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Alaska Center for Conservation Science

Fostering research, education, and collaboration on biological conservation and natural resource management in Alaska and the Arctic

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Aquatic Invasive Species List

KBNERR began centralizing invasive aquatic species data in 2020. Non-native species may not be detrimental to ecosystem functioning but are considered invasive when they impact the survival of native species. To qualify for listing, the species must be observed outside of its natural distribution range and have sufficient documentation for an observation to be verified. Observations are synthesized across numerous sources, ranging in scope from primary field records to vetted databases. As a result, we acknowledge agency counsel, historical records, and scientific literature to inform our listings. Here we list the invasive aquatic species known to or likely to occur in our region.

The AK Aqua list is maintained by KBNERR Biologists, please report new species to Kim Schuster (kkschuster@alaska.edu)

Scientific NameCommon NameEst.OccuranceFreshwater or Marineinfo
Carcinus maenas European green crab2022AlaskaMarineinfo
Botrylloides violaceus violet tunicate2008AlaskaMarineinfo
Didemnum vexillum carpet sea squirt2010AlaskaMarineinfo
Elodea spp. Canadian waterweed1982AlaskaFreshwaterinfo
Esox lucius northern pike1972Alaska

Freshwaterinfo
Pacifastacus leniusculus signal crayfish2015AlaskaFreshwaterinfo

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  • Home
  • About
    • Staff, Faculty, and Students
    • Support Our Program
    • Opportunities
    • Contact
    • Our Partners
  • Research
    • Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
    • Invasive Species
    • Aquatic Ecology
    • Vegetation
    • Wildlife
    • Landscape Ecology
  • Data and Services
    • Data Catalog
    • Conservation Data Portals
    • Code Repository
    • Services
  • Publications