The Expansion of Perna viridis Towards South Brazil: Bridging the Gap With Traditional Scientific Surveys and Citizen Science

Abstract

In a world of constant change, biodiversity monitoring proves essential for the conservation of native species. Many of these changes are linked to the introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS), which alter ecosystem structure and community dynamics and directly impact native species. New records of NIS are often obtained through traditional scientific surveys. However, citizen science has provided significant insights into species distributions through volunteer observations by individuals outside of academia. Successful platforms for citizen science, such as iNaturalist, have revolutionised spatial and temporal understanding of biodiversity. Recently, the Green Mussel (Perna viridis), a NIS, was recorded in the states of Paraná, Rio de Janeiro and Ceará, Brazil. Nevertheless, there were no official records for other states along the Brazilian coast. This study aimed to use traditional scientific methods in conjunction with citizen science to update the distribution status of this species. Using traditional scientific surveys, one record of P. viridis was documented in the municipality of São Vicente, São Paulo state, while 42 records were obtained through iNaturalist, spanning the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina. As a result, our study filled the distribution gap for this NIS along the southern Brazilian coast, highlighting the importance of citizen science in monitoring such species. Early detection of NIS is crucial for successful management, emphasising the utility of using non-traditional methods in biological invasion studies.