Top from left: Gregory Ruiz, Rep. David Wu, Mark Sytsma Bottom from left: Dan Bernstine, Ross Simons

On October 26, with the Willamette River as a backdrop, PSU President Dan Bernstine and Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) Director Ross Simons signed an agreement establishing a program to prevent alien species from invading coastal marine and freshwater ecosystems.

The new Aquatic Bioinvasion Research and Policy Institute will be housed at Portland State and managed by both PSU and SERC, combining their respective strengths in freshwater and marine systems to develop novel approaches to research, management and policy on biological invasions.

Biological invasions have wide-ranging and potent effects on species diversity, ecosystem services, food resources, water supplies and human health. In the U.S. alone, annual economic losses due to these invasions are estimated to exceed $137 billion, impacting many dimensions of society.

Examples of invasive species including the Eurasian zebra mussels that spread rapidly throughout the Great Lakes and Mississippi Valley (and now threaten the western U.S.) and the European green crab that now occurs along both the U.S. Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

Oregon State Senator Joan Dukes

"Oregon is a leader in the area of invasive species prevention, research and treatment, thanks to Portland State University and [PSU's Center for Lakes and Reservoirs director] Dr. Mark Sytsma," said State Senator Joan Dukes (D-Astoria). "This is a battle we can’t afford to lose."

"This East Coast-West Coast partnership is good for Portland State University, for the region, and for the nation. The scientists from PSU and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center have strong reputations for the excellent work they are doing in the area of aquatic invasive species," said Dan Bernstine, PSU president. "Our work together will support students, expand research opportunities, and enhance sustainability efforts in Oregon and nationwide, particularly related to commerce."

The Institute will be jointly administered by Dr. Gregory Ruiz, director of SERC's Marine Invasion Research Program, and Dr. Mark Sytsma, director of PSU’s Center for Lakes and Reservoirs, and will work to advance an ambitious array of activities from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts, striving to build broad-based understanding and solutions to aquatic invasions. SERC’s Chesapeake Bay laboratories will be the base for Atlantic Coast research.