Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Marine Ecosystem Ecology
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1416546

Invasion and ecological impact of the biofouling tube worm Hydroides elegans (Polychaeta: Serpulidae) in Korean coastal waters

Provisionally accepted
Sang Lyeol Kim Sang Lyeol Kim Ok Hwan Yu Ok Hwan Yu *
  • Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan, Republic of Korea

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Biofouling, the colonization of submerged surfaces by organisms including microorganisms, plants, algae, and animals, involves both natural and artificial environments. The serpulid worm Hydroides elegans (Haswell, 1883), known as an invasive species in global port areas, creates extensive aggregations of calcareous tubes. In 2019, H. elegans was found attached to the research vessel ISABU in Korea, and a phylogenetic analysis was conducted to identify the species and determine its genetic characteristics. Following its detection, mesocosm experiments with plastic panels (PP, PE, PET, and EPS) were undertaken to investigate its recruitment and adaptation processes within new ecosystems. During the 12-week experiment, the biomass of H. elegans increased on all plastic types, significantly contributing to the overall biomass accumulation. This invasive species has replaced the previously prevalent native species Hydroides ezoensis, achieving dominance over other taxonomic groups in biomass. These findings demonstrate the significant ecological disruptions caused by non-indigenous species introduced through maritime activities, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced preventative and monitoring strategies

    Keywords: Biofouling, Tube worm, non-indigenous species, Biodiversity, ecological

    Received: 12 Apr 2024; Accepted: 25 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Kim and Yu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ok Hwan Yu, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan, Republic of Korea

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.