Assessment of bioinvasion impacts on a regional scale: a comparative approach

This paper presents an overall bioinvasion impact assessment on the scale of a large marine region—the Baltic Sea, as defined by the Helsinki Commission. The methodology is based on a classification of the abundance and distribution range of alien species and the magnitude of their impacts on native communities, habitats and ecosystem functioning aggregated in a “Biopollution Level” index (BPL) which ranges from ‘no impact’ (BPL = 0) to ‘massive impact’ (BPL = 4). The assessment performed for nine Baltic sub-regions revealed that documented ecological impact is only known for 43 alien species out of 119 registered in the Sea. The highest biopollution (BPL = 3, strong impact) occurs in coastal lagoons, inlets and gulfs, and the moderate biopollution (BPL = 2)—in the open sea areas. The methodology was also used to classify species into alien (BPL = 0) versus ‘impacting’ species (BPL > 0), which can be divided into ‘potentially invasive’ (BPL = 1) and ‘invasive’ (BPL > 1) ones. No clear correlation between the number of established alien and impacting species was found in the sub-regions of the Baltic Sea. The methodology, although requiring a substantial research effort, proved to be useful for interregional comparisons and evaluating the bioinvasion effects of individual alien species.

[1]  M. Vilà,et al.  How well do we understand the impacts of alien species on ecosystem services? A pan-European, cross-taxa assessment , 2010 .

[2]  S. Hietanen,et al.  The complex effects of the invasive polychaetes Marenzelleria spp. on benthic nutrient dynamics , 2007 .

[3]  J. Kotta,et al.  Seasonal variation in invertebrate grazing on Chara connivens and C. tomentosa in Kõiguste Bay, NE Baltic Sea , 2004, Helgoland Marine Research.

[4]  J. Kotta,et al.  Influence of the local abiotic environment, weather and regional nutrient loading on macrobenthic invertebrate feeding groups in a shallow brackish water ecosystem. , 2009 .

[5]  M. Zettler,et al.  Invasion of the North Amrican Amphipod (Gammarus tigrinus Sexton, 1939) into the Cronian Lagoon, South-Eastern Baltic Sea , 2006 .

[6]  H. Haahti,et al.  State of the Gulf of Finland in 2003 , 2004 .

[7]  Stephan Gollasch,et al.  The Baltic—a sea of invaders 1 , 2002 .

[8]  I. Telesh,et al.  Environmental Problems and Challenges for Coastal Zone Management in the Neva Estuary (Eastern Gulf of Finland) , 2002 .

[9]  Mathias H. Andersson,et al.  The marine splash midge Telmatogon japonicus (Diptera; Chironomidae)—extreme and alien? , 2009, Biological Invasions.

[10]  M. Hermansson,et al.  Chemical inhibition of bacterial colonization by the red alga Bonnemaisonia hamifera , 2005 .

[11]  Jouko Rissanen,et al.  The introduction of Marenzellaria viridis (Polychaeta, Spionidae) into the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia (northern Baltic Sea) , 1997 .

[12]  R. Rosenberg,et al.  The Impact of Benthic Macrofauna for Nutrient Fluxes from Baltic Sea Sediments , 2007, Ambio.

[13]  R. Repečka.  The Species Composition of the Ichthyofauna in the Lithuanian Economic Zone of the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon and Its Changes in Recent Years , 2003 .

[14]  K. James,et al.  Bioaccumulation and detoxication of nodularin in tissues of flounder (Platichthys flesus), mussels (Mytilus edulis, Dreissena polymorpha), and clams (Macoma balthica) from the northern Baltic Sea. , 2002, Ecotoxicology and environmental safety.

[15]  F. Tuya,et al.  EVIDENCE FOR IMPACTS OF NONINDIGENOUS MACROALGAE: A META‐ANALYSIS OF EXPERIMENTAL FIELD STUDIES 1 , 2009, Journal of phycology.

[16]  R. Rosenberg,et al.  Bioturbation-driven release of organic contaminants from Baltic Sea sediments mediated by the invading polychaete Marenzelleria neglecta. , 2008, Environmental science & technology.

[17]  E. Ezhova,et al.  Long-term trends in the macrozoobenthos of the Vistula Lagoon, Southeastern Baltic Sea. Species composition and biomass distribution , 2005 .

