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R/IS-04
Susceptibility of Chesapeake Bay to invasions of non-indigenous species associated with ballast water
Principal Investigator:
Gregory M. RuizStart/End Year:
1994 - 1998Institution:
Smithsonian Environmental Research CenterCo-Principal Investigator:
James T. Carlton, Williams College; Anson H. Hines, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center; D. Wayne CoatsTopic(s):
Description:
This project will determine the susceptibility of the Chesapeake Bay to the invasion of exotic species released daily in huge volumes of commercial ballast water. We propose: to determine the viability of life history stages of exotic species released into the bay from ballast tanks of cargo vessels; to measure the interactive influence of environmental salinity and temperature on the survivorship and growth of organisms collected from ballast water; to estimate the likelihood that exotic propagules, released into Chesapeake Bay can survive under the environmental conditions of the Bay at the time of deballasting; and to test whether introductions of non-native species are occurring at areas of high commercial maritime activity.
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Featured Fellow
Leone Yisrael is a cephalopod-loving scuba diver, cook, and loves to try new activities. She conducts genetic analysis and fieldwork at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center through the Coastal Disease Ecology Lab.
Featured Research Project
Developing a habitat model for mysids, an important link in Chesapeake Bay food webs
Mysids are important mesozooplankton prey for many species of fish in Chesapeake Bay and are an important link in transferring energy from lower to upper trophic levels. Mysids also serve as biological vectors for benthic-pelagic coupling due to their diel vertical migration and omnivorous prey-switching behavior, which makes mysids important regulators of food web architecture. Despite their central role in coastal food webs, surprisingly little is known about mysid ecology and dynamics in Chesapeake Bay.
