opportunity to identify likely relationships for future entry. Analysis of the global dataset indicated that more species have life history characteristics associated with biofouling (55 per cent) than any other vector. The second highest association was with ballast water (31 per cent). A similar relative contribution was found in the Australian context through analysis of the NPSD, with biofouling contributing 60 per cent of species association and ballast water 24 per cent

Vectors, shipping and trade

The link between introduction of exotic species into new bioregions and the release of ballast water from shipping is well documented (Smith and Carlton 1975; Carlton 1979; Carlton 1985; Simberloff 1986; Carlton et al. 1995; Ruiz et al. 1997; Shigesada and Kawasaki 1997). Despite the current recognition and acknowledgment of marine introductions via modern vectors, the historic movements of species by vessels may have led to the introduction of species prior to biological surveys

Final Report: CoTS Control Program Independent Review

This Report provides an independent assessment of the CoTS Control Program under the coordination of GBRMPA between 2012/13 – 2018/19, reporting against the Terms of Reference..

Special Invasive Alien Species Issues: Challenges for the marine systems

On a global scale, introduced marine species pose a significant threat to marine environments. Within this paper four challenges to delivery of marine biosecurity outcomes are identified, with a brief discussion on how these challenges are being met within the New Zealand context. Currently within New Zealand, only 3% of the total biosecurity funding is expended on the marine environment. To be effective with such a small component of the total budget, marine biosecurity has directed research into six programmes: 1) risk profiling; 2) compliance monitoring of ballast water exchange; 3) alternative management tools for marine vector threats; 4) baseline information to support border control; 5) surveillance for marine pests; and 6) incursion response options and systems. At present, the marine biosecurity system developed in New Zealand offers a good example of an outcome-oriented system that balances costs and benefits across economic, environmental, social and spiritual values. The short-term costs to establish such a system may be significant however; the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial investment

A bay-wide survey for introduced species in Port Phillip Bay, 1995-96

Thirty-three years have passed since the last extensive (benthic and fouling) bay-wide survey of Port Phillip Bay (Port Phillip Bay Environmental Study, Phase One, 1968- 1971) although additional work has been conducted by the Victorian Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute (MAFRI, formerly the Victorian Fisheries Research Institue: VFRI) and the Museum of Victoria (Mo V)

Marine introductions in the Shark Bay World Heritage Property, Western Australia: A preliminary assessment

The presence and impacts of non-indigenous species (NIS) in marine areas of high conservation or World Heritage significance have rarely been examined. Case studies worldwide suggest that the potential exists for the introduction of NIS to significantly impact conservation values in regions conserved for the uniqueness and diversity of native assemblages. In this study, a preliminary investigation was conducted to provide information essential for managing marine introductions in the Shark Bay World Heritage Property. A focused fouling plate survey sampled a total of 112 encrusting taxa, of which 10 (11.2%) were classified as introduced and 10 others as cryptogenic. Eight introduced bryozoans: Aetea anguina (Linnaeus, 1758), Bugula neritina (Linnaeus, 1758), Bugula stolonifera Ryland, 1960, Conopeum seurati (Canu, 1928), Savignyella lafontii (Audouin, 1826), Schizoporella errata (Waters, 1878), Watersipora subtorquata (d’Orbigny, 1842) and Zoobotryon verticellatum della Chiaje, 1828; one tunicate, Styela plicata Lesueur, 1823; and an introduced hydroid, Obelia dichotoma (Linnaeus, 1758) were frequent, and in some cases dominant, components of encrusting communities. Of the 20 most frequently occurring species detected in the Bay, four were introduced and of the 20 species with highest average percent cover per plate, six were introduced. At one site, space occupation by NIS averaged 71.6% ± 7.4 of plate live cover. Space occupation by an individual NIS was as high as 62.4% of plate area (mean 7.82% ± 1.8). NIS were detected at sites lacking commercial traffic and ballast water discharge and isolated by distance and physical environment, suggesting that hull fouling of recreational craft may be the most important vector in the region. Seventy-five percent of NIS detected in Shark Bay are established in Australian ports to the south of Shark Bay, while 33% are established to the north, tentatively implicating temperate affinity NIS and the movement of vessels from Australian ports south of Shark Bay as a greater risk to the region