Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: WA/Willapa Bay (1948, Hanna 1966; Carlton 1979)
Geographic Extent
WA/Willapa Bay (1948, Hanna 1966; Carlton 1979); Omeara Point/WA/Willapa Bay ((2000, Cohen et al. 2001
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Probable | Oyster Accidental |
Regional Impacts
| Ecological Impact | Predation | |
| Urosalpinx cinerea in Willapa Bay, feeds on the introduced Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) and the native Olympic Oyster (Ostrea lurida), but prefers the Pacific Oyster. The Atlantic Oyster Drill is largely restricted to the warmer inner portion of the estuary, where aquaculure farms are absent, and feral Pacific Oysters grow in hummocks. Urosalpinx cinerea prefers smaller oysters of both species, so Olympia Oysters are more vulnerable, because of their smaller adult size. Olympic Oysters do not survive in areas where Pacific Oysters are cultured, because of competition, predation, disturbance, and removal from cultured Pacific Oysters, so they frequently occur in the parts of the Bay inhabited by U. cinerea. Buhle and Rusesink (2009) conclude that Olympic Oyster restoration may be feasible only where oyster aquaculture and oyster drills are absent. | ||
| Economic Impact | Fisheries | |
| In Willapa Bay, Urosalpinx cinerea is rare in the deeper, colder parts of the bay, where Pacific Oysters (Crassostrea gigas) are cultured. However, it is abundant in areas where the native Olympia Oyster (Ostrea lurida) is present, making restoration of native oyster populations difficult in this bay (Buhle and Ruesink 2009). | ||