Language
Country/Area
No result found
Invaders of the Ocean: How Ciona robusta is sweeping across the world's coasts?
On coastlines around the world, the reproduction and survival of various marine organisms often bring different ecological impacts. Among them, Ciona robusta, a marine invertebrate that is easy to transplant and grow, is expanding its living range at an alarming rate, becoming a major challenge in the marine ecosystem. What characteristics did this invader possess that allowed it to expand rapidly from its native site in the North Pacific to the coasts of other continents in just a few decades?
Characteristics and ecological habits of Ciona robusta
Ciona robusta, commonly known as sea squirts, are usually anchored to the substrate, exhibiting a water-filled sac-like structure. Ciona robusta has a transparent armor, usually white or creamy white, with orange to red spots on the edges of its gills. The presence of these spots makes it highly adaptable to seawater, making it an efficient filter predator.
The body of this species usually grows to 210 mm, however most individuals grow to between 100 and 120 mm.
In addition, Ciona robusta has excellent adaptability to aquatic environments. It can survive in a salinity range of 11 to 50 ppt, and its temperature tolerance can reach -1°C. These factors allow it to survive in Reproduce rapidly in changing environments.
Global expansion: from birth to spread
Ciona robusta was first discovered in Australia in 1878, meaning this species has a relatively long history of global expansion. Over time, the marine life gradually expanded to the west coast of North America, Central America, and other parts of South America. It all seems to start accelerating in ports with a lot of ship traffic, places like San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles-Long Beach.
The economic impact of Ciona robusta invasion on local waters cannot be ignored, especially in the aquaculture sector, often causing fouling of equipment and reducing the growth of cultured shellfish.
In 2015, the scientific community officially recognized the different classifications between Ciona robusta and Ciona intestinalis, reinforcing the need to understand it as a devastating invasive species. Of course, only after effectively combining these data can we further explore whether various areas are also covered by Ciona robusta.
Ecological impact and future challenges
As a polluting organism, Ciona robusta's disturbance to the ecosystem cannot be underestimated. Its competitive regeneration ability and high adaptability to the environment have allowed it to begin to replace native species in many places. According to current research, they seem to prefer to live in harbors with frequent boat traffic, further exacerbating the pressure on native species.
As Ciona robusta expands, biodiversity is threatened, and scientists are worried about the impact on the survival of many species.
In addition to causing ecological impacts, Ciona robusta has also caused economic losses in ports and trade in several countries. Especially in aquaculture environments, aggregation of Ciona robusta can increase production costs and reduce the market value of the product.
Future research directions
Although research on Ciona robusta has progressed, the lack of broader molecular confirmation remains a major challenge. Future research should conduct more in-depth investigations at the molecular level to understand the specific conditions of invasion in different waters and further understand the ecological behavior and expansion path of Ciona robusta.
Under the influence of environmental changes and globalization, it is impossible to foresee where Ciona robusta will further expand, or even what impact it will ultimately have on our marine ecosystems?
