Invasion
Invasion Description
1st record: Montauk Point/NY/Peconic Bay (1973, Carlton 1989; James T. Carlton, personal communication)
Geographic Extent
Hyannis/MA/Nantucket Sound (Whitlatch and Osman 2000); Falmouth-Mashpee/MA/Waquoit Bay (2003, Carman et al. 2007); East Falmouth/MA/Great Pond (2003, Carman et al. 2007); Woods Hole/MA/Vineyard Sound; Hyannis/MA/Nantucket Sound; Woods Hole/MA/Eel Pond (1986, Marine Biological Laboratory, http://www.mbl.edu/marine_org/marine_org.php?func=detail&myID=BX207); 5 of 24 aquaculture sites, Martha's Vineyard/MA/19 surveyed embayments (Carman et al. 2010); Massachusetts Maritime Academy Bourne/MA/Buzzards Bay (MIT Sea Grant 2003); New Bedford/MA/New Bedford Harbor (MIT Sea Grant 2003);Tripps Marina, Westport/MA/Westport River (Buzzards Bay) (MIT Sea Grant 2003); Massachusetts Maritime Academy Bourne/MA/Buzzards Bay; New Bedford/MA/New Bedford Harbor; Popes Island Marina, New Bedford (2010, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 2013); Tripp Marina, Westport/MA/Westport River (Buzzards Bay) (2000, (MIT Sea Grant 2003) 2010, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 2013); Save the Bay Marina, Providence/RI/Providence River (2019, Pederson et al. 2021); Warwick Cove Marina, Warwick/RI/ Warwick Cove (MIT Sea Grant 2003), Allen Harbor, North Kingstown/RI/West Passage, Narragansett Bay; (MIT Sea Grant 2003; 2010, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 2013; (2019, Pederson et al. 2021)); Quonset Point, North Kingstown, West Passage, Narragansett Bay (MIT Sea Grant 2003); Wickford Marina, Wickford/RI/West Passage, Narragansett Bay (1976, personal observation; Plough 1978, MITSea Grant 2003); Colt State Park, Bristol/RI/East Passage, Narragansett Bay (MIT Sea Grant 2003); Coasters Harbor Island, Newport/RI/East Passage, Narragansett Bay; (MIT Sea Grant 2003); Fort Adams State Park/Newport/RI/Narragansett Bay (2010, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 2013); Beavertail Point/RI/Narragansett Bay (MIT Sea Grant 2003); Block Island/RI/Great Salt Pond (2007, 41o10'62" 71o34'58", Carman et al. 2009); Point Judith Marina/RI/Point Judith Pond (2009, MIT Sea Grant 2011; Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 2013); NY/Long Island Sound (Carlton 1989); Stamford/CT/Long Island Sound (MIT Sea Grant 2003); Brewer Yacht Haven Marine Center, Milford Yacht Club, Milford/CT/Long Island Sound (MIT Sea Grant 2003); Brewer Yacht Yard, Mystic/CT/Fishers Island Sound (MIT Sea Grant 2003; Brewer Yacht Yard, Mystic/CT/Fishers Island Sound (MIT Sea Grant 2003; Pederson et al. 2021); Groton/CT/Fishers Island Sound (Whitlatch and Osman 2000); Bridgeport/CT/Long Island Sound (Benson 2011); 35 of 45 sites sampled/NY-CT/Long Island Sound (2011-2013, Brunetti and Cuomo 2014); Stirling Hsrbot, Greenport, Long Island/NY/Long Island Sound (2019, Pederson et al. 2021); Montauk Point/NY/Peconic Bay (1973, Carlton 1989; James T. Carlton, personal communication); South Jamesport/NY/Peconic Bay (MIT Sea Grant 2003); Moonbeam Gateway Marina, Brooklym/NY/Jamaica Bay (2019, Pederson et al. 2021); 30 mi NE of Cape May/NJ/Coastal Bay inlets (1998, McDermott, personal communication); Cape May/NJ/Cape May Harbor (7/11/2013, Paul Fofonoff, Kristen Larson, personal observations); Cape Henlopen/DE/Delaware Bay (2003, several specimens washed up on beach, ID by Gretchen Lambert, Fofonoff, personal observation); Indian River Marina/NJ/Indian River Inlet/ (7/11/2013, Paul Fofonoff, Kristen Larson, personal observations); Sunset Marina, Ocean City/MD/Ocean City Inlet (7/29/2013, Paul Fofonoff, personal observation, established population); Chincoteague/VA/Atlantic Ocean (1994, U.S. National Museum of Natural History 2002); Chincoteague/VA/Merritt Harbor, Chincoteague Inlet (7/29/2013, Paul Fofonoff, personal observation, established population)
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Probable | Hull Fouling |
Regional Impacts
| Ecological Impact | Competition | |
| Styela clava is frequently abundant and often the dominant fouling organism in harbors. It covered 18.5% of fouling plate surfaces in one-year old assemblages near Avery Point, Connecticut, Long Island Sound (Altman and Whitlatch 2007). It can reduce the growth rate of co-occurring species through its intense filtration of the water column (Osman and Whitlatch 2000). Styela clava is abundant in harbors with varying water quaility, including those with poor, fair and good quality (Carman et al. 2007). | ||
| Ecological Impact | Predation | |
| Styela clava can inhibit settlement of co-occurring fouling organisms through predation on planktonic larvae, as a result of high filtering rates (Osman and Whitlatch 2000). | ||
| Ecological Impact | Food/Prey | |
| Newly settled Styela clava in Long Island Sound are prone to intense predation by the snails Astyris lunata (= Mitrella lunata) and Costoanachis translirata (= Anachis lafresnayi of authors) (Osman and Whitlatch 2000; Whitlatch and Osman 2009). Older juveniles are subject to predation by fishes, mostly Tautog (Tautoga onitis) and Cunner (Tautogolabrus adspersus; Osman and Whitlach 2000). | ||
| Economic Impact | Fisheries | |
| Styela clava was found fouling aquaculture gear at 21 sites, and cultured Bay Scallops (Aequipecten irradians) at two sites, of 26 aquaculture sites surveyed on Marthas Vineyard (Carman et al. 2010). Styela clava was also reported to be fouling aquaculture sites in Rhode Island and New York state (Carman et al. 2010). | ||