The global social-economic dimension of biological invasions by plankton: Grossly underestimated costs but a rising concern for water quality benefits?

• Published in: Water research (Oxford) 2022-08, Vol.222, p.118918-118918, Article 118918
• Main Authors: Macêdo, Rafael L., Franco, Ana Clara S., Kozlowsky-Suzuki, Betina, Mammola, Stefano, Dalu, Tatenda, Rocha, Odete
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alien plankton; Ecosystem services; InvaCost; Monetary loss; Non-native; Pelagic invaders
• ISSN: 0043-1354; 1879-2448
• DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118918

•Globally, sixteen invasive holoplanktonic taxa cost US$5.8 billion up to 2020.•Costs peaked in 1995 and unexpectedly decreased throughout the 21st century.•95% of these costs resulted from impacts on the fishery sector.•The absence of cost reports of invasive meroplankton implies gross overlooked costs.•Impact assessments of invasive plankton on water quality and biodiversity are urgent. Planktonic invasive species cause adverse effects on aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, these impacts are often underestimated because of unresolved taxonomic issues and limited biogeographic knowledge. Thus, it is pivotal to start a rigorous quantification of impacts undertaken by planktonic invasive species on global economies. We used the InvaCost database, the most up-to-date database of economic cost estimates of biological invasions worldwide, to produce the first critical assessment of the economic dimension of biological invasions caused by planktonic taxa. We found that in period spanning from 1960 to 2021, the cumulative global cost of plankton invasions was US$ 5.8 billion for permanent plankton (holoplankton) of which viruses encompassed nearly 93%. Apart from viruses, we found more costs related to zooplankton (US$ 297 million) than to the other groups summed, including myco- (US$ 73 million), phyto- (43 million), and bacterioplankton (US$ 0.7 million). Strikingly, harmful and potentially toxic cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates are completely absent from the database. Furthermore, the data base showed a decrease in costs over time, which is probably an artifact as a sharp rise of novel planktonic alien species has gained international attention. Also, assessments of the costs of larval meroplanktonic stages of littoral and benthic invasive invertebrates are lacking whereas cumulative global cost of their adults stages is high up to US$ 98 billion billion and increasing. Considering the challenges and perspectives of increasing but unnoticed or neglected impacts by plankton invasions, the assessment of their ecological and economic impacts should be of high priority. [Display omitted]