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Antarctic tourists and scientists may be inadvertently seeding the icy continent with invasive species, a new study says. Foreign plants such as annual bluegrass are establishing themselves on Antarctica, whose status as the coldest and driest continent had long made it one of the most pristine environments on Earth.

Species from around the world that are "hitching a lift" on ships threaten Antarctica's pristine marine ecosystem.

“Invasivorism,” or eating invasive species as a means to control or eliminate their numbers, has become a popular tool, utilized by restaurants and even Whole Foods. The tale of a giant Amazon fish reveals the promise and peril of “invasivorism.”

A 4-H student presenting a project at the Kansas State Fair has inadvertently triggered a state and federal investigation into a nasty, unwelcome bug. The student found the spotted lanternfly in Thomas County in western Kansas and included it in a 4-H entomology display.

Distinguishing between non-native and native buckthorn is important so that management efforts can be targeted appropriately. This article desribes and separates the two invasive buckthorns from native alderleaf buckthorn.

Invasive species, explained. Alien plants and animals can wreak havoc on ecosytems when they move in and take over.
See also: Invasive Species 101 Video (Jul 26, 2019)

Scientists tallying the economic damage wrought by invasive pests across the world found two species are responsible for more harm than any other.

The American bullfrog and brown tree snake have collectively caused $16.3bn in global damage since 1986. In addition to ecological harm, the invasive pair have ruined farm crops and triggered costly power outages.

Idaho watercraft inspectors have identified zebra mussels on a commercially hauled sailboat destined for Lake Coeur d’Alene in the state’s northern panhandle, marking the first time the invasive species has been found live this year.

In 1946 the Argentine Navy imported 10 beaver couples from Canada and set them free in Isla Grande, the deep south of Tierra del Fuego, with the intention of "enriching" the native fauna and the local fur industry. The consequences of such initiative were disastrous: Protected from hunting for 35 years, and devoid of natural predators, the beavers grew over 5,000 times their initial population, caused irreversible changes in the forest ecosystem, and started advancing over the continent. Now, a study published in Chilean Natural History suggests that the demographic explosion of those beavers could be bigger than suspected because it can take years or even decades for local inhabitants to notice the rodents' presence and their impact on the surrounding ecosystems.

When the expansion of the Panama Canal is completed in 2016, giant ships that now must dock at West Coast ports after crossing the Pacific will be able to deliver cargo directly to ports on the Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast. One thing they may be delivering, according to a recent study, is a much larger number of alien species.

The spotted lanternfly (SLF) is the newest invasive species that has found its way to the Bluegrass State.
See also: Spotted Lanternfly: Be on the Lookout for this invasive Species and Report Sightings (invasive pests)

The old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" was ahead of its time when it comes to invasive species policy."

With around 5,000 summertime residents, increased tourism, and a warming planet, it is becoming difficult to protect Antarctica from invasion.

The first section of the book includes information about how tourism-related infrastructure and activities promote biological invasions, including key pathways for non-native invasive species introductions. This section provides case studies of different organisms that are known to be introduced and/or promoted by tourism in different ecosystems or regions. The second section elaborates on known and potential impacts of invasive species on tourism and recreation, including how they may affect, positively or negatively, the economic revenue from tourism, tourist access, recreation, aesthetic values and tourists’ perceptions. The last section focuses on management and policy, covering aspects of how visitors perceive invasive species and their willingness to manage them, biosecurity measures to prevent invasion related to tourism, as well as potential policy options moving forward. The book draws on a number of examples across multiple taxa, landscapes and regions of the world.

Citation: Barros, A., Shackleton, R., Rew, L. J., Pizarro, C., Pauchard, A. (Eds.). (2022). Tourism, Recreation and Biological Invasions. CABI.