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ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil Advance Access originally published online on April 17, 2008
ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil 2008 65(5):781-787; doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsn059
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© 2008 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Oxford Journals. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

A qualitative biological risk assessment for vase tunicate Ciona intestinalis in Canadian waters: using expert knowledge

Thomas W. Therriault and Leif-Matthias Herborg

Pacific Biological Station, 3190 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo, BC, Canada V9T 6N7

Correspondence to T. W. Therriault: tel: +1 250 7567394; fax: +1 250 7567138; e-mail: thomas.therriault{at}dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Therriault, T. W., and Herborg, L-M. 2008. A qualitative biological risk assessment for vase tunicate Ciona intestinalis in Canadian waters: using expert knowledge. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 781–787.

Non-indigenous species (NIS) can pose a significant level of risk, through potential ecological or genetic consequences, to environments to which they are introduced. One way to characterize the overall risk posed by a NIS is to combine the probability and consequences of its establishment in a risk assessment that can be used to inform managers and policy-makers. The vase tunicate Ciona intestinalis is considered to be a cryptogenic species in eastern Canadian waters, but has not yet been reported from Pacific Canada. Because it is unclear what level of risk it poses for Canadian waters, we conducted a biological risk assessment for C. intestinalis and its potential pathogens, parasites, and fellow travellers. An expert survey was conducted to inform the risk assessment. The ecological risk posed by C. intestinalis was considered high (moderate uncertainty) on the Atlantic coast, and moderate (high uncertainty) on the Pacific coast. The genetic risk posed by C. intestinalis was considered moderate on both coasts, with low uncertainty on the Atlantic coast and high uncertainty on the Pacific coast, where hybridization with Ciona savignyi may be possible. Pathogens, parasites, and fellow travellers were considered to be a moderate ecological risk and a low genetic risk (with high uncertainty) for both coasts.

Keywords: Ciona intestinalis, ecological risk, genetic risk, invasive species, risk assessment, vase tunicate

Received 18 June 2007; accepted 25 February 2008; advance access publication 17 April 2008.


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