Managing biological invasions in ports: A model for assessing the risk of species introduction through ballast water and hull biofouling

Abstract

Shipping traffic is the main vector for the introduction of marine species worldwide. The trends in the number and impacts of marine bioinvasions urge us to design effective management strategies to prevent the introduction and establishment of non-native species. In this study, we developed a model to estimate the risk of biological invasions through commercial shipping traffic to marine ports of Argentina, in order to identify the routes that represent a higher invasion risk, the ports with a greater risk of invasion, and the ecoregions where novel invasions could originate. We found that the routes that represented the highest risk of invasions are those connecting ports in the northern Atlantic Patagonia with ports in central and northern Chile (Southeastern Pacific). Also, we detected striking differences in the overall risk to a port, which although largely determined by the number of arrivals, also depends on certain structural and operational characteristics, underscoring the need for specific management actions. Overall, we found great risk of species invasions from most temperate regions throughout the world, especially Eastern Asia, Southern Africa, Europe and, especially, the Southeastern Pacific. Our findings provide crucial information to enhance the early detection and rapid response strategies in marine ports, complementing existing efforts to manage marine bioinvasions.