[18]  M. Grabowski,et al.  Invasions of alien gammarid species and retreat of natives in the Vistula Lagoon (Baltic Sea, Poland) , 2006, Helgoland Marine Research.

[19]  K. Jażdżewski,et al.  Survey and Distribution of Crustacea Malacostraca in Poland , 1993 .

[20]  S. Hansson,et al.  Stable isotopes show food web changes after invasion by the predatory cladoceran Cercopagis pengoi in a Baltic Sea bay , 2005, Oecologia.

[21]  I. Weidema.  Introduced species in the Nordic countries , 2000 .

[22]  Sergej Olenin,et al.  Assessment of biopollution in aquatic ecosystems. , 2007, Marine pollution bulletin.

[23]  M. Zettler,et al.  Benthic biodiversity indices versus salinity gradient in the southern Baltic Sea. , 2007, Marine pollution bulletin.

[24]  V. E. Panov,et al.  Establishment of the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas), in the Neva Estuary (Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea): distribution, population structure and possible impact on local unionid bivalves , 2004, Hydrobiologia.

[25]  J. Warzocha,et al.  The importance of hydrodynamic processes and food availability for the structure of macrofauna assemblages in the Pomeranian Bay (Southern Baltic Sea) , 1996 .

[26]  C. Shine,et al.  A guide to designing legal and institutional frameworks on alien invasive species , 2000 .

[27]  K. Torn,et al.  Distribution of charophyte species in Estonian coastal water (NE Baltic Sea) , 2004 .

[28]  H. Lehtonen,et al.  Fish species in Finland , 2008 .

[29]  B. Silliman,et al.  Broad-scale patterns of abundance of non-indigenous soft-bottom invertebrates in Denmark , 2009, Helgoland Marine Research.

[30]  Non-native animals in the Baltic Sea: alteration of benthic habitats in coastal inlets and lagoons , 1999 .

[31]  U. Janas,et al.  Seasonal and annual changes in the macrozoobenthic populations of the Gulf of Gdańsk with respect to hypoxia and hydrogen sulphide , 2004 .

[32]  Ø. Strand,et al.  Massive settlements of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, in Scandinavia , 2009, Biological Invasions.

[33]  Georg Martin,et al.  Gulf of Riga and Pärnu Bay , 2008 .

[34]  M. Grabowski,et al.  Alien Crustacea in Polish waters - introduction and Decapoda , 2005 .

[35]  G. Hoarau,et al.  Hybridization of the marine seaweeds, Fucus serratus and Fucus evanescens (Heterokontophyta: Phaeophyceae) in a 100-year-old zone of secondary contact , 2002, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences.

[36]  J. Kotta,et al.  Ecological consequences of biological invasions: three invertebrate case studies in the north-eastern Baltic Sea , 2006, Helgoland Marine Research.

[37]  I. Telesh,et al.  Distribution, population structure and ecosystem effects of the invader Cercopagis pengoi (Polyphemoidea, Cladocera) in the Gulf of Finland and the open Baltic Sea , 2006 .

[38]  Piotr Gruszka,et al.  The River Odra Estuary as a gateway for alien species immigration to the Baltic Sea Basin , 1999 .

[39]  N. Berezina.  Invasions of alien amphipods (Amphipoda: Gammaridea) in aquatic ecosystems of North-Western Russia: pathways and consequences , 2007, Hydrobiologia.

[40]  B. Bodungen,et al.  Copepod egg production rates in the Pomeranian Bay (Southern Baltic Sea) as a function of phytoplankton abundance and taxonomic composition , 1998 .

[41]  Gintautas Vaitonis,et al.  The Analysis of the Structure, Productivity, and Distribution of Zoobenthocenoses in the Lithuanian Economic Zone of the Baltic Sea and the Importance of some Benthos Species to Fish Diet , 2003 .

[42]  J. J. Polunina.  Populations of two predatory cladocerans in the Vistula Lagoon - the native Leptodora kindtii and the non-indigenous Cercopagis pengoi , 2005 .

[43]  L. Kautsky,et al.  Establishment of the Exotic Species Fucus evanescens C. Ag. (Phaeophyceae) in öresund, Southern Sweden , 2002 .

[44]  E. Kristensen,et al.  Effects of bioturbation and plant roots on salt marsh biogeochemistry: a mesocosm study , 2002 .

