Invasion
Invasion Description
1st record: Fox Point/NH/Great Bay (1981, Berman et al. 1989)
Geographic Extent
Barnstable/MA/Harbor, Cape Cod Bay (1998, Whitlatch and Osman 2000; 2000, MIT Sea Grant 2003); Sandwich Marina/MA/Cape Cod Bay (2000, MIT Sea Grant 2003; 2010, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 2013; 2012, Wagstaff 2017); Sagamore/MA/Cape Cod Bay 1998, Whitlatch and Osman 2000); Manomet Point, Plymouth/MA//Cape Cod Bay (1998, Whitlatch and Osman 2000); Plymouth Town Wharf/MA/Plymouth Harbor, Cape Cod Bay(2000, MIT Sea Grant 2003); Brewers Plymouth Marine/Plymouth Harbor, Cape Cod Bay (2010, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 2013); Duxbury Town Pier/MA/Duxbury Bay, Cape Cod Bay (2000, MIT Sea Grant 2003); Green Harbor Marina, Marshfield/MA/Cape Cod Bay (Wells et al. 2014); MWRA Quincy (sewage plant)/MA/Massachusetts Bay (2000, MIT Sea Grant 2003); Bay Pointe Marina, Quincy/MA/Massachusetts Bay (2000, MIT Sea Grant 2003); Black Falcon Terminal, Boston/MA/Boston Harbor (2000, MIT Sea Grant 2003); Deer Island, Boston/MA/Boston Harbor (2000, MIT Sea Grant 2003); Rowes Wharf, Boston/MA/Boston Harbor (2000, MIT Sea Grant 2003; 2010, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 2013); Constitution Marina/Boston/MA/Boston Harbor (2000, MIT Sea Grant 2003); Boston Harbor Islands/MA/Boston Harbor (2012, Eddy and Roman 2016); Hawthorne Cove Marina, Salem/MA/Salem Harbor (2000, 2003, MIT Sea Grant 2003; 2010, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 2013); Tucks Point Marina, Beverly/MA/Manchester Harbor (2000, MIT Sea Grant 2003); Beverly Port Marina, Beverly/MA/Beverly Harbor (2012, Wagstaff 2016); Winter Island, Salem/MA/Massachusetts Bay (2010, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 2013); Cape Ann Marina, Gloucester/MA/Little River (2000, MIT Sea Grant 2003); Gloucester State Pier/MA/Gloucester Harbor (2000, MIT Sea Grant 2003; 2010, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 2013; 2012, Wagstaff 2016)); Gloucester-Rockport Harbors/MA/Gulf of Maine (1998, Whitlatch and Osman 2000); Hampton State Pier/NH/Gulf of Maine (2003, MIT Sea Grant 2003); Hampton River Marina/NH/Hampton River (2010, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 2013); Rye/NH/Rye Harbor (1998, Whitlatch and Osman 2000); Odiorne Point/NH/Gulf of Maine (2010, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 2013); Fox Point/NH/Great Bay (1981, Berman et al. 1989); Newcastle/NH/Great Bay (Blezard 1998); Coast Guard Pier, Newcastle/NH/Great Bay (2003, MIT Sea Grant 2003); Wentworth Marina, Portsmouth/HN/Great Bay (2006, Harris and Dijkstra 2008); Coastal Marine Lab, Portsmouth/NH/Great Bay (2006, Harris and Dijkstra 2008; 2010, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 2013); Great Bay Marina, Newington/NH/Great Bay (2006, Harris and Dijkstra 2008); Jackson Estuarine Lab, Adams Point/NH/Great Bay (Harris and Dijkstra 2008); York/ME/York Harbor (1998, Whitlatch and Osman 2000); Kennebunkport/ME/Gulf of Maine (1998, Whitlach and Osman 2000); Cape Porpoise/ME/Gulf of Maine (1998, Whitlach and Osman 2000); Cape Elizabeth/ME/Casco Bay (1998, Whitlach and Osman 2000); Cape Elizabeth/ME/Dyers Cove, Casco Bay (2010, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 2013); Port Harbor Marine, South Portland/ME/Portland Harbor (2003, MIT Sea Grant 2003); Portland Yacht Services, Portland/ME/Portland Habor (2003, MIT Sea Grant 2003; 2009, McNaught and Norden 2009); Brewer South Freeport Marina/ME/Casco Bay (2003, MIT Sea Grant 2003; 2009, McNaught and Norden 2009); Boothbay Harbor/ME/Boothbay Harbor (1998, Whitlach and Osman 2000; 2009, McNaught and Norden 2009); Lincoln County/ME/Damariscotta River (1982, on oyster-culture nets, Dijkstra et al. 2007); Thrumcap Island/ME/Damariscotta River estuary (1978. Yund and Feldgarden 2003, USGS Woods Hole Science Center 2006); Walpole/ME/Sheepscot River estuary (2007, MIT Sea Grant 2008); Journey's End Marina, Rockland/ME/Penobscot Bay (2007, MIT Sea Grant 2009); Wayfarer Marina, Camden/ME/Penobscot Bay (2007, MIT Sea Grant 2008); Castine/ME/Penobscot Bay (1998, Whitlach and Osman 2000); Belfast/ME/Penobscot Bay (1998, Whitlach and Osman 2000); Blue Hill/ME/Blue Hill Bay (2009, McNaught and Norden 2009); Opechee Island/ME/Blue Hill Bay (2009, McNaught and Norden 2009); ME/Cobscook Bay (Trott 2004); Estes Head Heritage Salmon Farm Open Sea, Eastport/ME/Passamaquoddy Bay (8-7-2005, MIT Sea Grant 2009); Head Harbour, Campobello Island/New Brunswick/Passamaquoddy Bay (2009, Martin et al. 2011); Yarmouth Nova Scotia/Gulf of Maine (2008, Lacoursiere-Roussel et al. 2016); Meteghan/Nova Scotia/St. Marys Bay (Bock et al. 2011); Wedgeport/Nova Scotia/Gulf of Maine (2006-2009, Sephton et al. 2011)
Vectors
Level | Vector |
---|---|
Probable | Hull Fouling |
Regional Impacts
Ecological Impact | Competition | |
Botrylloides violaceus is a strong competitor for space with other fouling organisms including the native mussel Mytilus edulis and the introduced tunicate Diplosoma listerianum in Boston Harbor (Rajbanshi and Pederson 2007). Botylloides violaceus was the most abundant colonial tunicate on fouling plates in Portsmouth Harbor in 1984-1985 (Berman et al. 1992) and in 2003-2005, partially replacing B. schlosseri, the previous dominant colonial ascidian (Dijkstra et al. 2007). In Portsmouth Harbor, by 2003-2006, B. violaceus, along with Didemnum vexillum, replaced the mussel M. edulis (1979-1982) as dominant species in fouling communities (Dijkstra and Harris 2009). | ||
Ecological Impact | Habitat Change | |
In Portsmouth Harbor, by 2003-2006, B. violaceus and to a lesser extent, D. vexillum replaced the mussel M. edulis (1979-1982) as dominant species in fouling communities (Dijkstra and Harris 2009). A major functional change is that while mussel shells provided a year-round structure on the substrate, available to settlement by other organisms, colonial tunicates are more resistant to secondary settlement, and die off seasonally, creating large areas of bare substrate which can be colonized by other organisms (Dijkstra and Harris 2009). | ||
Economic Impact | Fisheries | |
Botrylloides violaceus was reportedly fouling aquaculture sites in Maine (Carman et al. 2010; Bullard et al. 2015) | ||