Nonindigenous aquatic species and potential spread after Hurricane Maria

This map was created to help assess impacts on nonindigenous aquatic species distributions due to flooding associated with Hurricane Maria. Storm surge and flood events can assist expansion and distribution of nonindigenous aquatic species through the connection of adjacent watersheds, backflow of water upstream of impoundments, increased downstream flow, and creation of freshwater bridges along coastal regions. This map will help natural resource managers determine potential new locations for individual species, or to develop a watch list of potential new species within a watershed. These data include a subset of data from the Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, that fall within the general area of the 2017 Hurricane Maria flooding.