[45]  M. Sapota.  The round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) in the Gulf of Gdańsk — a species introduction into the Baltic Sea , 2004 .

[46]  Stephan Gollasch,et al.  Marine Strategy Framework Directive Task Group 2 Report: Non-indigenous species , 2010 .

[47]  H. Ojaveer,et al.  Successful establishment of the Ponto-Caspian alien cladoceran Evadne anonyx G.O. Sars 1897 in low-salinity environment in the Baltic Sea , 2008 .

[48]  C. D. Nyberg.  Introduced marine macroalgae and habitat modifiers : their ecological role and significant attributes , 2007 .

[49]  U. Janas,et al.  What is the diet of Palaemon elegans Rathke, 1837 (Crustacea, Decapoda), a non-indigenous species in the Gulf of Gdańsk (Southern Baltic Sea)? , 2008 .

[50]  V. E. Panov,et al.  First record of the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne Edwards, 1853 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Varunidae) from Lake Ladoga, Russia , 2006 .

[51]  N. Berezina.  Expansion of the North American amphipod Gammarus tigrinus Sexton, 1939 to the Neva Estuary (Easternmost Baltic Sea) , 2007 .

[52]  I. Telesh,et al.  The Predatory Water Flea Cercopagis Pengoi in the Baltic Sea: Invasion History, Distribution and Implications to Ecosystem Dynamics , 2002 .

[53]  K. Barz,et al.  Parasite communities of the Salzhaff (Northwest Mecklenburg, Baltic Sea). I. Structure and dynamics of communities of littoral fish, especially small-sized fish , 1999, Parasitology Research.

[54]  S. Hansson,et al.  Predation by herring (Clupea harengus) and sprat (Sprattus sprattus) on Cercopagis pengoi in a western Baltic Sea bay , 2004 .

[55]  S. Olenin,et al.  The Curonian Lagoon , 2008 .

[56]  B. Wawrzyniak-Wydrowska,et al.  Sediments in the Szczecin Lagoon: Selected elements and macrozoobenthos , 2004 .

[57]  E. Andrulewicz.  An overview on lagoons in the Polish coastal area of the Baltic Sea , 1997 .

[58]  J. Höglund,et al.  The black goby Gobius niger as a potential paratenic host for the parasitic nematode Anguillicola crassus in a thermal effluent of the Baltic , 1992 .

[59]  F. Weinberger,et al.  The invasive red alga Gracilaria vermiculophylla in the Baltic Sea: adaptation to brackish water may compensate for light limitation , 2008 .

[60]  S. Olenin,et al.  Overgrowth patterns of the red algae Furcellaria lumbricalis at an exposed Baltic Sea coast: The results of a remote underwater video data analysis , 2007 .

[61]  I. Blindow,et al.  Distribution of Charophytes along the Swedish Coastin Relation to Salinity and Eutrophication , 2000 .

[62]  H. Kautsky,et al.  Structure of phytobenthic and associated animal communities in the Gulf of Riga , 1999 .

[63]  U. Janas.  Distribution and individual characteristics of the prawn Palaemon elegans [Crustacea, Decapoda] from the Gulf of Gdansk and the dead Vistula River , 2005 .

[64]  R. Bastrop,et al.  Molecular identification key based on PCR/RFLP for three polychaete sibling species of the genus Marenzelleria, and the species’ current distribution in the Baltic Sea , 2008, Helgoland Marine Research.

[65]  N. Berezina,et al.  GRAZING EFFECTS OF ALIEN AMPHIPODS ON MACROALGAE IN THE LITTORAL ZONE OF THE NEVA ESTUARY (EASTERN GULF OF FINLAND, BALTIC SEA) , 2005 .

[66]  K. Jażdżewski,et al.  Invasive Ponto-Caspian Species in Waters of the Vistula and Oder Basins and the Southern Baltic Sea , 2002 .

[67]  Stephan Gollasch,et al.  The Baltic Sea — A Field Laboratory for Invasion Biology , 2002 .

[68]  P. Czerniejewski,et al.  Body weight, morphometry, and diet of the mud crab, Rhithropanopeus harrisii tridentatus (Maitland, 1874) in the Odra estuary, Poland , 2008 .

