Maritime connectivity and management of hull fouling: understanding factors that influence the intraregional spread of marine exotic species in Argentina.

CASTRO K; ABELANDO M; BOBINAC M; CHIARANDINI J; E SCHWINDT

Congreso; Xth International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions; 2018

To implement management strategies of exotic species in marine ecosystems is difficult and expensive. Because of that, the costs and benefits of each stage (risk assessment, monitoring, early detection, rapid response and prevention of intraregional spread) should be carefully evaluated. Argentina is working to implement these stages with the National Strategy of Exotic Invasive Species and is advancing in the understanding about vector management. In this work we present the results of the first hull fouling management case for Argentina and we analyze the potential of small vectors as intraregional dispersal of exotic species. Because the prohibition of in-water hull cleaning procedures in the marine protected area of Nuevo gulf, a touristic catamaran was intentionally beaching and its hull was completely and manually cleaned. All the biofouling was collected, quantified and disposed out of water. Different biofouling samples were taken at different hotspots hull areas and all species were quantified, identified and categorized as native/exotic/cryptogenic. To analyze the intraregional connectivity the maritime traffic among the eight most important marine ports of Argentina were studied (from Mar del Plata, 38° S to Ushuaia, 54° S) with the Prefectura Naval Argentina database (number and category of ships, origin and destination of all commercial, fishing and recreational vessels per port) between 2012 and 2016. The results showed that only one domestic vessel can accumulate more 6.5 m3 of biofouling after three years without being cleaned. Moreover, the 38% of species found were exotic and half of them are new records for Nuevo gulf. The most interconnected ports were Mar del Plata (38° S) and Puerto Madryn (42° S) by fishing vessels. These results support the importance of intraregional spread of marine exotic species. Our understanding of traffic patterns and associated biofouling contribute to develop effective biofouling management for the National Strategy.