Distribution and population characteristics of the alien talitrid amphipod Orchestia cavimana in relation to environmental conditions in the Northeastern Baltic Sea

The talitrid amphipods were found for the first time in the Northeastern Baltic Sea in 1999. Orchestia cavimana inhabited damp wracks cast up on shore within a 200 m area of Saaremaa Island. In the following year, the species expanded its range to a few kilometres. In 2002, six additional locations of O. cavimana were found in Saaremaa Island and two locations in the Northwestern part of Estonia. Abundances and biomasses were highest in the first year of the invasion. In the following years, the values stabilized on remarkably lower levels. Population characteristics of the species varied significantly between locations. The average biomass and abundance were 9 g dw m⁻² and 1975 ind m⁻², respectively. Wrack biomass and interaction between wrack biomass and exposure were the best predictors of the abundances and biomasses of O. cavimana. Humidity explained additional variability in biomasses. The size structure of the population of O. cavimana was mostly related to humidity and wrack biomass. The Southern coast of the Baltic Sea may be regarded as the initial donor region for the Estonian populations of O. cavimana. The vector of this invasion is most likely related to the natural dispersal of the drifting algae but human activities as a transport vector can not be excluded. The incredible speed of the invasion of O. cavimana and its high biomasses indicate that the species will very likely extend its distribution along the coast of the Northeastern Baltic Sea in the following years.