The Black Sea Ecosystem Changes Related to the Introduction of New Mollusc Species

Abstract

Abstract. The unintentional introduction of the new mollusc species Rupunu rhomasiuna, Mya arenaria, and Scuphurcu inaequivulvis has become a significant reason for modern transformations of certain bottom biocoenoses in the Black Sea. These molluscs have been passed across natural barriers in fouling of ships or in ship seawater ballast and have successfully acclimatized in the new region, forming communities with a high density and biomass. The resulting changes in the structure of the bottom biocoenoses after these introductions are in many cases comparable with or exceed the consequences of other episodic environmental events and other kinds of anthropogenic activity. The intense spreading of the introduced species in the new area is the result of their high adaptive capability and the instability of the Black Sea ecosystem, the latter being due to its few species, low level of competitive interactions, and constant growth of diverse anthropogenic loads.