Partnering to improve early detection of marine pest threats

Marine pests

• Significant environmental, economic and social impacts

• Can travel long distances as biofouling or in ballast water

• Can travel long distances on floating debris

= an un-manageable pathway

• Once established are extremely difficult to eradicate

Prevention and early detection and intervention provide the best chance for control or eradication

Marine pest prevention and preparedness

project

• Move from responsive management to proactive protection

• Improve marine biosecurity capability and capacity in Queensland

• Key deliverables:

‒ Education and awareness

‒ Marine pest emergency response exercise

‒ Port-based marine pest surveillance pilot program

Queensland ports marine pest surveillance

pilot program

• Started out as a concept for development at one port

• Queensland port authorities all wanted to be involved

• Now implementing the program at:

‒ Brisbane – Port of Brisbane

‒ Gladstone – Gladstone Ports Corporation

‒ Mackay – North Queensland Bulk Ports

‒ Townsville – Port of Townsville

‒ Cairns – Ports North

Pilot program development

• WA State-wide Array Surveillance Program (SWASP)

• Traditional methods v modern molecular approach

Molecular techniques‒ No need for visual taxonomic identification‒ Robust, easier, faster, cheaper, safer‒ More accurate - able to detect cryptic species, small life-stages and species in low abundance‒ Ability to detect species earlier

• Worked closely with WA colleagues and Qld port authorities

• Ports expectations for the program

‒ Simple‒ Effective‒ Scalable/Adaptable – not overly prescriptive‒ Achievable‒ Affordable

Target speciesSpecies Habitat

Colonising substrate

SpawnPlanktoniclarval stage

Asian green musselPerna viridis

Mid-intertidal to subtidal

Any artificialsurfaces

Annually 14-21 d (2-3 w)

Asian bag mussel Arcuatula senhousia

Intertidal to 20 m

Softsediments, hard substrates

Autumn 45-55 d (6-7 w)

Black-striped mussel Mytilopsis sallei

Shallow & intertidal

Vertical surfaces

Autumn/ winter

Few days only

Brown mussel Perna perna

Subtidal & lowshoreline

Hard rocky substrates

Winter 10-12 d (1-2 w)

Chinese mitten crabEriocheir sinensis

River banks & shallowcoast

Muddysediments

Autumn/ winter. Eggs hatch in summer

Zoea 2-8 weeks

Harris’ mud crab Rhithropanopeusharrisii

Subtidalestuaries

Shelteredstructures, sandy/muddy

Summer 16 d (2 w)

Japanese seaweed Undaria pinnatifidia

Tidal zone to 15 m

Any hard surface

Spring/ Summer

11-43 d (2-6 w)

Target speciesSpecies Habitat

Colonising substrate

SpawnPlanktoniclarval stage

Asian green musselPerna viridis

Mid-intertidal to subtidal

Any artificialsurfaces

Annually 14-21 d (2-3 w)

Asian bag mussel Arcuatula senhousia

Intertidal to 20 m

Softsediments, hard substrates

Autumn 45-55 d (6-7 w)

Black-striped mussel Mytilopsis sallei

Shallow & intertidal

Vertical surfaces

Autumn/ winter

Few days only

Brown mussel Perna perna

Subtidal & lowshoreline

Hard rocky substrates

Winter 10-12 d (1-2 w)

Chinese mitten crabEriocheir sinensis

River banks & shallowcoast

Muddysediments

Autumn/ winter. Eggs hatch in summer

Zoea 2-8 weeks

Harris’ mud crab Rhithropanopeusharrisii

Subtidalestuaries

Shelteredstructures, sandy/muddy

Summer 16 d (2 w)

Japanese seaweed Undaria pinnatifidia

Tidal zone to 15 m

Any hard surface

Spring/ Summer

11-43 d (2-6 w)

Target speciesSpecies Habitat

Colonising substrate

SpawnPlanktoniclarval stage

Asian green musselPerna viridis

Mid-intertidal to subtidal

Any artificialsurfaces

Annually 14-21 d (2-3 w)

