Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: Estonia/northern coast of Pärnu Bay, Gulf of Riga (2011, Henn Ojaveer, in ICES Advisory Committee on the Marine Environment 2012)
Geographic Extent
Estonia/northern coast of Pärnu Bay, Gulf of Riga (2011, Henn Ojaveer, in ICES Advisory Committee on the Marine Environment 2012; Kotta and Ojaveer 2012; Beeleem et al. 2022
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Alternate | Ballast Water |
| Alternate | Natural Dispersal |
| Alternate | Hull Fouling |
Regional Impacts
| Ecological Impact | Predation | |
After the invasion of Rhithropanopeus harrisii to Parnu Bay, benthic invertebrate biomass and species decreased, as crab abundance increased (Kotta et al. 2018). Meiofaunal abundance also decreased especailly in unvegetated areas (Lokko et al. 2018). In experiments in Parnus Bay, Rhithropanopeus populations in summer greatly reduced snail and mussel populations, in habitats dominated by the seaweed Fucus vesiculosus (Beleem et al. 2023). | ||
| Ecological Impact | Trophic Cascade | |
| After the invasion of Rhithropanopeus harrisii to Parnu Bay, there was a release of benthic nutrients, and an increase in phytoplankton chlorophyll, probably due to a decrease in native filter-feeding bivalves, such as [Limecola (=Macoma) balthica]. The decrease in the native bivalves was also followed by an increase in the harder-shelled invasive Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) (Kotta et al. 2018). | ||