In 2012, the Council accepted a final report from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center on a survey of bottom-dwelling invasive species in Prince William Sound. Two of the species collected are known to be non-native to Alaska: the bryozoan 'Schizoporella japonica' and the barnacle 'Amphibalanus improvisus'.
The bryozoans had previously been documented in Alaskan waters, however this is thought to be the first time the invasive barnacle has been recorded in Alaska. This barnacle is native to the Atlantic Ocean and is known to be established on the Pacific Coast of North America, occurring as far north as British Columbia. Genetic data confirms that the Alaska specimen is consistent with invasive barnacles in California.
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