The Mitten Crab Recording Project was one year old on 25th September. As a result of the project there are 140 verified reports in the system, which is also the most confirmed sightings for any species in the Recording Invasive Species Counts (RISC) programme.
The dataset is now available via the NBN Gateway and features on the home page map news this month.
The records were collected through the Recording Invasive Species Counts project and the ALERT system which was launched in 2010 as a partnership between the NBN, Biological Records Centre and associated recording schemes and societies. The Chinese Mitten Crab, Wakame and Carpet Sea Squirt data was collated in conjunction with the Marine Biological Association. RISC is embedded within the GB-Non Native Species Information Portal alongside species selected as ALERT for which online records allow for rapid notification to the Non-Native Species Secretariat. RISC was established to raise awareness of invasive non-native species and to increase distribution data for a selection of species considered to meet a number of criteria which ensured their suitability for recording by the public. Increasing the availability of distribution data is an important component of the Non-Native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain.
The data is collected by members of the public reporting their sightings through an online recording form (powered by Indicia). The records are generally casual observations but might also result from a systematic survey of a water body or surrounding locality. Records submitted with a photograph are verified by a designated expert and only these records are included within the dataset.
Image courtesy of Stephan Gollasch