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Invasive bivalves in fresh waters: impacts from individuals to ecosystems and possible control strategies

  • FRESHWATER BIVALVES
  • Review Paper
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Abstract

Invasive bivalves may cause great ecological, evolutionary, and economic impacts in freshwater ecosystems. Species such as Corbicula fluminea, Dreissena bugensis, Dreissena polymorpha, Limnoperna fortunei, and Sinanodonta woodiana are widely distributed hyper-successful invaders, but several others not yet invasive (or at least not considered as such) may become so in the near future. These species can affect hydrology, biogeochemical cycling, and biotic interactions through several mechanisms, with impacts ranging from individuals to ecosystems. Freshwater invasive bivalves can create no-analog ecosystems, posing serious difficulties for management, but new techniques are becoming available which may enhance options to detect early introductions and mitigate impacts. Although knowledge about the biology of these bivalves has increased considerably in the last two decades, several fundamental gaps still persist; we suggest new research directions that are worth exploring in the near future.

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Acknowledgments

This study was conducted in the scope of the project “ECO-IAS”, funded by the Portuguese Foundation for the Science and the Technology and COMPETE funds (Contract: PTDC/AAC-AMB/116685/2010).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CBMA—Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal

    Ronaldo Sousa & Adriana Novais

  2. CIIMAR/CIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, 4050-123, Porto, Portugal

    Ronaldo Sousa

  3. CIEPQPF, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Pólo II, Rua Sílvio Lima, 3030-790, Coimbra, Portugal

    Raquel Costa

  4. Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, P.O. Box AB, Millbrook, NY, 12545, USA

    David L. Strayer

Authors
  1. Ronaldo Sousa
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  2. Adriana Novais
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  3. Raquel Costa
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  4. David L. Strayer
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Correspondence to Ronaldo Sousa.

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Guest editors: Manuel P. M. Lopes-Lima, Ronaldo G. Sousa, Simone G. P. Varandas, Elsa M. B. Froufe & Amílcar A. T. Teixeira / Biology and Conservation of Freshwater Bivalves

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Sousa, R., Novais, A., Costa, R. et al. Invasive bivalves in fresh waters: impacts from individuals to ecosystems and possible control strategies. Hydrobiologia 735, 233–251 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-012-1409-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-012-1409-1

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