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Vessel Fouling: Alaska's Growing Bioinvasion Risk
9 Sep
Summary
- Nearly 30,000 commercial ships arriving in Alaska over 11 years risk introducing species.
- Passenger vessels significantly increase the risk of introducing non-indigenous marine species.
- Warming waters and Arctic routes may amplify future bioinvasion threats in Alaska.
Research analyzing 29,799 commercial vessel arrivals to Alaskan ports between 2012 and 2022 highlights the significant risk of marine bioinvasion via biofouling. This process involves organisms attaching to submerged vessel parts. The study found that while vessel arrivals increased by 23%, the total submerged surface area grew by 50%, driven largely by passenger vessels.
Passenger vessels, with their substantial size and frequent arrivals, were identified as having the highest likelihood of introducing non-indigenous species. These ships contribute the largest share of wetted surface area arriving in Alaska. The North American Pacific Fjordland and Gulf of Alaska regions face the highest risk due to high traffic and environmental similarities with origin points.
Factors beyond vessel size, including environmental similarity between ports and time since last dry dock, also contribute to invasion risk. As Alaska's environmental conditions change and Arctic shipping routes open, the potential for marine non-indigenous species introduction is expected to increase, necessitating focused monitoring efforts.
