Idea paper: Monitoring and databasing nonnative species to manage establishment debt in aquatic ecosystems

Abstract

In the era of globalization, biological invasions are one of the most serious social issues. Thus, managing its impact is an urgent task. It is essential to control nonnative species before they become established. However, it is insufficient to address establishment debt, which occurs when a nonnative species has been introduced into an area but has not yet been established in the wild. In particular, unintentionally introduced or contaminated organisms of the aquatic ornamental pet trade are referred to as “hitchhikers” and have not received much attention in the context of establishment debt. To understand the nature of establishment debt, including that of aquatic hitchhikers, I propose the monitoring of nonnative species inhabiting artificial isolated waters, such as indoor aquariums, and the construction of a database using environmental DNA metabarcoding. This idea would be an effective nonregulatory management approach when implemented broadly, at the country level. Furthermore, implementation of this strategy in combination with border biosecurity and field monitoring may promote accurate prioritization, rapid species identification, and effective invasion pathway assessment.

A Case Study of The Critical Role of Accurate Assessment and Objectivity in Species Prioritization for Conservation

“…Accurate assessment of nonnative species impacts is essential for prioritizing limited conservation resources for management projects with a high likelihood of success (Kuebbing et al, 2016). Furthermore, the implementation of strategies such as monitoring and databasing nonnative species can promote accurate prioritization, rapid species identi cation, and effective invasion pathway assessment (Saito, 2022). The main challenge in species prioritization is the uncertainty arising from poor data quality and lack of data, emphasizing the need for accurate assessment (Arponen, 2012).…”

Preface: “Idea Paper” for sharing diverse research ideas

“…This monitoring should improve future decision‐making for both resource management and conservation efforts. Saito (2022) proposes the application of the environmental DNA (eDNA) technique to understand the nature of invasions of non‐native species. The author focuses on the unintentionally introduced organisms inhabiting artificially isolated waters, such as indoor aquariums, but have not yet become established in the wild.…”