[69]  Baltic Sea,et al.  A new predatory cladoceran Cercopagis (Cercopagis) pengoi (Ostroumov 1891) in the Gulf of Gdańsk , 2000 .

[70]  M. Żmijewska,et al.  Spatio-temporal variability of mesozooplankton from the Gulf of Gdańsk (Baltic Sea) in 1999-2000 , 2007 .

[71]  M. Zettler,et al.  Long-term macrozoobenthos changes in a shallow boreal lagoon: Comparison of a recent biodiversity inventory with historical data , 2007 .

[72]  L. Postel,et al.  Mnemiopsis leidyi in the Baltic Sea - distribution and overwintering between autumn 2006 and spring 2007. , 2007 .

[73]  K. Skóra,et al.  Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1811) , 1999 .

[74]  A. Szaniawska,et al.  Seasonal variations in the occurrence of the prawns Crangon crangon (l., 1758), Palaemon adspersus (rathke, 1837) and Palaemon elegans (rathke, 1837) in the littoral zone of the Gulf of Gdańsk , 2005 .

[75]  T. Wernberg,et al.  Spatio-temporal distribution patterns of the invasive macroalga Sargassum muticum within a Danish Sargassum-bed , 2006, Helgoland Marine Research.

[76]  J. Kotta,et al.  Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis in the Baltic Sea—a supply-side invader? , 2007, Biological Invasions.

[77]  P. Gruszka.  Dikerogammarus villosus (Sowinski, 1894) in the River Odra estuary - another invader threatening Baltic Sea coastal lagoons , 2008 .

[78]  M. Appelberg,et al.  Indications of competition between non-indigenous round goby and native flounder in the Baltic Sea , 2007 .

[79]  E. Gorokhova,et al.  Instantaneous salinity reductions affect the survival and feeding rates of the co-occurring copepods Acartia tonsa Dana and A. clausi Giesbrecht differently , 2008 .

[80]  Lars-Ove Loo,et al.  On the Distribution and Continuous Expansion of the Japanese Seaweed - Sargassum muticum - in Sweden , 1999 .

[81]  S. Olenin.  Benthic zonation of the Eastern Gotland Basin, Baltic Sea , 1997, Netherland Journal of Aquatic Ecology.

[82]  H. Ojaveer,et al.  ON THE ROLE OF CERCOPAGIS (CERCOPAGIS) PENGOI (OSTROUMOV) IN PARNU BAY AND THE NE PART OF THE GULF OF RIGA ECOSYSTEM , 1995, Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences. Ecology.

[83]  I. Telesh,et al.  Effects of nonindigenous species on diversity and community functioning in the eastern Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea) , 2006, Helgoland Marine Research.

[84]  L. Paasivirta,et al.  Marine midge Telmatogeton japonicus Tokunaga (Diptera: Chironomidae) exploiting brackish water in Finland , 2009 .

[85]  N. Berezina,et al.  Dynamics of invertebrate communities on the stony littoral of the Neva Estuary (Baltic Sea) under macroalgal blooms and bioinvasions , 2007 .

[86]  M. Zettler,et al.  History and Success of an Invasion into the Baltic Sea: The Polychaete Marenzelleria cf. Viridis, Development and Strategies , 2002 .

[87]  J. Lesutienė,et al.  Role of mysid seasonal migrations in the organic matter transfer in the Curonian Lagoon, south-eastern Baltic Sea , 2008 .

[88]  A. Olszewska.  Communications New records of Cercopagis pengoi (Ostroumov 1891) in the southern Baltic , 2006 .

[89]  P. Margonski,et al.  The Vistula Lagoon , 2008 .

[90]  Anna Uitto,et al.  Distribution of the non-indigenous Cercopagis pengoi in the coastal waters of the eastern Gulf of Finland , 1999 .

[91]  M. Grabowski.  Rapid colonization of the Polish Baltic coast by an Atlantic palaemonid shrimp Palaemon elegans Rathke, 1837 , 2006 .

[92]  K. Skora,et al.  Spread of alien (non-indigenous) fish species Neogobius melanostomus in the Gulf of Gdansk (south Baltic) , 2005, Biological Invasions.

[93]  Ruth Nielsen,et al.  Distributional index of the benthic macroalgae of the Baltic Sea area , 1995 .

[94]  M. Thomsen,et al.  Flora and fauna associated with the introduced red alga Gracilaria vermiculophylla , 2009 .

