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| This is not a goldfish, it is an alien asiatic carp!: Raphael Biagini caught this 14 kg. Koi Carp in a lake in France (https://theawesomer.com/colossal-koi-carp/60431/#). |
October 2019 - recent papers and prospects on freshwater alien species
We have a BIG problem with freshwater alien species in Europe!
This realization has helped spawn a wave of awareness campaigns, regulations and new research that is also supporting basic natural history surveys. Surveys for species distributions and characterizations of aquatic biocommunities are all happening to monitor and track aliens. This has created something of a positive windfall for natural history research in aquatic environments in Europe: Thanks to the alien species problem!
I remember in the late '80s and '90s when scientists were saying they were "not interested" in the natural history: the species lists, distributions, descriptive stuff etc- these were things nerdy old-fashioned birdwatchers do, not scientists. ...It was the molecular, mathematical, bio-statistical, modeling stuff (and a little later, the GIS stuff) that got the grants. Of course there was the focal species approach, i.e. 'endangered species' work, but the holistic natural history long-view and understanding of "distributions and assemblages" was really not in vogue. Well my friends, this has changed...
Today, you can go snorkeling on holiday and find a "publishable alien fish record". We are witnessing a tropicalization of the Mediterranean; a biotic homogenization of our lakes and rivers - and this may be big for science and for amateur naturalists - who can certainly participate! We need to track this, to monitor the changes - to help assess the real threats. We are able to use citizen science (a research approach I never heard of in the eighties or nighties). Money has always been thin for natural history research, but maybe the "aliens" have provided a new stage... Aliens are helping scientists become better naturalists: You need to know what to distinguish as "alien". You need to understand the workings of biocommunities, the history, multiple human pressures... and biogeography is back! And we are trying to do good science with this.
I remember in the late '80s and '90s when scientists were saying they were "not interested" in the natural history: the species lists, distributions, descriptive stuff etc- these were things nerdy old-fashioned birdwatchers do, not scientists. ...It was the molecular, mathematical, bio-statistical, modeling stuff (and a little later, the GIS stuff) that got the grants. Of course there was the focal species approach, i.e. 'endangered species' work, but the holistic natural history long-view and understanding of "distributions and assemblages" was really not in vogue. Well my friends, this has changed...
Today, you can go snorkeling on holiday and find a "publishable alien fish record". We are witnessing a tropicalization of the Mediterranean; a biotic homogenization of our lakes and rivers - and this may be big for science and for amateur naturalists - who can certainly participate! We need to track this, to monitor the changes - to help assess the real threats. We are able to use citizen science (a research approach I never heard of in the eighties or nighties). Money has always been thin for natural history research, but maybe the "aliens" have provided a new stage... Aliens are helping scientists become better naturalists: You need to know what to distinguish as "alien". You need to understand the workings of biocommunities, the history, multiple human pressures... and biogeography is back! And we are trying to do good science with this.
At HCMR we recently developed a simple assessment procedure, applied to rivers, streams and springs, the so-called "lotic waters" of Greece. We are also looking at interpreting some of the problems these alien and "translocated species" are creating (or are thought to be creating...). The philosophical aspects of aliens and translocated species are also fascinating. Revenge for the naturalist!
In the last few years, I am working closely with several researchers at HCMR in Greece, and in Cyprus on this issue. We are doing many little things to build a picture: a) state-wide assemblage patterns and impacts of freshwater fishes in my lab with Nikos Koutsikos and the HCMR/Univ. Aegean team, b) eDNA work in Cyprus, c) tanslocated and alien impacts from molecualar to assemblage level with several European colleagues, and c) presenting new range distributions and interpretations/evidence of impact of several "new finds" including freshwater fish and aquatic invertebrates from Greece. We have done some screening of fish impact and also some proposals for awareness, costing of measures and control. Its a big, chaotic thing, but quite fascinating for the naturalist and conservationist.
See some of our alien fish species papers/research reviews below:
- Tracking non-indigenous fishes in lotic ecosystems: Invasive patterns at different spatial scales in Greece - April 2019 - Science of The Total Environment 659:384-40
or
Tracking_non-indigenous_fishes_in_lotic_ecosystems
- Does rainbow trout justify its high rank among alien invasive species? Insights from a nationwide survey in Greece- January 2019- Aquatic Conservation Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
Rainbow_alien_invasive_species
- The racer goby, Babka gymnotrachelus (Kessler, 1857) invades the Evros river: Evidence of recent establishment in Greece - March 2019- Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems 420(13):1-5
- First confirmed record of an established population of sailfin molly, Poecilia latipinna (Actinopterygii: Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae), in Europe - October 2017 -Acta Ichthyologica Et Piscatoria 43(3):311–315
First_record_of_sailfin_molly_Poecilia_latipinna_in_Europe
Pontian_Monkey_Goby_Neogobius_fluviatilis_Greece
Enjoy the reading - and please keep natural history in mind...
- First record of Pontian Monkey Goby, Neogobius fluviatilis (Pallas, 1814) in the Evros River (Greece); Is it an alien species? December 2011 - Mediterranean Marine Science
- IUCN Regulation 1143/2014 review: Information on measures and related costs in relation to species considered for inclusion on the Union list: Channa spp. (Snakehead fishes)
- IUCN Regulation 1143/2014 review: Information on measures and related costs in relation to species considered for inclusion on the Union list: Ameiurus spp. (Catfish species)
- IUCN Regulation 1143/2014 review: Information on measures and related costs in relation to species considered for inclusion on the Union list: Lepomis spp. (Sunfish species)
Enjoy the reading - and please keep natural history in mind...
