Overview:

Non-native or exotic species are plants and animals that have been introduced by humans or human activity in locations outside their natural range.  In North America , plants and animals are considered not native if they were introduced after European settlement (i.e., after the mid-1500s).  Luckily, not all non-native species are invasive.  In New York , about 35% of plant species are non-native; however, only 30-50 (3-5%) of these have invaded native ecosystems.

The response of a plant or animal to a new environment determines whether or not it is invasive.  Common traits of invasive species include: fast growth, high reproductive rates, and high dispersal ability.  Non-natives often become invasive when their natural predators are absent from the new environment. 

Established populations of invasive species disrupt an ecosystem’s intricate web of life and compete for limited natural resources, frequently translating into dire economic consequences such as losses in crops, fisheries, and tourism.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notes that invasive species cost the United States approximately $34.7 billion each year.  Invasive species are second only to habitat destruction as the biggest threat to biodiversity worldwide.  Invasive species have been known to: reduce biodiversity, alter hydrologic conditions and soil characteristics, alter fire intensity and frequency, interfere with natural succession, compete for pollinators, repel native insects, displace plant and animal species, spread pathogens, replace intricate communities with monocultures, and hybridize with native species.  In addition to disrupting natural ecosystems, invasive species can affect humans by disrupting recreational activities and clogging important waterways. 

Invasive Species in the Peconics:

From old invasions, such as the seaweed Dead Man’s Fingers (Codium fragile), to new invasions, like the freshwater plants water primrose (Ludwigia peploides) and purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), invasive species are taking their toll on the Peconic Watershed.  Disturbingly, the Peconic Estuary continues to be vulnerable to invasive species. 

Invasive species can enter the Peconics in a variety ways:

• Landscaping and nurseries: Invasive plants, including Japanese barberry and purple loosestrife, are popular purchases at nurseries throughout Long Island .  In addition, invasive plants are often introduced accidentally through the seed trade.  Click here for great alternatives to invasive plants. 
• Recreational boats and jet skis:  Invasive animals and fragments of invasive plants can get caught in propellers, anchors, trailers and other gear.  By trailering watercraft to a new waterbody, these aquatic hitchhikers can find new areas to colonize.  Click here for a simple way to stop aquatic hitchhikers.  
• Bait: Left over live bait from a fishing trip that is dumped into the Peconics may introduce invasive species.  Not only may the live bait be exotic, there may be fragments of invasive seaweeds and exotic pathogens in the water as well.  Help stop the spread: do not release left over bait into the wild. 
• Live seafood:   Live seafood and the packing material in which it is shipped (e.g., seawater or seaweed) can be a source of invasive species introduction if they are allowed to escape or are not disposed of correctly.  Help stop the spread: do not release live seafood into the wild.
• Aquariums and Water Gardens : Releasing unwanted plants and animals (e.g., fish, frogs, turtles) from aquariums and water gardens are a source of invasive species. Click here to ensure the well-being of your pets and plants, while still protecting the environment.
• Produce: With the global nature of trade, invasive insects may forge their way into the Peconics by hiding in the packing or leaves of produce products, or in the packaging of any commodity.
• Ballast Water:  Ballast water discharge is a common source of invasive species introduction around the world, although not as likely in the Peconics.  Ballast water is water that is taken into the hulls of large ships to maintain stability during transit.  While the Peconic Estuary has few deep water ports (e.g., Greenport and Sag Harbor), the estuary is not a major U.S. shipping port, and hence not a site of frequent, if any, ballast water discharges. 

PEP Invasive Species Management Goals:

Invasive species management is a focus of the Peconic Estuary Program.  The following management actions are outlined in the Habitat and Living Resources chapter of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan;

• HLR-8.2:  Develop recommendations in the PEP Habitat Restoration Plan for control of Phragmites australis by restoration of natural processes such as removal or modification of flow-restriction devices, removal of hardened shorelines, and re-vegetation of bay and creek shorelines or by other means. 
• HLR-10.4:  Continue to support the prohibition of commercial culture or introduction of non-indigenous species in New York ’s waters and require that all aquaculture operations in the estuary use indigenous genotypes.

The Habitat Restoration Plan for the Peconic Estuary (2000) also outlines several invasive species initiatives, including an entire chapter on Phragmites control, as mandated by HLR-8.2 above.

PEP Actions:

Support Implementation of Suffolk County Law Preventing Spread of Aquatic Invasives: Suffolk County passed a new law on December 19, 2005 that makes it illegal to “introduce, throw, dump, deposit, place or cause to be introduced, thrown, dumped, deposited, or placed in any river, stream, lake, pond, wetland, or storm water drain” invasive aquatic plants and animals. Violating the law is punishable by a fine up to $1,000 (SC Res# 1108-2005). The PEP is helping to implement this mandate by providing disposal alternatives for unwanted plants and animals through our partnership with Habitattitude™ described below.

Habitattitude: In Spring 2006, the PEP joined Habitattitude™, a national campaign developed by the Federal Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force dedicated to reducing the unintentional spread of invasive species by well-meaning pet owners, aquarists, and water gardeners.  Using the Habitattitude™ brand, the PEP joined with the Long Island Sound Study to create a pet store placard detailing the reasons why pet owners should never release unwanted pets or plants into the wild (see placard).  These laminated placards are now posted in pet stores throughout Suffolk County .  This action is extremely important because some of the worst invaders are popular aquarium plants.  Cabomba caroliniana, for example, was introduced in this way.  Red-eared slider turtles have also made their way into the Peconic Estuary through the pet trade.

Water Primrose Eradication:  While education and prevention are crucial to stopping the spread of invasive species in the Peconics, it is still necessary to get out in the field and take action!  Water primrose (Ludwigia peploides) is a little known invasive that has been quickly creeping into the Peconic River .  First observed in 2003, it is still in the early stages of its invasion, and it is possible, with quick action, to eradicate this invasive plant.  The Peconic Estuary Program, in collaboration with Suffolk County, The Nature Conservancy, Fresh Water Anglers of Long Island, Inc., the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and Long Island Bassmasters, has a proposal pending to hand-pull the expanding Ludwigia beds on the Peconic River.  We will host the removal events on July 12 & 13, 2008 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Peconic Lake Estates Civic Organization property in Calverton.  To volunteer, call (631) 852-5750 or e-mail info@peconicestuary.org. Click here for more details.