Asian bag mussel Arcuatula senhousia

Intertidal to 20 m

Softsediments, hard substrates

Autumn 45-55 d (6-7 w)

Black-striped mussel Mytilopsis sallei

Shallow & intertidal

Vertical surfaces

Autumn/ winter

Few days only

Brown mussel Perna perna

Subtidal & lowshoreline

Hard rocky substrates

Winter 10-12 d (1-2 w)

Chinese mitten crabEriocheir sinensis

River banks & shallowcoast

Muddysediments

Autumn/ winter. Eggs hatch in summer

Zoea 2-8 weeks

Harris’ mud crab Rhithropanopeusharrisii

Subtidalestuaries

Shelteredstructures, sandy/muddy

Summer 16 d (2 w)

Japanese seaweed Undaria pinnatifidia

Tidal zone to 15 m

Any hard surface

Spring/ Summer

11-43 d (2-6 w)

Surveillance methodologiesSettlement arrays

‒ Targets settling species‒ 2 - 4 arrays per port‒ 8 plates per array and spat ropes‒ 2 month soak time

Plankton tows‒ Captures early life stages and non-settling species‒ Captures living biota and fragments of organisms DNA‒ Concentrates samples from large volumes of water

Shoreline searches‒ Focused on known deposition sites

Two seasonal surveillance events

Port specific considerations

• Surveillance site selection‒ Proximity to high risk vectors‒ Access/Security‒ Ease of deployment and retrieval‒ Safety

• Environmental conditions‒ Currents‒ Tides‒ Shelter from physical disturbance

• Resources‒ People and time‒ Financial

Molecular detection

• DNA‒ Biofouling on plates or plankton‒ Detect cryptic species and species at low abundance‒ Detect specimens too small to identify visually‒ DNA is relatively stable

• Environmental DNA (eDNA)‒ Plankton tows‒ Detect cryptic species and species at low abundance‒ Detect any life stage of a species (that may not

be detected using other traditional methods)‒ Samples more sensitive to degradation

(preservation and handling important) DNA barcoding

Laboratory

DNA eDNA

Molecular diagnostic techniques

qPCR

‒ Rapid and cost effective‒ Identifies targeted species only‒ Highly specific and sensitive

detection‒ Cheaper than metabarcoding‒ Limited suppliers with validated

marine pest assays

Metabarcoding

‒ Uses next generation sequencing (NGS)‒ Provides DNA sequences for all organisms in

the sample‒ Enables screening for more species – not

just target species‒ Requires reference library of sequences‒ Provides rapid biodiversity assessment‒ Can’t always get resolution to species level

Molecular diagnostics - considerations• Sample integrity – quantity of DNA in sample, collection and preservation methods

• Limited research on detection rates and optimal sampling methods for marine pest surveillance

• Commercial laboratories with capability are scarce

• Application of techniques to new geographical locations involves some risk

• Closely related species may interfere – requires validated genetic sequence libraries

Approach in the event of a positive detection

• A positive detection does not signify incursion but indicates risk

• A stepwise, triage approach will be adopted for interpretation of results

• Follow-up investigations may be required

• “No-panic” response

Marine Biosecurity – Get on board

Looking beyond the pilot project

• The program will be reviewed, refined and improved

• A consistent and coordinated approach to marine pest monitoring for Queensland ports

• Port operators have the capability to continue marine pest surveillance activities

• Marine biosecurity becomes part of business as usual for port operators

• Marine pest biosecurity will be jointly delivered and managed to achieve best outcomes

• Reduced risk of potentially devastating impacts from invasive marine pests

Acknowledgements

• Carolyn Trewin – Biosecurity Queensland• Paul Doyle – North Queensland Bulk Ports/Queensland Ports Association • Dr Justin McDonald – WA DPIRD• Dan Pedersen – Pilbara Ports• Craig Wilson and Nadene Perry – Port of Brisbane• Megan Ellis – Gladstone Ports Corporation• Melinda Louden and Alana Obrien – Port of Townsville• Nicola Stokes and Kevin Kane – North Queensland Bulk Ports• Adam Fletcher – Ports North

Thank you