CLIMATE CHANGE AND SPECIES INVASIONS IN AQUATIC SYSTEMS: A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE (CHAOS)

The project will: (1) synthesize historical records on the climate of inland waters, transitional waters, and coastal areas in the Mid-Atlantic Region of North America and in the Mediterranean Europe, identify the animal species introduced to these systems, and analyze these data in conjunction with geographical, ecological, and socio-economic variables; (2) detail, by collecting in situ first-hand information, the synergistic effects of climate change and targeted invasive species on a range of ecosystems and their services for a selected area in North America; and (3) explore, through laboratory-based experiments, the influence of temperature and salinity on biological traits of an invasive crustacean of particular concern for both North America and Europe, the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis. Climate change and invasive species are widely recognized to be pervasive aspects of global change. However, in aquatic systems a synthetic approach that specifically addresses their important interactive and synergistic effects is missing. CHAOS aims at filling this gap in knowledge by strengthening the scientific basis also needed to formulate management recommendations and to develop integrated policies.