Global ecological impacts of marine exotic species

ANTON, ANDREA; GERALDI, NATHAN R.; LOVELOCK, CATHERINE E.; APOSTOLAKI, EUGENIA T.; BENNETT, SCOTT; CEBRIAN, JUST; KRAUSE-JENSEN, DORTE; MARBÀ, NURIA; MARTINETTO, PAULINA; PANDOLFI, JOHN M.; SANTANA-GARCON, JULIA; DUARTE, CARLOS M.

Nature Ecology and Evolution

Nature Publishing Group

Año: 2019 vol. 3 p. 787 - 800

Exotic species are a growing global ecological threat; however, their overall effects are insufficiently understood. While some exotic species are implicated in many species extinctions, others can provide benefits to the recipient communities. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to quantify and synthesize the ecological effects of 76 exotic marine species (about 6% of the listed exotics) on ten variables in marine communities. These species caused an overall significant, but modest in magnitude (as indicated by a mean effect size of g < 0.2), decrease in ecological variables. Marine primary producers and predators were the most disruptive trophic groups of the exotic species. Approximately 10% (that is, 2 out of 19) of the exotic species assessed in at least three independent studies had significant impacts on native species. Separating the innocuous from the disruptive exotic species provides a basis for triage efforts to control the marine exotic species that have the most impact, thereby helping to meet Aichi Biodiversity Target 9 of the Convention on Biological Diversity.