Area of Expertise:
Dr. Josie Iacarella is an aquatic ecologist interested in the effects of anthropogenic stressors on biotic communities. Her research primarily focuses on the spread and impacts of non-native species. She studies how human activities transport species assemblages, and how impacts of non-native species vary with abiotic and biotic invasion contexts. Dr. Iacarella has also evaluated how other sources of human disturbance mediate biodiversity and predator-prey dynamics of aquatic communities.
As a Research Scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Josie is evaluating pathways of 1700+ vessels that moved across the coast of British Columbia and surrounding waters during 2016 to determine the strength of connections between invasion hotspots and marine conservation areas. Suitable habitat models for several marine invaders will be used to determine the additive and cumulative risk of invasion from biofouled vessels and suitable habitat within conservation areas.
As a Postdoctoral Fellow with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Josie assessed the movement of floating infrastructure (e.g. docks, fishing lodges) as a vector of secondary spread of biofouling marine invasive species. Floating infrastructure is heavily fouled, and when towed to new areas, may facilitate the spread of invasive species such as green crabs and tunicates.
Select Presentation(s) / Publication(s):
Iacarella, J.C., Davidson, I.C. & Dunham, A. 2018. Biotic exchange from movement of ‘static’ maritime structures. Biological Invasions, published online. PDF
Iacarella, J.C., Adamczyk, E., Bowen, D., Chalifour, L., Eger, A., Heath, W., Helms, S., Hessing-Lewis, M., Hunt, B.P.V., MacInnis, A., O’Connor, M.I., Robinson, C.L.K., Yakimishyn, J. & Baum, J.K. Anthropogenic disturbance homogenizes seagrass fish communities. Global Change Biology 24: 1904-1918. PDF
Iacarella, J.C., Barrow, J.L., Giani, A., Beisner, B.E. & Gregory-Eaves, I. 2018. Shifts in algal dominance in freshwater experimental ponds across differing levels of macrophytes and nutrients. Ecosphere 9: e02086. PDF
Iacarella, J.C., Hudgins, E.J., Dick, J.T.A. & Ricciardi, A. 2018. Predatory behaviour of an invasive amphipod in response to varying conspecific densities under higher-order predation risk. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 75: 131-140. PDF
Ricciardi, A., Blackburn, T., Carlton, J.T., Dick, J.T.A., Hulme, P.E., Iacarella, J.C., Jeschke, J.M., Liebhold, A.M., Lockwood, J.L., MacIsaac, H.J., Pyšek, P., Richardson, D.M., Ruiz, G.M., Simberloff, D., Sutherland, W.J., Wardle, D.A. & Aldridge, D.C. 2017. Invasion science: Looking forward rather than revisiting old ground. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 32: 809-810.
Ricciardi, A., Blackburn, T., Carlton, J.T., Dick, J.T.A., Hulme, P.E., Iacarella, J.C., Jeschke, J.M., Liebhold, A.M., Lockwood, J.L., MacIsaac, H.J., Pyšek, P., Richardson, D.M., Ruiz, G.M., Simberloff, D., Sutherland, W.J., Wardle, D.A. & Aldridge, D.C. 2017. Invasion science: a horizon scan of emerging challenges and opportunities. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 32: 464-474. PDF
Church, K., Iacarella, J.C. & Ricciardi, A. 2017. Aggressive interactions between two invasive species: the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) and the spinycheek crayfish (Orconectes limosus). Biological Invasions 19: 425. PDF
Iacarella, Josephine C.; Baum, Julia K.;Establishing a BC eelgrass monitoring network for assessment of fish diversity along environmental and human disturbance gradients” (2016). Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. 35. https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2016ssec/habitat/35/