[95]  H. Ojaveer.  The round goby Neogobius melanostomus is colonising the NE Baltic Sea. , 2006 .

[96]  I. Starikova,et al.  Distribution and abundance of Marenzelleria neglecta [Sikorski and Bick 2004] [Polychaeta, Spionidae] in the Kaliningrad zone of the Baltic Sea in September 2001 and 2002 , 2005 .

[97]  U. Janas,et al.  Palaemon elegans - a new component of the Gulf of Gdańsk macrofauna , 2004 .

[98]  Daisie,et al.  Handbook of alien species in Europe , 2009 .

[99]  A. Zaiko,et al.  Biogeochemical alteration of the benthic environment by the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas). , 2010 .

[100]  M. Viitasalo,et al.  Seasonal occurrence and hatching of calanoid eggs in sediments of the northern Baltic Sea , 1998 .

[101]  E. Johnston,et al.  The Role of Propagule Pressure in Invasion Success , 2009 .

[102]  R. Rosenberg,et al.  Temporal and spatial large-scale effects of eutrophication and oxygen deficiency on benthic fauna in Scandinavian and Baltic waters - A review , 2002 .

[103]  Other,et al.  Environment of the Baltic Sea area: 1994-1998 , 2002 .

[104]  Sergej Olenin,et al.  Vulnerability of benthic habitats to the aquatic invasive species , 2007, Biological Invasions.

[105]  M. Normant,et al.  The invasive amphipod Gammarus tigrinus Sexton, 1939, in Puck Bay [commun.] , 2003 .

[106]  B. Silliman,et al.  Alien macroalgae in Denmark – a broad-scale national perspective , 2007 .

[107]  L. Corkum,et al.  The Round Goby, Neogobius melanostomus, a Fish Invader on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean , 2004, Biological Invasions.

[108]  G. Vaitkus.  Spatial Dynamics of Wintering Seabird Populations in the Baltic Proper: A Review of Factors and Adaptations , 1999 .

[109]  K. Herkül,et al.  Seasonal variability in the grazing potential of the invasive amphipod Gammarus tigrinus and the native amphipod Gammarus salinus (Amphipoda: Crustacea) in the northern Baltic Sea , 2009, Biological Invasions.

[110]  M. Lehtiniemi,et al.  The invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi overwinters in high abundances in the subarctic Baltic Sea , 2008 .

[111]  Profiling four brackish-water harbours : zoobenthic composition and invasion status , 2008 .

[112]  M. Normant,et al.  Epibiota associated with setae on Chinese mitten crab claws Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne-Edwards, 1853): a first record [commun.] , 2007 .

[113]  E. Ezhova,et al.  Patterns of spatial and temporal distribution of the Marenzelleria cf.viridis population in the lagoon and marine environment in the Southeastern Baltic Sea , 2005 .

[114]  H. Ojaveer,et al.  Population dynamics and ecological impact of the non-indigenous Cercopagis pengoi in the Gulf of Riga (Baltic Sea) , 2004, Hydrobiologia.

[115]  M. Zettler,et al.  The capacity of the filter-feeding bivalve Mya arenaria L. to affect water transport in sandy beds , 2004 .

[116]  S. Olenin,et al.  Non-native Species and Rates of Spread: Lessons from the Brackish Baltic Sea , 2000, Biological Invasions.

[117]  J. M. Barkuloo.  Taxonomic status and reproduction of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in Florida , 1970 .

[118]  M. Son,et al.  The New Zealand mud snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843) is colonising the artificial lakes of Kaliningrad City, Russia (Baltic Sea Coast) , 2008 .

[119]  L. Ložys,et al.  Expansion, Feeding and Parasites of the Round Goby, Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1811), a recent invader in the Curonian Lagoon, Lithuania , 2008 .

[120]  A. Konopacka.  Alien Crustacea in Polish waters - Amphipoda , 2007 .

[121]  K. Bischof,et al.  Decreased depth distribution of Fucus vesiculosus (Phaeophyceae) in the Western Baltic: effects of light deficiency and epibionts on growth and photosynthesis , 2008 .

[122]  M. Grabowski,et al.  Opportunistic feeding strategy as a factor promoting the expansion of racer goby ( Neogobius gymnotrachelus Kessler , 1857 ) in the Vistula basin , 2003 .

