FISH 423

FISH 423
Aquatic Invasion Ecology
Autumn 2009



Instructor: Dr. Julian D. Olden      
Office Location: Fisheries Science Blg., Room 317A
Office hours: Monday and Wednesday @ 11:30 - 12:30       
Office phone: 616-3112
E-mail address:   olden@u.washington.edu
Instructor web page:   http://www.fish.washington.edu/olden/   
Course web page: http://www.fish.washington.edu/classes/fish423      
Class hours: Lecture: Monday and Wednesday @ 10:30 - 11:20, Discussion: Monday @ 12:30-1:20
Class room: Lecture in Room 109
Prerequisite(s): Either BIOL 162 or BIOL 180

DISCUSSION PAPERS ARE POSTED ON UW CATALYST (click here)

COURSE IMPETUS
Humans have a noteworthy ability for introducing species to areas beyond their native range, giving the potential for these species to become biological invaders. The global epidemic of invasive species is rampant, representing a leading threat to national economies, human health, and cause tremendous ecological damage ranging from the extinction of native species to alteration of ecosystem processes. The negative impacts of invasive species are particularly evident in aquatic environments, including the Pacific Northwest, whose native freshwater and marine biodiversity is under increasing threat from countless invasive species. Consequently, the management of aquatic invasive species is a critical conservation challenge for the 21st century.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
The objective of this course is to provide an understanding of the patterns, drivers and consequences of species invasions in freshwater, estuary and marine ecosystems. We will accomplish this through a combination of lectures that will examine various elements of the invasion process, followed by the discussion of case studies.

The first part of the course will provide an overview of the problem, focusing on global pathways and patterns of aquatic invaders in freshwater and marine ecosystems.
The second part of the course will explore the entire invasion process, from initial introduction to a foreign area, to the establishment of a self-sustaining population and integration into native communities. These lectures will focus on the underlying theory and empirical evidence for each invasion stage illustrated through a number of case studies.
The third part of the course will focus on the management approaches needed to prevent, control and eradicate invasive species, including current state and federal legislation for invasive species.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
As a result of this course, students will have a strong understanding of the patterns, processes and consequences of species invasions in aquatic ecosystems.

METHOD OF INSTRUCTION AND GRADING
Lectures: This course will consist of two 50-minute lectures per week. Lectures will emphasize main concepts from invasion ecology, illustrated with examples from freshwater and marine ecosystems.

Exams: There will be two exams - a mid-term (15% of final grade) and a final (30%). They will cover the assigned reading and material covered in lecture. The 50-minute midterm exam and 2-hour final exam will consist of short essays.

Discussion Group: Each week we will discuss 2-3 scientific papers in a small group. The discussion period will be led by a student (that’s you!) who will be responsible for leading the discussion and promoting conversation. You will be evaluated on your leadership and participation during all discussions (10% of final grade). Articles (PDF) are posted on the web at http://fish.washington.edu/classes/FISH423/.

Short Assignments: You will be required to provide a 1-page perspective (i.e., identifying novel aspects and/or providing a critical critique) of one or more scientific articles for each of the discussion periods (10% of final grade). The assignment should be single spaced in 11-point font and 1 inch margins. These will be due at the discussion period (Monday) and assigned the previously week.

Final Assignment: A significant portion of your grade is based on a final written report (25% of final grade) and oral presentation (10% of final grade). In order to successfully complete the final assignment you will need to understand the material presented in lecture and discussion group. Detailed instructions for the final assignment are provided below.

FINAL ASSIGNMENT
Your final written report will consist of a review paper exploring the ecology of an invasive species in the Pacific Northwest. The species must have an established population in Washington, Oregon, Idaho or western British Columbia. The recent publication “Invasive Species in the Pacific Northwest” by Boersma et al. (2006) and “On the lookout for aquatic invaders” by Oregon Sea Grant provides a preliminary list of species, but please do not limit yourself to this book. I highly suggest that you explore the USGS Non-indigenous Aquatic Species database (http://nas.er.usgs.gov/) for species that occur in the Pacific Northwest.

Your report must be 15-25 double-spaced pages (with figures and tables embedded) and consist of the following sections:

Diagnostic information

Scientific name (Order/Family/Genus/Species)
Common name(s)
Photos/Detailed illustrations
Basic identification key

Life-history and basic ecology

Life cycle
Feeding habits
Reproductive strategies
Environmental optima and tolerances
Biotic associations (pathogens, parasites, and commensals)

Current geographic distribution

Distribution in the PNW and the United States (map)

History of invasiveness
Invasion process

Pathways, vectors and routes of introduction
Factors influencing establishment and spread
Potential ecological and/or economic impacts

Management strategies and control methods
Literature cited (follow the style of the journal Biological Invasions) (no URL references!)
Other key sources of information and bibliographies (web sites)
Expert contact information in PNW
Current research and management efforts

Your oral presentation will consist of a 10-minute overview of your invasive species. You are responsible for providing a concise Powerpoint presentation on the life-history, distribution, invasion dynamics and current management strategies. Presentations are limited to 10 minutes (sharp) and will be followed by a couple minutes of questions. You must select an invasive species before October 31st. E-mail me with your choice.

