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Ocean Portal by The Smithsonian Institution

Invasive Species

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PHOTO An Invasive Brittlestar These brittlestars (Ophiothela mirabilis) are not where they belong. These animals, usually found in the Pacific Ocean, were first spotted in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil in 20...MORE PHOTOS


	ARTICLE MORE STORIES Reducing the Risk of Transporting Invasive Species When people sail the sea, marine organisms tag along. If carried long distances,...
	ARTICLE MORE STORIES Rapa Whelks: Invaders of the Chesapeake Bay During the summer of 1998, scientists at the Virginia Institute of Marine Scienc...
	VIDEO MORE VIDEOS Lionfish on the Loose The majestic and highly predatory red lionfish (Pterois volitans), native to the...

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					Killer Algae (Caulerpa taxifolia) Feb 20, 2013 - 10:16AMA strain of this green seaweed, native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, escaped public and private aquariums in California, Japan, Australia, and Monaco. It has spread widely in the Mediterranean, replacing native plants and...

Lionfish on the Loose

Feb 19, 2013 - 10:24AM

The majestic and highly predatory red lionfish (Pterois volitans), native to...

Spotfin Lionfish

Nov 22, 2012 - 11:28AM

The spotfin lionfish (Pterois antennata), with venomous spines extended, is...

SPOTLIGHT


5 Invasive Species You Should Know Regardless of what continent you live on, the waters that surround it are home to marine invaders. The ocean is teeming with...

Killer Algae (Caulerpa taxifolia) Feb 20 2013 - 10:16am A strain of this green seaweed, native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, escaped public and private aquariums in California, Japan, Australia, and Monaco. It has spread widely in the Mediterranean, replacing native plants and depriving marine life of food and habitat.	5 Invasive Species You Should Know Sep 27 2011 - 1:09pm Regardless of what continent you live on, the waters that surround it are home to marine invaders. The ocean is teeming with plants and animals willing and able to move beyond their native habitats. Often all they need is a ride. Enter: humans. Some invaders hitchhike on ship hulls or inside...
Sea Grapes: A Google Earth Tour Dec 16 2011 - 11:16am “Sea grapes” may sound like something Poseidon would snack on, and not a killer algae. Yet Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea poses a serious threat to marine life. Spread by the bilge water of boats, this fast-growing alga is quick to take root, squeezing out native species.	Ballast Water in the Port of Oakland Jul 27 2011 - 1:09pm When people sail the sea, marine organisms tag along. If carried long distances, these hitchhikers can invade and disrupt ecosystems far from their natural homes, pushing out the local species. Some invaders catch a ride by attaching themselves to the sides or bottoms of boats. But many more stow...
Rapa Whelks: Invaders of the Chesapeake Bay Jul 5 2011 - 5:03pm During the summer of 1998, scientists at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science made a series of disturbing discoveries in the Chesapeake Bay. In June, they collected an unusual specimen: a single marine snail that looked similar to some of the bay's native inhabitants but clearly had different...	Make Me Care About: Phragmites (Video) Mar 31 2011 - 1:41pm Dennis Whigham, a senior botanist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, makes his quick pitch for why you should care about the wetland plant Phragmites australis. A European strain of phragmites has established itself in wetlands along the East Coast of the United States.