[123]  J. Kotta,et al.  Grazing impact of Mytilus edulis L. and Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas) in the Gulf of Riga, Baltic Sea estimated from biodeposition rates of algal pigments , 2002 .

[124]  R. Rosa,et al.  Population decline of amphipod Monoporeia affinis in Northern Europe: consequence of food shortage and competition? , 2008 .

[125]  K. Herkül,et al.  New records of the amphipods Chelicorophium curvispinum, Gammarus tigrinus, G. duebeni, and G. lacustris in the Estonian coastal sea , 2007, Estonian Journal of Ecology.

[126]  A. Lehikoinen,et al.  First record of the brackish water dreissenid bivalve Mytilopsis leucophaeata in the northern Baltic Sea , 2006 .

[127]  R. Voss,et al.  Invading Mnemiopsis leidyi as a potential threat to Baltic fish. , 2007 .

[128]  B. Witek,et al.  The occurrence of Dinoflagellates in the phytoplankton of the Gulf of Gdańsk coastal zone in 1994-1997 , 2005 .

[129]  L. Rolbiecki,et al.  ANGUILLICOLA CRASSUS - AN ALIEN NEMATODE SPECIES FROM THE SWIM BLADDERS OF EEL (ANGUILLA ANGUILLA) IN THE POLISH ZONE OF THE SOUTHERN BALTIC AND IN THE WATERS OF NORTHERN POLAND , 2005 .

[130]  S. Butchart,et al.  Global indicators of biological invasion: species numbers, biodiversity impact and policy responses , 2010 .

[131]  L. Rolbiecki,et al.  Parasite fauna of the eel, Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758), from the Polish part of the Vistula Lagoon. , 2006, Wiadomosci parazytologiczne.

[132]  Wolfgang Nentwig,et al.  A Generic Impact‐Scoring System Applied to Alien Mammals in Europe , 2010, Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology.

[133]  A. Cardoso,et al.  Incorporating invasive alien species into ecological assessment in the context of the Water Framework Directive. , 2008 .

[134]  H. U. Riisgård,et al.  Invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi widely distributed in Danish waters , 2007 .

[135]  L. Rolbiecki,et al.  Helminth communities of European eels Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758) from the Vistula Lagoon and Puck Bay, Poland. , 2005, Wiadomosci parazytologiczne.

[136]  P. Gruszka,et al.  Population dynamics of alien gammarid species in the River Odra estuary , 2005, Hydrobiologia.

[137]  S. Olenin,et al.  Species Strategy Near Its Boundary: the Marenzelleria cf. viridis (Polychaeta, Spionidae) Case in the South-Eastern Baltic Sea , 2000 .

[138]  T. Wernberg,et al.  Invasion of Sargassum muticum in Limfjorden (Denmark) and its possible impact on the indigenous macroalgal community , 2000 .

[139]  S. Korpinen,et al.  The invasive amphipod species Gammarus tigrinus (Sexton 1939) can rapidly change littoral communities in the Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea). , 2008 .

[140]  E. Naumenko.  Zooplankton in different types of estuaries (using Curonian and Vistula estuaries as an example) , 2009, Inland Water Biology.

[141]  N. Berezina,et al.  First record of Pontogammarus robustoides Sars, 1894 (Crustacea: Amphipoda) in the Gulf of Riga (Baltic Sea) , 2010 .

[142]  E. Gorokhova,et al.  Further expansion of the genus Cercopagis (Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Onychopoda) in the Baltic Sea, with notes on the taxa present and their ecology , 2000, Hydrobiologia.

[143]  W. Wolff,et al.  Chapter 33 Invasions of Estuaries vs the Adjacent Open Coast: A Global Perspective , 2009 .

[144]  N. Ignatieva,et al.  Dreissena polymorpha (Bivalvia: Dreissenidae) in the Neva Estuary (eastern Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea): is it a biofilter or source for pollution? , 2004, Marine pollution bulletin.

[145]  B. Silliman,et al.  Gracilaria vermiculophylla (Ohmi) Papenfuss, 1967 (Rhodophyta, Gracilariaceae) in northern Europe, with emphasis on Danish conditions, and what to expect in the future , 2007 .

[146]  Michael Elliott,et al.  Biological pollutants and biological pollution--an increasing cause for concern. , 2003, Marine pollution bulletin.

