Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record? New Harbor, Pemaquid Point Light/ME/Gulf of Maine (1971, MCZ 343656, Museum of Comparative Zoology 2007), Probably present by 1875-1880, based on surrounding records.
Geographic Extent
New Harbor, Pemaquid Point Light/ME/Gulf of Maine (1971, MCZ 343656, Museum of Comparative Zoology 2007); ME/Damariscotta River estuary (Bertness et al. 2002)
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Alternate | Natural Dispersal |
| Alternate | Dry Ballast |
| Alternate | Hull Fouling |
Regional Impacts
| Ecological Impact | Herbivory | |
| In the tidal Damariscotta River estuary, heavy grazing by L. littorea limited growth of most algal species, in areas with slow current flow, leading to the domination of Ascophyllum nodosum (Bertness et al. 2002). On exposed Pemaquid Point, exclusion of L. littorea by cages from cleared areas of rocky shore led to much more rapid regrowth of algae than from control areas (Bertness et al. 2004). | ||