DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/jil.23.3.678-687

The Threat of Aquatic Invasive Species: Understanding and Addressing Biological Pollution

Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Indonesia, UI Campus Depok, 16424, Indonesia

Received: 3 Nov 2024; Revised: 5 Apr 2025; Accepted: 17 Apr 2025; Available online: 25 May 2025; Published: 31 May 2025.
Editor(s): Budi Warsito

Citation Format:
Abstract
This review explores the impact of aquatic invasive species as biological pollutants that disrupt ecosystems globally, including in Indonesia. Invasive species often exhibit rapid growth and reproduction due to their adaptive advantages, which, combined with human activities and favorable environmental conditions, accelerate their spread. These species alter the balance of marine and freshwater ecosystems, posing significant challenges for biodiversity conservation and resource management. Various regulatory measures have been implemented internationally, such as the European Union’s blacklist of invasive species and Indonesia’s legislative framework, to prevent their spread. Additionally, remediation techniques like zooremediation, using bivalves to mitigate biological pollutants, have been applied to manage these species. The review also highlights challenges in controlling invasive species, including the need for comprehensive ecosystem assessments and strategies like Top-Down and Bottom-Up modeling for management. Ultimately, a deeper understanding of the invasive species' ecological effects is essential for developing more effective control measures and policies, ensuring the protection of aquatic environments and mitigating the global spread of invasive species.
Fulltext View|Download
Keywords: Aquatic invasive species, Biological pollutants, Ecosystem disruption, Environmental remediation, Invasive species management

Article Metrics:

Article Info
Section: Research Article
Language : EN
Recent articles
Disaster Management on Small Islands; Lessons from Flash Flood Disaster in Rua Village, Ternate Island, Indonesia Implementasi Strategi Penanggulangan Sampah Plastik di Universitas Negeri Semarang: Menuju Green Campus Multi-Criteria Decision Approach: An Evaluation of Coastal Tourism Vulnerability in the Mandalika, Indonesia More recent articles
Most cited articles
KAJIAN DAMPAK KERUSAKAN LINGKUNGAN AKIBAT KEGIATAN PENAMBANGAN PASIR DI DESA KENINGAR DAERAH KAWASAN GUNUNG MERAPI KEARIFAN LOKAL DALAM MELESTARIKAN MATA AIR (Studi Kasus di Desa Purwogondo, Kecamatan Boja, Kabupaten Kendal) TEKNIK BIOREMEDIASI SEBAGAI ALTERNATIF DALAM UPAYA PENGENDALIAN PENCEMARAN AIR Kajian Kualitas Air Laut dan Indeks Pencemaran Berdasarkan Parameter Fisika-Kimia di Perairan Distrik Depapre, Jayapura BIOAKUMULASI LOGAM BERAT TIMBAL (Pb) DAN SENG (Zn) PADA KERANG DARAH (Anadara granosa L.) dan KERANG BAKAU (Polymesoda bengalensis L.) DI PERAIRAN TELUK KENDARI More cited articles
  1. Akmal, S. G., Yonvitner, Yulianda, F., Adrianto, L., & Patoka, J. (2024). Potential spread of invasive crayfish used as life bait by Indonesian anglers. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 29(3), 319–331. https://doi.org/10.1080/10871209.2023.2234394
  2. Albins, M. A. (2015). Invasive Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans reduce abundance and species richness of native Bahamian coral-reef fishes. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 522, 231–243. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11159
  3. Anyaene, I. H., Onukwuli, O. D., Babayemi, A. K., Obiora-Okafo, I. A., & Ezeh, E. M. (2024). Application of Bio Coagulation–Flocculation and Soft Computing Aids for the Removal of Organic Pollutants in Aquaculture Effluent Discharge. Chemistry Africa, 7(1), 455–478. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42250-023-00754-9
  4. Asaeda, T., Senavirathna, M. D. H. J., & Vamsi Krishna, L. (2020). Evaluation of Habitat Preferences of Invasive Macrophyte Egeria densa in Different Channel Slopes Using Hydrogen Peroxide as an Indicator. Frontiers in Plant Science, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.00422
