Effects of Climate Change on Aquatic Invasive Species and Implications for Management and Research

Invasive species are a major issue ecologically and economically. Invasive species threaten native species, sometimes to the point of extinction. The economic damages and losses attributed to invasive species in the United States are sizable. In response to these issues, the federal government coordinates research and other activities concerning invasive species through the National Invasive Species Council (NISC) and the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (ANSTF). NISC has written and revised a national management plan that describes strategies for prevention, early detection/rapid response, control, management, coordination, education, and research for federal agencies. The ANSTF has developed guidance for regions and states to develop their own management plan and the Task Force reviews and approves these to distribute additional funding. It is these activities that address management actions on the ground that need to incorporate climate change considerations. This report is a first step in addressing this need. Concerns about possible climate change effects are increasingly prevalent. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Global Change Research Program (GCRP) in the Office of Research and Development, National Center for Environmental Assessment, examines climate change effects on aquatic ecosystems, water quality, human health, and air quality. The results of assessments completed by the GCRP are intended to increase society's understanding of such climate change effects and contribute to decision making that improves responses to environmental challenges. This report deals with the interaction of climate change and aquatic invasive species (AIS) and consequent effects on aquatic ecosystems. AIS are a concern to a variety of EPA programs, interagency efforts (e.g. ANSTF), state agencies, and other resource managers. This report evaluates the combined effects of climate change and AIS on aquatic ecosystem structure and function and suggests potential paths forward that will increase our understanding of these effects and improve AIS management.