Exotic Species

Office of Technology Assessment Report to Congress in 1993 found:

•

•> 4,500 species of foreign origin have established free-living US populations

•> 205 species arrived since 1980, and

•59 of these are expected to cause economic or environmental damage

•>Pest-controls costs will approach $100

• billion


	First, the US Congress recognized the problem and had their own staff compile a report. This is very good report but it stated that information on harmful nonindigenous species was scattered, obscure, and highly variable in quality and scientific rigor. The effects of many species have never been studied. With poor documentation as the report stated, the magnitude of the problem has probably been underestimated. So we are doing are part to help improve the knowledge base of at least the aquatic end of the exotic spectrum.
	Some species like the African honey bee, the fire ant, and more recently the West Nile virus are a human health risk. While others like the Melaleuca tree and the zebra mussel threaten widespread disruption of ecosystems by displacing native plants and animals.