Assessing the vulnerability of Antarctic marine ecosystems to invasive non-native species ...

• Main Author: McCarthy, Arlie
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository 2021
• Subjects: biofouling; shipping; marine ecology; polar biology; alien species; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.17863/cam.81503; https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/334093

Invasive non-native species are a major threat to global biodiversity. For at least 15 million years coastal Antarctica has been poorly connected to nearby temperate ecosystems due to physical and physiological barriers. Yet, Antarctica is experiencing significant environmental change and becoming increasingly exposed to ship-borne human activity that crosses the physical barriers. These factors may facilitate the establishment of non-native marine species. This doctoral research adds insight into the risk of non-native marine species being transported to Antarctica via ships’ hulls and internal seawater systems, with particular focus on pathways of introduction and species found within those pathways. To begin my research, I assessed the current knowledge of non-native marine species in the Antarctic region: the physical and physiological factors that resist establishment of non-native marine species; changes to resistance under climate change; the role of legislation in limiting marine introductions; and ...