  5. Chan, J., Zeng, Y., & Yeo, D. C. J. (2021). Invasive species trait-based risk assessment for non-native freshwater fishes in a tropical city basin in Southeast Asia. PLoS ONE, 16(3 March). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248480
  6. Chen, Y., Xue, J., Feng, W., Du, J., & Wu, H. (2023). Bloom forming species transported by ballast water under the management of D-1 and D-2 standards—Implications for current ballast water regulations. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.11539
  7. Clark, J. L. (2015). Uncharismatic Invasives. Environmental Humanities, 6, 29–52. www.environmentalhumanities.org
  8. Dadiono, Muh. S. (2023). Invasi Spesies Amphilophus citrinellus Terhadap Ikan Lokal di Perairan Waduk Sanguling. Nekton, 3(2), 116–121. https://doi.org/10.47767/nekton.v3i2.498
  9. Daniel Simberloff, Jean-Louis Martin, Piero Genovesi, Virginie Maris, David A. Wardle, James Aronson, Franck Courchamp, Bella Galil, Emili García-Berthou, Michel Pascal, Petr Pyšek, Ronaldo Sousa, Eric Tabacchi, Montserrat Vilà. (2013). Impacts of biological invasions: what's what and the way forward. Trends in Ecology & Evolution January. 28(1): 58-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2012.07.013
  10. David, M., Gollasch, S., Cabrini, M., Perkovič, M., Bošnjak, D., & Virgilio, D. (2007). Results from the first ballast water sampling study in the Mediterranean Sea - the Port of Koper study. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 54(1), 53–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2006.08.041
  11. Dobaradaran, S., Nabipour, I., Ramavandi, B., Saeedi, R., Spitz, J., Izadi, A., Abedi, E., & Janahmadi, M. (2018). Trace metals in zooplankton from the northern Persian Gulf. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 137, 9–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.10.007
  12. Dobrzycka-Krahel, A., & Medina-Villar, S. (2023). A New Horizon-Scanning Tool to Identify Potential Aquatic Invasive Alien Species Introduced into the Baltic Sea by Shipping. Water (Switzerland), 15(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/w15030531
  13. Duan, C., Yang, M., Wang, Q., Xue, J., Yuan, L., & Wu, H. (2023). Impacts of salinity stress caused by ballast water discharge on freshwater ecosystems. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2023.103079
  14. Durand, S. E., Niespor, R., Ador, A., Govinda, N., Candia, M., & Torres, K. (2020). Ribbed mussel in an urban waterway filters bacteria introduced by sewage. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111629
  15. Elia, A. C., Pastorino, P., Magara, G., Caldaroni, B., Dörr, A. J. M., Esposito, G., Menconi, V., & Prearo, M. (2024). The invasive Sinanodonta woodiana (Bivalvia: Unionidae) as a bioindicator to uncover ecological disturbances: First insights from lake Candia (northwest Italy). Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2024.100376
  16. Fotoohi, E., Mokhtarian, N., & Farahbod, F. (2024). Operational analysis of the biological treatment unit’s ultraviolet-wave disinfection method for wastewater outflow. Applied Water Science, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-023-02088-w
  17. Ganguly, N., & Umapathy, G. (2024). Is it there?—Estimating the invasion of armored sailfin catfish (Pterygoplichthys sp.) in the water bodies of Eastern Ghats, India using the eDNA approach. Environmental DNA, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.538
  18. Gherardi, F. (Ed). 2007. Biological invaders in inland waters: Profiles, distribution, and threats. Springer
  19. Hafidz, A. M., & Vallen, F. sil. (2024). Kehadiran ikan invasif Nila Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Perciformes: cichlidae) di kepulauan Belitung, Indonesia. Jurnal Akuakultur Sungai Dan Danau, 9(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.33087/akuakultur.v9i1.190
