Dispersal and species interactions in coastal habitats: using invasive species as a model system

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Coastal ecosystems are vulnerable to different forms of disturbance acting at different spatial and temporal scales. The increasing frequency of one particular form of biological disturbance, the spread of invasive species, is cause for major concern among biologists and coastal managers. Interestingly, these invasions can also be seen as ongoing natural experiments that provide the opportunity to test broad hypotheses about establishment of and subsequent interactions among coastal species. The devastating effects of invasive species such as the green crab (Carcinus maenas) are well known on Eastern North America and worldwide. However, the mechanisms that allow or promote this species success as an invader (and its subsequent impact on aquaculture, fishery, and native biodiversity) are far from understood. The analysis of these proximate mechanisms is therefore critical in order to understand how these species out-compete native crab species and deplete prey populations. The current establishment of green crab populations in Eastern Prince Edward Island and their absence from the North-Western portion of the island serves as a natural experiment to study these proximate causes. Ultimately, this coastal invasion serves as a model to better understand species interactions and the functioning of coastal communities on the Gulf of St. Lawrence and elsewhere.