Recent expansion of the slipper limpet population (Crepidula fornicata) in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel (Western Channel, France)

Abstract

A population of the invasive slipper limpet (Crepidula fornicata) has been spreading in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel (Western English Channel) for 40 years. Sidescan sonar, underwater video and quantitative sampling were conducted in 1996 and 2004 to document the widening geographic spread of the species over the bay. The limpet population grew by 50% during this period, to reach a fresh biomass of about 150 000 t. This local study analyses causes and effects of the spread and provides a typical example of the limpet spreading process. This population increase has significant effects on the environment in the most densely colonized area (modification to the sediment and biodiversity), leading to the emergence of a new benthic community. Anthropic dredging activities are among the causative factors of the spread but are also adversely affected by the invasion. © 2009 EDP Sciences.