  20. Hill, M. P., Coetzee, J. A., Martin, G. D., Smith, R., & Strange, E. F. (2020). Invasive Alien Aquatic Plants in South African Freshwater Ecosystems. In Biological Invasions in South Africa (pp. 97–114). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32394-3_4
  21. Iber, B. T., Torsabo, D., Chik, C. E. N. C. E., Wahab, F., Sheikh Abdullah, S. R., Abu Hassan, H., & Kasan, N. A. (2023). Response Surface Methodology (RSM) Approach to Optimization of Coagulation-Flocculation of Aquaculture Wastewater Treatment Using Chitosan from Carapace of Giant Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Polymers, 15(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15041058
  22. International Maritime Organization. (2004). International convention for the control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments (BWM). http://www.imo.org/about/conventions/listofconventions/pages/international-convention-for-the- control-and-management-of-ships%27-ballast-water-and-sediments-%28bwm%29.aspx
  23. International Maritime Organization (IMO). (2012). International Shipping Facts and Figures - Information Resources on Trade, Safety, Security, Environment. London, U.K, http://www.imo.org
  24. Ismail, N. S., Dodd, H., Sassoubre, L. M., Horne, A. J., Boehm, A. B., & Luthy, R. G. (2015). Improvement of urban lake water quality by removal of escherichia coli through the action of the bivalve anodonta californiensis. Environmental Science and Technology, 49(3), 1664–1672. https://doi.org/10.1021/es5033212
  25. Ismail, S. N., Subehi, L., Mansor, A., & Mashhor, M. (2019). Invasive Aquatic Plant Species of Chenderoh Reservoir, Malaysia and Jatiluhur Reservoir, Indonesia
  26. Karfakis, N., Odysseas K., & Michael M. (2023). The Management of Environment Cost Caused by Ballast Water. Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering. DAVID PUBLISHING, http://doi.otg/10.17265/2162-5298/2023.05.002
  27. Kartamiharja, E. S. & C. Umar. 2006. Struktur dan Kebiasaan Makan Komunitas Ikan di Zona Limnetik Waduk Ir. Djuanda, Jawa Barat. J. Lit. Perikanan Indonesia 12 (3). 159-166
  28. Keller, R. P., Lodge, D. M., & Finnoff, D. C. (2011). Risk assessment for invasive species produces net bioeconomic benefits. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(1), 203-207. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0605787104
  29. Kouba, A., Lipták, B., Kubec, J., Bláha, M., Veselý, L., Haubrock, P. J., Oficialdegui, F. J., Niksirat, H., Patoka, J., & Buřič, M. (2021). Survival, growth, and reproduction: Comparison of marbled crayfish with four prominent crayfish invaders. Biology, 10(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10050422
  30. Krigas, N., Votsi, N. E., Samartza, I., Katsoulis, G., & Tsiafouli, M. A. (2023). Solanum elaeagnifolium (Solanaceae) Invading One in Five Natura 2000 Protected Areas of Greece and One in Four Habitat Types: What Is Next? Diversity, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020143
  31. Kumar, B., Raj, S., & George, S. (2015). Invasion of South American suckermouth armoured catfishes Pterygoplichthys spp. (Loricariidae) in Kerala, India-a case study. Article in Journal of Threatened Taxa. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.1897.6987-6995
  32. Kurtul, I., Tarkan, A. S., Sarı, H. M., Haubrock, P. J., Soto, I., Aksu, S., & Britton, J. R. (2024). Exploring invasiveness and versatility of used microhabitats of the globally invasive Gambusia holbrooki. Science of the Total Environment, 925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171718
  33. Lodge, D. M., Williams, S., MacIsaac, H. J., Hayes, K. R., Leung, B., Reichard, S., Mack, R. N., Moyle, P. B., Smith, M., Andow D. A., Carlton, J. T. & McMichael, A. (2006). Biological invasions: Recommendations for U.S. policy and management. Ecological Applications, 16(6), 2035-2054. https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(2006)016[2035:BIRFUP]2.0.CO;2
  34. Maldonado, M. A., & Martín, P. R. (2019). Dealing with a hyper-successful neighbor: effects of the invasive apple snail Pomacea canaliculata on exotic and native snails in South America. Current Zoology, 65(3), 225–235. https://doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoy060
