Morphological and Molecular Techniques to Support Detection and Management of Ballast-Borne AIS

Abstract

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) released from ship ballast water threaten aquatic ecosystems. A unique opportunity to couple molecular and microscopic techniques is investigated to understand risk-release relationships in a controlled setting using mesocosms and surrogate protist species. This research aims to: Evaluate the relationship between release density and establishment using a wider variety of protist surrogates; Track surrogate and ambient community species using morphological and molecular techniques; Initiate a framework to support on-ship compliance testing methods using eDNA.