Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: MS-LA/Mississippi Sound (late June-early July 2000, Graham et al. 2003)
Geographic Extent
MS-LA/Mississippi Sound (late June-early July 2000, Graham et al. 2003); New Orleans area/LA/Mississippi River - Gulf Outlet Canal, Lake Borgne, Bayou La Loutre (June-Septermber, 2000, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2006); Chandeleur Islands/LA/Gulf of Mexico (USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2006); LA/Lake Borgne (2002-2003, Graham et al. 2003, 1 sighting);
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Alternate | Natural Dispersal |
| Alternate | Ballast Water |
| Alternate | Hull Fouling |
Regional Impacts
| Ecological Impact | Predation | |
| Gut contents of 15 medusae consisted of bivalve larvae (35%), adult copepods (23%), loricate tintinnids (23%), and fish eggs (15%). In the highest concentrations seen in Lake Borgne, Louisiana, the medusa population had an estimated filtering rate of 6-72% of the water column per day (Graham et al. 2003). | ||
| Economic Impact | Fisheries | |
| During the jellyfish bloom in the Gulf of Mexico during 2000, the shrimp fishery (primarily for the White Shrimp, Penaeus setiferus) was reduced and halted during the months of July and August, due to clogging of nets. Economic losses may have been as high as $10 million (Graham et al. 2003). | ||