Ecological Risk Screening Summary - Colored Lagoon Cockle (Monodacna colorata) - High Risk

Species that are considered high risk have a well-documented history of invasiveness in at least one location globally, and a high or medium climate match to the contiguous United States.

Monodacna colorata, Colored Lagoon Cockle, is a mollusk that is native to the Black Sea basin. This bivalve can tolerate fresh and brackish water and can be found in muddy and sandy substrates. It has been introduced to the Caspian Sea basin and Lake Balkhash in Kazakhstan. The introduction in Lake Balkhash is associated with changes in phytoplankton and benthic biomass and communities. The History of Invasiveness for Monodacna colorata is classified as High. The climate matching analysis for the contiguous United States indicates establishment concern. The Southeast and West Coast had low climate matches. Areas east of the Rocky Mountains, through the Midwest and into the Northeast had medium to high matches. The Certainty of Assessment is classified as Low due to the inaccessibility of information regarding the species and gaps in the distribution information used for the climate matching analysis. The Overall Risk Assessment Category for Monodacna colorata in the contiguous United States is High.