  35. Marwoto, R. M., Heryanto, H., & Joshi, R. C. (2020). The invasive apple snail Pomacea canaliculata in Indonesia: a case study in Lake Rawa Pening, Central Java. BIO Web of Conferences, 19. https://doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/20201900014
  36. Mccarthyl, S. A., & Khambaty2, F. M. (1994). International Dissemination of Epidemic Vibrio cholerae by Cargo Ship Ballast and Other Nonpotable Waters. In APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY. https://journals.asm.org/journal/aem
  37. Meiners, S. J., Kong, C.-H., Ladwig, L. M., Pisula, N. L., & Lang, K. A. (2012). Developing an ecological context for allelopathy. Plant Ecology, 213(8), 1221–1227. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-012-0078-5
  38. Outinen, O., Bailey, S. A., Casas-Monroy, O., Delacroix, S., Gorgula, S., Griniene, E., Kakkonen, J. E., & Srebaliene, G. (2024). Biological testing of ships’ ballast water indicates challenges for the implementation of the Ballast Water Management Convention. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1334286
  39. Purnama, M. F., & Salwiyah. (2022). Short Communication: Invasive mollusks Melanoides tuberculata, and Achatina fulica in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas, 23(9), 4770–4774. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d230944
  40. P. E. Hulme1, S. Bacher, M. Kenis, S. Klotz, I. Kühn, D. Minchin, W. Nentwig, S. Olenin, V. Panov, J. Pergl, P. Pysek, A. Roques, D. Sol, W. Solarz and M. Vilà. 2008. Grasping at the routes of biological invasions: a framework for integrating pathways into policy. Journal of Applied Ecology. 12 pp. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01442.x
  41. Quintana, Y., Keppeler, F. W., & Winemiller, K. O. (2023). Does invasion by armored catfish shift trophic ecology of native fishes? Evidence from stable isotope analysis. Ecology, 104(5). https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4024
  42. Raj, S., Kumar, A. B., Raghavan, R., & Dahanukar, N. (2020). Amazonian invaders in an Asian biodiversity hotspot: Understanding demographics for the management of the armoured sailfin catfish, Pterygoplichthys pardalis in Kerala, India. Journal of Fish Biology, 96(2), 549–553
  43. Ribeiro, D. M., Coelho, D., Costa, M., Carvalho, D. F. P., Leclercq, C. C., Renaut, J., Freire, J. P. B., Almeida, A. M., & Mestre Prates, J. A. (2024). Integrated transcriptomics and proteomics analysis reveals muscle metabolism effects of dietary Ulva lactuca and ulvan lyase supplementation in weaned piglets. Scientific Reports, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024- 55462-2
  44. Ricciardi, A., Palmer, M. E., & Yan, N. D. (2011). Should biological invasions be managed as natural disasters? BioScience, 61(4), 312-317. https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2011.61.4.11
  45. Sánchez, O., Oficialdegui, F. J., Torralba-Burrial, A., Arbesú, R., Valle-Artaza, J. M., Fernández- González, Á., Ardura, A., & Arias, A. (2024). Procambarus virginalis Lyko, 2017: A new threat to Iberian inland waters. Ecology and Evolution, 14(5). https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11362
  46. Seshagiri, B., Swain, S. K., Pillai, B. R., Satyavati, C., Sravanti, Y., Rangacharyulu, P., Rathod, R., & Ratnaprakash, V. (2021). Suckermouth armoured catfish (Pterygoplichthys spp.) menace in freshwater aquaculture and natural aquatic systems in Andhra Pradesh, India. International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies, 9(1), 375–384. https://doi.org/10.22271/fish.2021.v9.i1e.2423
  47. Sohrabi, S., Vilà, M., Zand, E., Gherekhloo, J., & Hassanpour-bourkheili, S. (2023). Alien plants of Iran: impacts, distribution and managements. Biological Invasions, 25(1), 97–114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-022-02884-6
