Invasive Amphipod Dynamics in Freshwater Ecosystems

Invasive amphipods, notably species originating from the Ponto-Caspian region, have emerged as influential drivers of change in freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Their success is underpinned by broad salinity tolerance, rapid life-history strategies and high dispersal potential via shipping corridors and water-management infrastructure. Once established, these amphipods can alter benthic community composition, disrupt trophic interactions and modify key ecosystem processes such as detritus breakdown, nutrient cycling and organic matter retention. Interactions with other stressors, including climate-driven temperature increases and novel pathogens, may exacerbate impacts, creating feedback loops that further destabilise native assemblages. The global significance of these invasions lies in their capacity to reduce biodiversity, impair water-quality services and challenge conservation and management frameworks. Integrated monitoring, early-warning systems and targeted control measures are essential to mitigate ongoing spread and safeguard ecosystem resilience.

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Invasive Amphipod Dynamics in Freshwater Ecosystems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in invasive amphipod dynamics in freshwater ecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Euryhaline: Able to tolerate a wide range of salinities, from fresh to brackish water.

Functional redundancy: The extent to which multiple species perform similar roles within an ecosystem, buffering against functional loss.

Bioconcentration: Uptake and accumulation of chemical substances from the surrounding water into an organism’s tissues.

Detritus shredding: The mechanical fragmentation of dead organic matter by consumers, facilitating decomposition and nutrient release.

References

1. Twenty-eight years of ecosystem recovery and destabilisation: Impacts of biological invasions and climate change on a temperate river. The Science of The Total Environment (2023).
2. Mechanistic modeling of the bioconcentration of (super)hydrophobic compounds in Hyalella azteca. Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2023).
3. Neocosmopolitan distributions of invertebrate aquatic invasive species due to euryhaline geographic history and human-mediated dispersal: Ponto-Caspian versus other geographic origins. Ecological Processes (2023).
4. Biological Invasions Affect Resource Processing in Aquatic Ecosystems: The Invasive Amphipod Dikerogammarus villosus Impacts Detritus Processing through High Abundance Rather than Differential Response to Temperature. Biology (2023).