CRMC announces survey for aquatic invasive species

July 23, 2010, WAKEFIELD – A team of marine scientists and Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) staff will be conducting an aquatic invasive species rapid assessment survey all over the state this weekend, looking under docks and piers and scouring the coast on Sunday, July 25 and Monday, July 26.

The monitoring will take place on Sunday at Port Edgewood Marina in Cranston, Allen Harbor Marina in North Kingstown, and Point Judith Marina in South Kingstown. On Sunday, the research team will be at Fort Adams State Park boat basin and King’s Beach fishing area, both in Newport. The monitoring has been coordinated by the CRMC, which adopted its RI Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan (RIAIS Plan) in January 2008.

The plan is the first comprehensive effort to assess the impacts and threats of aquatic invasive species in Rhode Island. Developed and implemented on the state level by the CRMC, it prioritizes state agency leadership for action including, monitoring coastal and freshwater resources, contributing to a regional database on the presence and distribution of AIS, developing various education initiatives, preventing AIS introductions, controlling their spread and where possible, eradicating particularly harmful organisms. The RIAIS Plan was created by the CRMC under the federal Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 as amended by the National Invasive Species Act of 1996 (NISA) through a partnership of URI, RI Natural History Survey, RIDEM, Save the Bay, the US Coast Guard, NOAA, USDA, and USFWS, among others.
Invasive species – defined as a non-indigenous species that threatens the diversity or abundance of native species or the ecological stability of infested waters, or commercial, agricultural, aquacultural or recreational activities dependent on these waters – are considered to be second only to direct habitat destruction as a cause of declining biodiversity in the U.S. Species that have invaded Rhode Island waters include the European green crab, Asian shore crab, lace bryozoan, Codium fragile, a green algae, the red macroalgae Grateloupia turuturu, various colonial and solitary sea squirts, and several shellfish pathogens. Other invasive species of concern (due to their proximity to Rhode Island and/or those with a high potential for environmental and economic damage) include the following:

• Veined Rapa whelk
• Chinese Mitten crab
• Suminoe oyster
• Pacific oyster
• Caulerpa sp.
• Japanese kelp

The RIAIS Plan also addresses freshwater invaders, such as aquatic macrophytes like variable watermilfoil and curly pondweed, which have become established and are spreading in lakes and ponds. Introduced Phragmites australis and purple loosestrife are also spreading, clogging waterways and pushing out native species.

The following is the field sampling schedule for the rapid assessment survey:

For more information on the volunteer initiative, contact Kevin Cute at CRMC at 783-3370 or kcute@crmc.ri.gov.