  48. Strange, E. F., Hill, J. M., & Coetzee, J. A. (2018a). Evidence for a new regime shift between floating and submerged invasive plant dominance in South Africa. Hydrobiologia, 817(1), 349– 362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-018-3506-2
  49. Strange, E. F., Hill, J. M., & Coetzee, J. A. (2018b). Evidence for a new regime shift between floating and submerged invasive plant dominance in South Africa. Hydrobiologia, 817(1), 349– 362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-018-3506-2
  50. Strange, E. F., Landi, P., Hill, J. M., & Coetzee, J. A. (2019). Modeling top-down and bottom-up drivers of a regime shift in invasive aquatic plant stable states. Frontiers in Plant Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00889
  51. Strayer, D. L. (2012). Eight questions about invasions and ecosystem functioning. In Ecology Letters (Vol. 15, Issue 10, pp. 1199–1210). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01817.x
  52. Suwito, W., Winarti, E., Ayu Anggreni Tisnawati, N., Pengkajian Teknologi Pertanian Yogyakarta Jl Stadion Baru Maguwoharjo No, B., Sari, K., Pertanian, D., Kehutanan Kabupaten Sleman, dan, & dr Rajimin, J. (2014). Pencemaran Bakteri dalam Air Sumur di Sekitar Peternakan Sapi Potong di Yogyakarta (Contamination of Bacteria in Well Water Around Beef Cattle Farm in Yogyakarta). ACTA VETERINARIA INDONESIANA, 2(2), 43 48. http://www.journal.ipb.ac.id/indeks.php/actavetindones
  53. Triadi, I., & Joseph, M. G. (2024). Penegakan Hukum Tindakan Memelihara dan Menjual Ikan Hias Spesies Invasif sebagai Langkah Pencegahan Kerusakan Lingkungan Hidup Air Tawar di Indonesia. In Jurnal Hukum dan Administrasi Publik (Vol. 2, Issue 2). https://ejournal.literaaksara.com/index.php/JHAP/index
  54. Umar, C., Kartamihardja, E. S., Aisyah, D., Penelitian, P., Perikanan, P., & Sumberdaya, K. (2015). INVASIVE IMPACT OF RED DEVIL FISH (Amphilophus citrinellus) TO FISH DIVERSITY IN INLAND WATER IN INDONESIA
  55. Vilà, M., Basnou, C., Pyšek, P., Josefsson, M., Genovesi, P., Gollasch, S., Nentwig, W., Olenin, S., Roques, A., Roy, D., Hulme, P. E., Andriopoulos, P., Arianoutsou, M., Bazos, I., Kokkoris, I., Yannitsaros, A., Zikos, A., Augustin, S., Cochard, P. O., … Zagatti, P. (2010). How well do we understand the impacts of alien species on ecosystem services? A pan-European, cross-taxa assessment. In Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment (Vol. 8, Issue 3, pp. 135–144). Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1890/080083
  56. Vogt, G. (2008). The marbled crayfish: A new model organism for research on development, epigenetics and evolutionary biology. In Journal of Zoology (Vol. 276, Issue 1, pp. 1–13). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2008.00473.x
  57. Wan, Z., Chen, J.H., Makhloufi, A.E., Sperling, D., Chen, Y. (2016). Four routes to better maritime governance. Nature 540 (7631), 27–29
  58. Wei, H., Copp, G. H., Vilizzi, L., Liu, F., Gu, D., Luo, D., Xu, M., Mu, X., & Hu, Y. (2017). The distribution, establishment and life-history traits of non-native sailfin catfishes pterygoplichthys spp. In the Guangdong province of China. Aquatic Invasions, 12(2), 241–249. https://doi.org/10.3391/ai.2017.12.2.11
  59. Zalzabil, A. R., Lestari, D. F., Fadillah, S. N., Maharani, R. S., Zulfikri, M. A., Farahdillah, R. E., Zabrina, W. S., Azzachra, S., Lamtiur, S. L. M., Amigunani, Z. W., Cahyati, N. A. D., Nabihah, N., Christy, P. A., Djemadjid, S. P., Nuzulia, S. R., Alfarabi, F. M., Zahrani, S. R., Hasyim, M. W., Sidhiq, M. F., … Madduppa, H. M. (2023). Review of Marine Invasive Species Distribution Pattern in Indonesia. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1251(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1251/1/012063
  60. Zhou, J., Qiu, H., Chen, Y., Ma, X., Yu, G., Hong, Y., & Hu, B. (2024). Fish-mussel-algae-bacteria model remedied eutrophication pollution: Application in Dongxiang district reservoir. Environmental Pollution, 342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123011

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update: 2025-06-24 16:32:15

No citation recorded.