Citizens Campaign for the Environment

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Aquatic Invasive Species

What are invasive species?
Invasive species are introduced plants or animals that aggressively out-compete and in some cases displace native organisms. The official U.S. definition is an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.

Image of ballast discharge from an ocean ship.

Ballast discharge from Ocean ship

Where do invasive species come from?
Aquatic invasive species introduction can often be traced back to human-related activities, including: 

Why are invasive species a problem?
Lacking predators, or becoming a new predator, invasive species are often capable of encroaching and smothering native species habitat due to the absence of predators and causing disruptions in the food chain. Invasive species threaten the Earth’s biodiversity, second only to habitat loss.

Click on the links below to learn more about aquatic invasive species and what you can do to protect our treasured water bodies from ecological invaders.

Great Lakes: Halting Invasive Species

Image of lake and beach.

Why are invasive species a problem for the Great Lakes?
Invasive species are the most pressing issues facing the Great Lakes region. They pose an unrelenting threat to the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem and economy. There are 185 known invasive species already in the Great Lakes, and a new one arrives on average every 28 weeks. Once a new species establishes itself, it is almost impossible to remove and incredibly difficult to contain.  Invasive species:

Examples of Aquatic Invaders in the Great Lakes

Estuaries and their Invaders

Aerial image of an estuary.

What are estuaries?
Estuaries are highly productive, semi-enclosed coastal aquatic habitats where an ocean’s saltwater is diluted with freshwater from the surrounding watershed. Estuaries are extraordinary places enjoyed by boaters, swimmers, hikers and nature watchers. They are also essential to the U.S. economy for commercial fishing and tourism. Every estuary is unique; each individual ecosystem has different components that complete the estuarine habitat. One estuary may be enclosed by marshes and barrier islands, while another estuary's borders are the coastline and reefs. Examples of estuaries include: Long Island Sound, Long Island South Shore Estuary Reserve, and Peconic Bay.

Examples of Estuarine Invasive Species in New York and Connecticut Waters: 

The Solution
There will be a number of pieces of legislation introduced in 2009 that are aimed at solving the invasive problem in the Great Lakes and Estuaries. CCE will continue to advocate that Congress pass a coordinated and comprehensive federal approach to preventing the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species!

Links to Other Resources: Learn more about the invasive species in your area

Sea Grant: www.aquaticinvaders.org/

CT Sea Grant: www.seagrant.uconn.edu/ans.htm#about

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC): www.dec.ny.gov/animals/265.html

Connecticut State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP):
www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2696&q=322690&depNav_GID=1620

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): www.epa.gov/owow/invasive_species/

NOAA Research: www.research.noaa.gov/oceans/t_invasivespecies.html

United States Department of Agriculture: National Invasive Species Information Center: www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/

The Global Invasive Species Database: www.issg.org/database/welcome/

Updated by bsmith 1/8/09