[147]  E. Leppäkoski.  THE FIRST TWENTY YEARS OF INVASION BIOLOGY IN THE BALTIC SEA AREA , 2005 .

[148]  M. Lehtiniemi,et al.  A combined approach to understand trophic interactions between Cercopagis pengoi (Cladocera: Onychopoda) and mysids in the Gulf of Finland , 2007 .

[149]  Sergej Olenin,et al.  Invaders in Suspension-Feeder Systems: Variations along the Regional Environmental Gradient and Similarities between Large Basins , 2005 .

[150]  U. Walter,et al.  Anguillicola crassus in the Baltic Sea: field data supporting transmission in brackish waters. , 1994 .

[151]  E. Happel,et al.  The Effects of Marenzelleria spp on the Benthic Macro Fauna Community Structure in the Isefjord , 2008 .

[152]  M. Grabowski,et al.  Four Ponto-Caspian and one American gammarid species (Crustacea, Amphipoda) recently invading Polish waters , 2002 .

[153]  E. Leppäkoski,et al.  European Enclosed and Semi-enclosed Seas , 2009 .

[154]  A. Kapusta,et al.  SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIATION IN SMALL FISH OCCURRENCE IN SHALLOW HABITATS OF THE VISTULA LAGOON (SOUTHERN BALTIC SEA) , 2007 .

[155]  M. Drotz,et al.  Invasion routes, current and historical distribution of the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne Edwards, 1853) in Sweden , 2010 .

[156]  F. Lucy,et al.  Redistribution of heterotrophic prokaryotes through ballast water: a case study from the west coast of Canada. , 2010 .

[157]  T. Wernberg,et al.  Comparative Phenology of Sargassum muticum and Halidrys siliquosa (Phaeophyceae: Fucales) in Limfjorden, Denmark , 2001 .

[158]  S. Olenin,et al.  Are invasive species most successful in habitats of low native species richness across European brackish water seas , 2005 .

[159]  U. Janas,et al.  First record of Mnemiopsis leidyi A. Agassiz, 1865 in the Gulf of Gdańsk (southern Baltic Sea). , 2007 .

[160]  K. Arbačiauskas.  Amphipods of the Nemunas River and the Curonian Lagoon, the Baltic Sea Basin: where and which Native Freshwater Amphipods Persist? , 2008 .

[161]  H. U. Riisgård,et al.  Abundance, horizontal and vertical distribution of the invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in the central Baltic Sea, November 2007 , 2008 .

[162]  M. Lehtiniemi,et al.  Habitat modification mediated by motile surface stirrers versus semi-motile burrowers: potential for a positive feedback mechanism in a eutrophied ecosystem , 2009 .

[163]  L. Kautsky,et al.  A comparative biodiversity study of the associated fauna of perennial fucoids and filamentous algae , 2007 .

[164]  E. Bonsdorff,et al.  Community structure and spatial variation of benthic invertebrates associated with Zostera marina (L.) beds in the northern Baltic Sea , 1997 .

[165]  Torleif Malm,et al.  Development of fouling communities on vertical structures in the Baltic Sea , 2006 .

[166]  M. Grabowski,et al.  Recent drastic changes in the gammarid fauna (Crustacea, Amphipoda) of the Vistula River deltaic system in Poland caused by alien invaders , 2004 .

[167]  K. Waligora-Borek,et al.  Breeding characteristics of the sand goby [Pomatoschistus minutus] - one of the most abundant goby species in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Gdansk Region [Southern Baltic Sea] , 2005 .

[168]  L. Zmudziński.  The Effect of the Introduction of the American Species Marenzelleria viridis (Polychaeta; Spionidae) on the Benthic Ecosystem of Vistula Lagoon , 1996 .

[169]  M. Szymelfenig,et al.  Benthic re-colonization in post-dredging pits in the Puck Bay (Southern Baltic Sea) , 2006 .

[170]  B. Silliman,et al.  Annual changes in abundance of non-indigenous marine benthos on a very large spatial scale. , 2008 .

[171]  Brian D. Smith,et al.  Biomonitoring of trace metals in the Gulf of Gdansk, using mussels (Mytilus trossulus) and barnacles (Balanus improvisus) , 2000 .

