News

Alien species are invading our coastal waters in growing numbers, with serious ecological and economic impacts. Effective action to prevent new invasions requires a coordinated effort of biological and social scientists with a comprehensive outlook across freshwater, estuarine, and marine ecosystems.

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) and Portland State University (PSU) are combining forces to further this goal by establishing such a program that spans the country. The joint program builds on the work of the Columbia River Aquatic Nuisance Species Initiative (CRANSI), a joint effort by the ports of Astoria and Portland stimulated by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden.

The new Aquatic Bioinvasion Research and Policy Institute, announced at a press conference today held overlooking the Willamette River, will provide an important catalyst for multidisciplinary understanding and management of biological invasions in coastal marine and freshwater ecosystems. The Institute combines the respective strengths of PSU and SERC in freshwater and marine systems, and seeks to develop novel approaches to research, management and policy on biological invasions.

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.

Through collaborative efforts with additional institutions and agencies, the Institute will include a diverse range of disciplines that are relevant to invasion processes, including biology, environmental science, economics and trade, engineering, and social sciences. With a focus on basic and applied research, the Institute’s activities will also include strong components for student training and generating information resources for the public, resource managers and policy-makers.

“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. It also relates to PSU’s internationalization initiative by linking our scientists’ work to international trade and environmental priorities.”

“The magnitude of the problem of aquatic invasive species requires creative new intellectual systems to develop solutions,” said Ross Simons, director of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. “The creation of this joint Institute, bringing together world class experts in both the biological and social sciences, will lead to fresh approaches and resolution of some of the most biologically vexing problems of our times.”

“As a member of the House of Representatives Science Committee, I understand the potentially devastating effects of invasive species within freshwater and marine systems, and the need for extensive research on this subject,” said Congressman David Wu (D-OR). “I am proud to have actively supported the Noxious Weed Control Act, which authorizes federal funding for the eradication of invasive plant species, and to have worked to ensure that research on aquatic and marine invasive species would be eligible for funding under this legislation. I strongly support the partnership between Portland State University and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and will continue working on channeling federal sources for national invasive species research.”

PSU will serve as the home base for the Aquatic Bioinvasion Research and Policy Institute. SERC’s Chesapeake Bay laboratories will be the base for Atlantic Coast research. The Institute will engage scores of interested research staff, currently in residence at PSU and SERC, and plans to establish a broad consortium of industry, natural resource managers, researchers and students from many additional organizations with interest and expertise in aquatic bioinvasions. The new Institute will address critical gaps in science and management of aquatic bioinvasions across several key areas:
• Drivers of current spatial and temporal patterns of invasions;
• Ecological effects of biological invasions;
• Policy, trade and economic dimensions of biological invasions;
• Roles of shipping and other transfer mechanisms in species dispersal;
• Factors that effect aquatic ecosystems’ susceptibility for invasion;
• Effectiveness of strategies in reducing species transfer, invasion establishment, and invasion impacts;
• Transmission, epidemiology, and effects of non-native parasites and pathogens, including those that infect humans, fisheries species, and other aquatic organisms.

About Aquatic Bioinvasions
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. The rate of new invasions has increased tremendously, at times exponentially, throughout the world—an expected but unintentional outcome of globalization of trade and travel. Organisms are transferred between global regions at ever faster rates with people and commodities. Examples of resulting invasions abound, 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.

Various activities such as transoceanic shipping and overland transport of boats breach natural barriers to species dispersal, such as ocean basins or mountains, and allow non-native species to establish populations beyond their historical geographic ranges, and result in biological invasions. Developing ways to conduct trade in a manner that is ecologically as well as economically sustainable is crucial to a vibrant economy and a priority for Oregon and the United States. Currently, there are no broad-based programs advancing an effective, multidisciplinary approach to managing these biological invasions.

About the Partners
The Center for Lakes and Reservoirs (www.clr.pdx.edu) at PSU provides technical assistance, education, and research on management of lakes and reservoirs with an emphasis on management of aquatic invasive species. Ongoing projects at the center include management of aquatic weeds in Oregon lakes, reservoirs, drainage and irrigation canals; monitoring and outreach on mitten crabs and zebra mussels; coordination of the volunteer Oregon Lake Watch monitoring program; and nutrient criteria development for lakes in the Pacific Northwest.

The Marine Invasion Research Laboratory at SERC (www.serc.si.edu) is the largest research group in the Nation to focus in biological invasions in marine systems. With a current staff of 25, the research group examines patterns and effects of biological invasions on a national scale, evaluates effectiveness of management strategies to reduce invasion risks, and tracks patterns of commercial shipping and associated species transfers as a joint program. Additional emphasis is placed on developing information resources and outreach activities, to provide access to extensive information on alien marine species, shipping patterns, and relevant research.

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