Invasive Species Week 2024

Over 2,000 plants and animals in the UK are non-indigenous and 10-15% of these are invasive species which are considered to have a negative impact on our native species and a high capacity to spread to natural and semi-natural habitats. Non-indigenous marine species are often accidentally introduced through shipping or arrive naturally on ocean currents.

Invasive Species Week aims to raise awareness of their impacts and of the ways in which everyone is able to help. Recording your sightings via iNaturalistUK supports scientists in monitoring their spread and is an important part of controlling and understanding their distribution.

Some invasive marine species to look out for:

Asian shore crab, Hemigrapsus spp.
Slipper limpet, Crepidula fornicate
Carpet sea squirt, Didemnum vexillum
Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis
Wireweed, Sargassum muticum
Wakame, Undaria pinnatifida

Visit the Marine Biological Association’s ‘Wakame Watch’ page for further tips on how to ID Wakame and distinguish it from other common seaweeds https://www.dassh.ac.uk/citizen-science/wakame-watch.

Information on the Chinese mitten crab is also available at https://www.mba.ac.uk/help-track-the-spread-of-the-invasive-chinese-mitten-crab-in-the-uk/.

Posted on 20 May, 2024 10:51 by julbun