Species NOT eligible for final paper (because they have been done in previous years):

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Bellamya chinensis, Ciona savignyi, Corbicula fluminea, Crassostrea gigas, Dreissena bugensis, Gambusia affinis, Ictalurus punctatus, Lepomis gibbosus, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, Myocaster coypus, Myriophyllum aquaticum, Oithona davisae, Potamogeton crispus, Procambarus clarkii, Sargassum muticum, Rana catesbeiana, Utricularia inflate,

TEXTBOOK(S) AND REQUIRED TOOLS OR SUPPLIES
Lockwood, J. L., Hoopes, M. F., and M. P. Marchetti. 2007. Invasion Ecology. Blackwell Publishing.

We will also read selected articles from journals, books, and other published literature. These will be available as PDFs through the course’s website.

SCHEDULE

Week 1
W 30 Sept An introduction to aquatic invasion ecology (Ch. 1)

Week 2
M 5 Oct Conceptual models and ecological theory of the invasion process (Ch. 1)

M 5 Oct Discussion

Aliens Among Us – Debate in Conservation Magazine
Gozlan. 2008. Introduction of non native freshwater fish: is it all bad? Fish and Fisheries 9:106-115.
Leprieur et al. 2009. Scientific uncertainty and the assessment of risks posed by non-native freshwater fishes. Fish and Fisheries 10:88-97. (Optional)

W 7 Oct Vectors and pathways of species introductions (Ch. 2)

Week 3
M 12 Oct Vectors and pathways of species introductions (Ch. 3)

M 12 Oct Discussion

Padilla and Williams. 2004. Beyond ballast water: aquarium and ornamental trades as sources of invasive species in aquatic ecosystems. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 2:131-138.
Johnson et al. 2009. Are we doing all we can to stem the tide of illegal fish stocking? Fisheries 34:389-394.

W 14 Oct Propagule pressure (Ch. 4)

Week 4
M 19 Oct Species establishment: Species’ profiling

M 19 Oct Discussion

Moyle and Marchetti. 2006. Predicting invasion success: Freshwater fishes in California as a model. BioScience 56:515-524.
Duggan et al. 2006. Popularity and propagule pressure: determinants of introduction and establishment of aquarium fish. Biological Invasions 8:377-382.

W 21 Oct Species establishment: Environmental controls (Ch. 5)

Week 5
M 26 Oct Species establishment: Biological controls (Ch. 6)

M 26 Oct Discussion

Griffen et al. 2008. Inhibition between invasives: a newly introduced predator moderates the impacts of a previously established invasive predator. Journal of Animal Ecology 77:32-40.
Fausch. 2008. A paradox of trout invasions in North America. Biological Invasions 10:685-701

W 28 Oct Species spread: Theory, models and empirical evidence (Ch. 7, 8)

Week 6
M 2 Nov Ecological impacts of invasive species (Ch. 9)

M 2 Nov Discussion
Schneider et al. 1998. A transportation model assessment to the risk to native mussel communities from zebra mussel spread. Conservation Biology 12:788-800.
Lawler et al. 1999. Effects of introduced mosquitofish and bullfrogs on the threatened California red-legged frog. Conservation Biology 13:613-622.

W 4 Nov Ecological impacts of invasive species (Ch. 10)

Week 7
M 9 Nov MID-TERM EXAM

M 9 Nov No Discussion

W 11 Nov Holiday – Veterans Day

Week 8
M 16 Nov Guest lecture: Jennifer Ruesink (UW, Dept. of Biology)

M 16 Nov Discussion

Simon and Townsend. 2003. Impacts of freshwater invaders at different levels of ecological organization, with emphasis on salmonids and ecosystem consequences. Freshwater Biology 48:982–994.
Brynes et al. 2007. Invasions and extinctions reshape coastal marine food webs. PLoS ONE 2(3): e295. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000295.

W 18 Nov Evolutionary impacts of invasive species

Week 9
M 23 Nov Economic impacts of invasive species (Lecture: Thomas Pool)

M 23 Nov Discussion

Freeman and Byers. 2006. Divergent induced responses to an invasive predator in marine mussel populations. Science 313 831-833.
Schlaepfer et al. 2005. Introduced species as evolutionary traps. Ecology Letters 8:241-246.

W 25 Nov Preventative approaches (risk analysis) to species invasions (Ch. 12)

Week 10
M 30 Nov Invasion species control and eradication (Ch. 12)

M 30 Nov Discussion

Fowler et al. 2007. Failure of the Lacey Act to protect US ecosystems against animal invasions. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 5: 353-359.
Vander Zanden and Olden 2008. A management framework for preventing the secondary spread of aquatic invasive species. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 65:1512-1522.

W 2 Dec Guest lecture: Mariana Tamayo (SAFS) “The science of biocontrol: a case study of nuisance weeds and the milfoil weevil”

Week 11
M 7 Dec PBS Documentary: Silent Invasion

M 7 Dec Discussion: Presentations

W 9 Dec Presentations

W 14 Dec Final Exam: 2:30-4:20pm

* Chapters in Lockwood et al. (2007) are indicated and are required reading.