RAS 2014 Non-Native Species Rapid Assessment Surveys in English Marinas

This report describes the current distribution of NNS in marinas on the coast of S England, comparing it to data from previous surveys from 2009/10. The data is of relevance to monitoring and pathway management obligations under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSDF) and to assessing the feasibility of granting exemptions under the Ballast Water Management Convention. The information will be of value to government departments, non-departmental public bodies, environmental charities and other organizations concerned with environmental policy and management of NNS

The first UK records of the purple fan-worm, Bispira polyomma Giangrande & Faasse, 2012 (Annelida: Sabellidae

The sabellid polychaete Bispira polyomma Giangrande & Faasse, 2012 was found during summer–autumn 2021 in substantial numbers in two adjacent marinas in Plymouth, SW England. These are apparently the first UK reports, coming over a decade after the species’ discovery and description, as a presumed non-native, in the SW Netherlands. Further morphological details of the species and notes on variation between individuals are provided. It seems probable that records of Bispira fabricii in Le Havre commencing in 2010, and at other sites on the French north coast, also relate to B. polyomma. An apparent association with marinas and ports suggests roles for recreational boats and commercial shipping in the dispersal of this species

Comprehensive Reassessment of NNS in Welsh marinas

Invasive non-native species constitute one of the leading threats to natural ecosystems and biodiversity, and also impose an economic cost on a range of human enterprises, including aquaculture and leisure boating. This project aimed to update the distribution of marine non-native species (NNS) in Wales, provide training and improved resources for key stakeholders in identification of NNS, and give guidance on biosecurity measures and recording schemes. Rapid assessment surveys (RAS) were carried out at 15 marinas from Conwy to Cardiff, providing detailed current distributions of 20 non-native species along the Welsh coast; this data is of relevance to the establishment of baselines for MSFD monitoring of Good Environmental Status. The most significant observations were the arrival of the kelp Undaria pinnatifida in N and S Wales, and the ongoing colonisation of additional sites by species already present, in particular the sea squirts Corella eumyota and Asterocarpa humilis, and the tube-worm Ficopomatus enigmaticus

Prudent female allocation by modular hermaphrodites: female investment is promoted by the opportunity to outcross in cyclostome bryozoans

Many sessile, suspension-feeding marine invertebrates mate by spermcasting: aquatic sperm are spawned and gathered by conspecific individuals to fertilize eggs that are generally retained during development. In two phylogenetically distant examples, a cheilostome bryozoan and an aplousobranch ascidian, the receipt of allosperm has previously been shown to alter sex allocation by triggering female investment in eggs and brooding. Here we report experiments demonstrating that two species of cyclostome bryozoan also show restrained female investment in the absence of mating opportunity. In Tubulipora plumosa, the production of female zooids and progeny is much reduced in reproductive isolation. In Filicrisia geniculata, development of distinctive female zooids (gonozooids) begins but halts in the absence of mating opportunity, and no completed gonozooids or progeny result. Reduced female investment in the absence of a mate thus occurs in at least two orders of Bryozoa, but significant differences in detail exist and the evolutionary history within the phylum of the mechanism(s) by which female investment is initiated might be complex. The broadening taxonomic spectrum of examples where female investment appears restrained until allosperm becomes available may signify a general adaptive strategy among outcrossing modular animals, analogous to similarly adaptive sex allocation typical of many flowering plants

Contrasting global genetic patterns in two biologically similar, widespread and invasive Ciona species (Tunicata, Ascidiacea)

Human-mediated dispersal interplays with natural processes and complicates understanding of the biogeographical history of species. This is exemplified by two invasive tunicates, Ciona robusta (formerly Ciona intestinalis type A) and C. intestinalis (formerly Ciona intestinalis type B), globally distributed and sympatric in Europe. By gathering new mitochondrial sequences that were merged with published datasets, we analysed genetic patterns in different regions, with a focus on 1) their sympatric range and 2) allopatric populations in N and S America and southern Europe. In the sympatric range, the two species display contrasting genetic diversity patterns, with low polymorphism in C. robusta supporting the prevalent view of its recent introduction. In the E Pacific, several genetic traits support the non-native status of C. robusta. However, in the NE Pacific, this appraisal requires a complex scenario of introduction and should be further examined supported by extensive sampling efforts in the NW Pacific (putative native range). For C. intestinalis, Bayesian analysis suggested a natural amphi-North Atlantic distribution, casting doubt on its non-native status in the NW Atlantic. This study shows that both natural and human-mediated dispersal have influenced genetic patterns at broad scales; this interaction lessens our ability to confidently ascertain native vs. non-native status of populations, particularly of those species that are globally distributed

Distribution of the invasive bryozoan Schizoporella japonica in Great Britain and Ireland and a review of its European distribution

The bryozoan Schizoporella japonica Ortmann (1890) was first recorded in European waters in 2010 and has since been reported from further locations in Great Britain (GB) and Norway. This paper provides a new earliest European record for the species from 2009, a first record from Ireland and presence and absence records from a total of 231 marinas and harbours across GB, Ireland, the Isle of Man, France and Portugal. This species is typically associated with human activity, including commercial and recreational vessels, aquaculture equipment, and both wave and tidal energy devices. It has also been observed in the natural environment, fouling rocks and boulders. The species has an extensive but widely discontinuous distribution in GB and Ireland. Although found frequently in marinas and harbours in Scotland, it inhabits only a few sites in England, Wales and Ireland, interspersed with wide gaps that are well documented as genuine absences. This appears to be a rare example of a southward-spreading invasion in GB and Ireland. The species has been reported from the Isle of Man and Norway but has not been found in France or Portugal. In the future we expect S. japonica to spread into suitable sections of the English, Welsh and Irish coasts, and further within Europe. The species’ capability for long-distance saltatory spread and potential for negative impact on native ecosystems and economic activity suggests that S. japonica should now be considered invasive in GB and Ireland. As such, it is recommended that biosecurity procedures alongside effective surveillance and monitoring should be prioritised for regions outside the species’ current distribution