Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: Santa Barbara/CA/Santa Barbara Harbor (1970, Fay and Johnson 1971, cited by Carlton 1979)
Geographic Extent
Santa Barbara/CA/Santa Barbara Harbor (1970, Fay and Johnson 1971, cited by Carlton 1979; 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, Lambert and Lambert 1998; Lambert and Lambert 2003; 2001, Fairey et al. 2002; Caputi et al. 2007. molecular ID; Zhan et al. 2010, molecular ID)
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Probable | Hull Fouling |
Regional Impacts
| Ecological Impact | Competition | |
| Ciona robusta formed large monospecific patches in Santa Barbara Harbor, indicating strong competition (Lambert and Lambert 2003). It and other introduced ascidians have replaced the native species Pyura haustor and Ascidia ceratodes from southern California harbors (Lambert and Lambert 1998). | ||