[172]  R. Bastrop,et al.  Multiple Invasions – A Polychaete Genus Enters the Baltic Sea , 2006, Biological Invasions.

[173]  F. Cinelli,et al.  Threat to macroalgal diversity: effects of the introduced green alga Caulerpa racemosa in the Mediterranean , 2001 .

[174]  M. Lehtiniemi,et al.  Predation of the introduced cladoceran Cercopagis pengoi on the native copepod Eurytemora affinis in the northern Baltic Sea , 2008 .

[175]  R. Aps,et al.  Effects of harbour dredging on soft bottom invertebrate communities: Does environmental variability affect the community responses? , 2008, 2008 IEEE/OES US/EU-Baltic International Symposium.

[176]  M. Grabowski,et al.  Native and alien malacostracan Crustacea along the Polish Baltic Sea coast in the twentieth century , 2005 .

[177]  S. Olenin,et al.  Habitat engineering by the invasive zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas) in a boreal coastal lagoon: impact on biodiversity , 2009, Helgoland Marine Research.

[178]  B. Huwer,et al.  Changes in distribution and lengths of Mnemiopsis leidyi in the central Baltic Sea between fall and spring. , 2008 .

[179]  I. Wallentinus,et al.  Long-term survival of an introduced red alga in adverse conditions , 2009 .

[180]  Ronald W. Griffiths,et al.  Distribution and dispersal of the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) in the Great Lakes region , 1991 .

[181]  S. Olenin,et al.  Xenodiversity of the European Brackish Water Seas: the North American Contribution , 2000 .

[182]  Sergej Olenin,et al.  Assessing impacts of invasive phytoplankton: the Baltic Sea case. , 2010, Marine pollution bulletin.

[183]  Jouko Rissanen,et al.  The introduction of Marenzelleria viridis ( Polychaeta , Spionidae ) into the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia ( northern Baltic Sea ) , 2000 .

[184]  K. Skora,et al.  The Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis - an immigrant from Asia in the Gulf of Gdańsk [commun.] , 2002 .

[185]  A. Woźniczka,et al.  A drastic reduction in abundance of Dreissena polymorpha Pall. in the Skoszewska Cove (Szczecin Lagoon, River Odra estuary): effects in the population and habitat , 2008 .

[186]  M. Normant,et al.  The Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis (Decapoda: Grapsidae) from Polish waters , 2000 .

[187]  T. Nielsen,et al.  High reproduction, but low biomass : mortality estimates of the copepod Acartia tonsa in a hyper-eutrophic estuary , 2008 .

[188]  P. Hliwa,et al.  Anguillicola crassus larvae in cormorant's prey fish in Vistula lagoon, Poland , 1998 .

[189]  S. Olenin,et al.  Impact of the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha invasion on the budget of suspended material in a shallow lagoon ecosystem , 2006, Helgoland Marine Research.

[190]  M. Vetemaa,et al.  Distribution, sex ratio and growth of Carassius gibelio (Bloch) in coastal and inland waters of Estonia (north‐eastern Baltic Sea) , 2005 .

[191]  A. Antsulevich,et al.  Cercopagis pengoi — New Important Food Object of the Baltic Herring in the Gulf of Finland , 2000 .

[192]  V. E. Panov,et al.  Establishment of the Ponto-Caspian predatory cladoceran Evadne anonyx in the eastern Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea , 2006 .

[193]  E. Deckere,et al.  Include or exclude? A review on the role and suitability of aquatic invertebrate neozoa as indicators in biological assessment with special respect to fresh and brackish European waters , 2009, Biological Invasions.

[194]  K. Arbačiauskas.  The distribution and local dispersal of Ponto-Caspian Peracarida in Lithuanian fresh waters with notes on Pontogammarus robustoides population establishment, abundance and impact , 2005 .

[195]  A. Occhipinti,et al.  Alien Species Alert: Rapana venosa (veined whelk) , 2004 .

[196]  H. Ojaveer,et al.  Taxonomic Status and Reproduction Dynamics of the Non-Indigenous Cercopagis in the Gulf of Riga (Baltic Sea) , 2005, Hydrobiologia.

[197]  J. Lesutienė,et al.  Isotopic evidence for zooplankton as an important food source for the mysid Paramysis lacustris in the Curonian Lagoon, the South-Eastern Baltic Sea , 2007 .