Assisted passage or passive drift: a comparison of alternative transport mechanisms for non-indigenous coastal species into the Southern Ocean

• Published in: Antarctic Science
• Main Authors: Lewis, PN, Riddle, M, Smith, SDA
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Univ Press 2005
• Subjects: Biological Sciences; Evolutionary Biology; Biogeography and Phylogeography; Antarctic; Southern Ocean; Antarc*; Antarctic Science
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102005002580; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/38793

The introduction of invasive species may be the most profound modern threat to biological communities in high-latitude regions. In the Southern Ocean, the natural transport mechanism for shallow-water marine organisms provided by kelp rafts is being increasingly augmented by plastic debris and shipping activity. Plastic debris provide additional opportunities for dispersal of invasive organisms, but dispersal routes are passive, dependent on ocean currents, and already established. In contrast, ships create novel pathways, moving across currents and often visiting many locations over short periods of time. Transportation of hull-fouling communities by vessel traffic thus poses the most likely mechanism by which exotic species may be introduced to the Southern Ocean. Antarctic Science Ltd.