Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2017

Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster V12

Invasion of the Atlantic rock crab in Icelandic waters: current knowledge 11 years after first observation

Höfundar / Authors: Ó. Sindri Gíslason (1,2,3) Snæbjörn Pálsson (2), Jörundur Svavarsson (2), Niall J. McKeown (4), Jónas P. Jónasson (5), Paul Shaw (4), Halldór P. Halldórsson (1)

Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: 1. The University of Iceland´s Research Centre in Suðurnes, 2. University of Iceland 3. 3 The Southwest Iceland Nature Research Centre (SINRC), 4. Aberystwyth University, 5.Marine and freshwater Research Institute

Kynnir / Presenter: Sindri Gíslason

The Atlantic rock crab was first recorded in Hvalfjörður, Southwest Iceland, in 2006. The introduction was most likely via ballast water no later than in 1998 or 1999. Its finding in Icelandic waters is very interesting, not least due to the fact that this is the first time the species has been found outside its native range, which lies along the east coast of North America, from South Carolina in the south to Labrador in the north.
Our results show that the rock crab is now the most common crab species on soft bottom substrates in Southwest Iceland, found in density up to 0,5 crabs/m2. Its dispersal along the coastline has been very rapid and today the rock crab is found along 70% of the coastline, i.e. from Faxaflói Bay in Southwest Iceland to Eyjafjörður in North Iceland. The genetic variation of the rock crab was analyzed both within its native range in North America and in Icelandic waters. This is the first time genetic variation has been studied within the species. The results show that the genetic variation in Iceland is similar to that in North America. A clear genetic split was also observed among the populations south and north of Nova Scotia, which can likely be traced back to events following the last glacial maximum.
The colonization and distribution of the rock crab in Icelandic waters has progressed rapidly and it appears to be thriving. High genetic variation, the apparent lack of founder effects, rapid distribution, and high density of larvae and adults suggests that the species is thriving in Icelandic waters and is here to stay.