Aquatic Invasive Species Monitoring in Quebec: 2018 Season Begins

2019-04-20

Nathalie Simard and Andréanne Demers

The installation of collectors to detect invasive species marks the beginning of the annual campaign to monitor these species in Quebec's maritime areas. The program began in the Magdalen Islands and the Gaspé Peninsula in 2006, on the North Shore in 2009, and in the Lower St. Lawrence in 2016.

The collectors consist of plastic plates and Petri dishes that are left in the water for several months, during which time the organisms in the environment become attached. They are used to detect and monitor sessile species (those that remain attached to the substrate that do not move once they reach adulthood), and particularly invasive tunicates, for example small filtering invertebrates like the vase or golden star tunicate.

The aquatic invasive species monitoring program seeks to:.

detect the arrival of an invasive species as quickly as possible, as well as monitor existing species;
perform rapid assessments after detecting a new species and develop action plans;
compare and develop rapid detection methods;
determine the impacts of introducing invasive species on native aquatic communities.

An invasive species is a non-native plant, animal or micro-organism (virus or bacteria) introduced outside of its natural distribution area that successfully establishes itself and whose propagation has significant ecological, economic or social consequences. Sampling efforts are concentrated in sites with the highest risk of introduction, such as marinas, commercial and fishing harbours, as well as aquaculture sites. Ten collectors are installed at various sampling sites about one metre below the surface of the water, attached to harbour or anchorage infrastructure. The collectors will be surveyed in the fall to identify the species that have become attached. Scuba diving surveys will also be conducted at the sites of most concern.

The monitoring program relies on numerous partners such as Merinov, marina and harbour managers, aquaculturists, fishers, and Priority Intervention Zone (ZIP) committees. Lastly, we would like to emphasize that the presence of aquatic invasive species is a growing concern worldwide, both in freshwater and marine environments.