Causes and consequences of invasions of aquatic ecosystems by non-native salmonids

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Robert Arlinghaus
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems ; Ecology and Biodiversity of Animals and Ecosystems, Organismic Interactions
• Term: from 2013 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 243865477

Millions of non-native fishes (both species and genotypes) are regularly released into the wild in Europe, either intentionally by stocking or non-intentionally by escapes from aquaculture. Non-native fishes can become invasive and constitute a continuous threat to biodiversity. Salmonids are an iconic fish family of great socio-economic and cultural importance in Europe. They are widely distributed in both marine, coastal and freshwater ecosystems, and they continue to be cultured and released in large numbers into the wild. Often non-native genotypes are transferred across catchments creating a ongoing ecological and genetic burden on wild fish. Techniques exist to make stocked fish or fish used in aquculture phenotypically more extreme (e.g. fast-growing by genetic modification) and potentially environmentally less threatening (e.g. sterile by triploidy). Overall, samonids constitute an excellent model system to study the causes and consequences of invasions using an integrated approach that combines ecological, evolutionary, fisheries biological and socio-economic approaches.Our SalmoInvade proposal combines expertise from five research institutions/countries to study salmonid fishes as potentially invasive species/genotypes, and understand the psychological, economic and governance conditions and pathways by which humans relate to these fishes. Our objectives are (1) to understand the invasion potential of non-native salmonids in nature, including genetically modified and non-native genotypes, and their ecological and genetic impacts, (2) to reveal the biological and social mechanisms of establishment, and (3) to understand how the public and stakeholders in various European cultures conceptualize and rationalize biological invasions and their own engagement in the spread of non-natives in light of their perceptions about complex concepts such as biodiversity and biological invasions. In order to achieve our aims, we have designed studies to1. to evaluate current releases of non-native salmonids in Europe and the social, economic and ecological mechanisms underlying their invasion potential,2. to investigate the ecological and evolutionary impacts of biological invasions by salmonids,3. to evaluate how salmonid invasions are perceived by the public and by key stakeholders.Our project finally aims at providing well-informed, integrated recommendations for policy and management of salmonid invasions.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France, Norway, Sweden
• Participating Persons: Dr. Julien Cucherousset; Kjetil Hindar; Professor Dr. Jörgen Johnsson