UPEI researchers pursue answers to challenges posed by aquatic invasive species
July 11, 2007
Researchers at the University of Prince Edward Island are pursuing answers to the challenges presented by invasive species in Island waters.
"Over the past two decades, the number of aquatic invasive species has grown in PEI waters," says Dr. Jeff Davidson who leads the shellfish research group at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) at UPEI. "Invasive species such as tunicates cause monumental challenges to the Island mussel industry. Species like the green crab threaten native habitats and coastal biodiversity. It is critical that we learn as much as we can about aquatic invasive species and apply this knowledge to their early detection, control, and mitigation."
Research into invasive aquatic species is taking place at the University in different forms. Dr. Davidson's shellfish research group and Dr. Russell Kerr, Canada Research Chair in Marine Natural Products in UPEI's faculty of science, are working on a project in association with the PEI Aquaculture Alliance which recently received funding through ACOA's Atlantic Innovation Fund. Through this project UPEI researchers will work to provide insight on sustainable and efficient methods of managing tunicates and their impact on the mussel industry. Goals of this research project include: improving detection and characterization methods, identifying active compounds to prevent invasive species proliferation, and developing and implementing mitigation measures.
This research will provide innovative methods of tunicate diagnosis, prevention, and treatment by making use of new technologies and methods that, unlike numerous attempts at reducing other aquatic invasive species, are shown to be environmentally sound and sustainable.
Other researchers from AVC's shellfish research group, Dr. Ahmed Siah and Sarah Clark, are developing novel molecular tests to accurately and efficiently monitor for tunicates at their earliest developmental stages.
Dr. Kerr, along with Dr. Syd Withers, will also lead a team of researchers within UPEI's department of chemistry in collecting marine invertebrates and algae from the waters in Atlantic Canada and generating a library of semi-purified fractions which will be used to locate a tunicate anti-fouling bioactive compound. Once a compound is adequately evaluated, the UPEI research team will collaborate with Nautilus Biosciences to find efficient and sustainable production methods.
Dr. Pedro Quijon of UPEI's biology department works in close collaboration with colleagues at the AVC shellfish lab to study the range and interactions of the European green crab in Island waters. The green crabs are predators that threaten native habitats (such as eel grass beds) and coastal biodiversity. "In the absence of its natural competitors, predators and parasites, the green crab has been able to thrive in virtually every location worldwide into which it has been introduced," explains Dr. Quijon. "It is an eager predator that is a cause of concern for PEI's aquaculture and fishery which are two large components of the Island economy and culture."
Dr. Quijon's research team is focused on understanding the mechanisms used by green crabs to successfully out-compete native crab species and its ability to efficiently forage on small soft shell clams or quahogs. The team's work has been in progress for a year at various coastal sites around PEI.
"We're pleased to see the Prince Edward Island Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture promote public awareness of aquatic invasive species," says Davidson. "The arrival and spread of these species has negatively impacted sectors of the aquaculture industry and our ecosystem. We look forward to finding the answers needed to control them as best possible."
