Aquatic invasive species: general trends in the literature and introduction to the special issue

Invasion rates are increasing worldwide and most are due to the actions of humans. Deliberate introductions, escapes, and hitchhiking with global commerce transport species to other continents. While most species fail to thrive or have minor impacts on their new ecosystems, the large number of introductions has led to numerous problems. Aquatic invasive species are particularly pervasive and may cause food web disruption, biodiversity loss, and economic harm. Biological invasions appear in an increasing number of publications in the aquatic and general ecology literature. This special issue of Hydrobiologia includes 31 papers on aquatic invasive species and the factors that influence their dispersal and success, along with their impacts. Ecosystems include freshwater ponds, lakes and reservoirs, small streams and large rivers, and coastal marine systems. Study regions occur in temperate, as well as less-studied tropical and sub-tropical regions of four different continents. We discuss the dynamics of invasive species research in the current literature and provide a brief overview of the contributions to this issue.