Acta Adriatica, Vol. 58 No. 2, 2017.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.32582/aa.58.2.13
Progress in Mediterranean bioinvasions two years after the Suez Canal enlargement
Argyro ZENETOS
orcid.org/0000-0003-2670-042X
; Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 19003 Anavissos, Greece
Abstract
The possibility that the recent expansion of the Suez Canal could trigger an entirely new twenty first century wave of invasions was investigated. Results showed that only 19 new alien species were detected after August 2015 (date of the last Suez Canal enlargement). Five of the newcomers have already established viable populations. Between August 2015 and August 2017 approximately 9,5 new species (mostly fish) entered the Mediterranean annually, 7 of them via the Suez Canal unaided. The next most important pathway is Transport - Stowaway: Shipping, while intentional releases from aquaria appear to play an important role. Our results confirm previous findings on the decreasing rate of introductions, which is not affected by the recent expansion of the Suez Canal. Conclusively, the rate of bio invasions via the Suez Canal has not “doubled” as anticipated but rather decreased in relation to previous years.
Keywords
Alien species; Suez Canal; Internet screening
Hrčak ID:
193971
URI
Publication date:
12.12.2017.
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