Invasive non‐native species likely to threaten biodiversity and ecosystems in the Antarctic Peninsula region

The Antarctic is considered to be a pristine environment relative to other regions of the Earth, but it is increasingly vulnerable to invasions by marine, freshwater and terrestrial non‐native species. The Antarctic Peninsula region (APR), which encompasses the Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands and South Orkney Islands, is by far the most invaded part of the Antarctica continent. The risk of introduction of invasive non‐native species to the APR is likely to increase with predicted increases in the intensity, diversity and distribution of human activities. Parties that are signatories to the Antarctic Treaty have called for regional assessments of non‐native species risk. In response, taxonomic and Antarctic experts undertook a horizon scanning exercise using expert opinion and consensus approaches to identify the species that are likely to present the highest risk to biodiversity and ecosystems within the APR over the next 10 years. One hundred and three species, currently absent in the APR, were identified as relevant for review, with 13 species identified as presenting a high risk of invading the APR. Marine invertebrates dominated the list of highest risk species, with flowering plants and terrestrial invertebrates also represented; however, vertebrate species were thought unlikely to establish in the APR within the 10 year timeframe. We recommend (a) the further development and application of biosecurity measures by all stakeholders active in the APR, including surveillance for species such as those identified during this horizon scanning exercise, and (b) use of this methodology across the other regions of Antarctica. Without the application of appropriate biosecurity measures, rates of introductions and invasions within the APR are likely to increase, resulting in negative consequences for the biodiversity of the whole continent, as introduced species establish and spread further due to climate change and increasing human activity

The National Early Warning Score and its subcomponents recorded within ±24 hours of emergency medical admission are poor predictors of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury

YesBackground: Hospital-acquired Acute Kidney Injury (H-AKI) is a common cause of avoidable morbidity and mortality. Aim: To determine if the patients’ vital signs data as defined by a National Early Warning Score (NEWS), can predict H-AKI following emergency admission to hospital. Methods: Analyses of emergency admissions to York hospital over 24-months with NEWS data. We report the area under the curve (AUC) for logistic regression models that used the index NEWS (model A0), plus age and sex (A1), plus subcomponents of NEWS (A2) and two-way interactions (A3). Likewise for maximum NEWS (models B0,B1,B2,B3). Results: 4.05% (1361/33608) of emergency admissions had H-AKI. Models using the index NEWS had the lower AUCs (0.59 to 0.68) than models using the maximum NEWS AUCs (0.75 to 0.77). The maximum NEWS model (B3) was more sensitivity than the index NEWS model (A0) (67.60% vs 19.84%) but identified twice as many cases as being at risk of H-AKI (9581 vs 4099) at a NEWS of 5. Conclusions: The index NEWS is a poor predictor of H-AKI. The maximum NEWS is a better predictor but seems unfeasible because it is only knowable in retrospect and is associated with a substantial increase in workload albeit with improved sensitivity.The Health Foundatio

Natural dispersal of the introduced Asian clam Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774) (Cyrenidae) within two temperate lakes

The Asian clam Corbicula fluminea has spread rapidly through western Europe and was first recorded in Ireland in 2010. Since then it has been found within four different river catchments including four localities along Ireland’s largest river, the Shannon. While three of these Shannon occurrences may have been due to introductions with angling equipment or leisure craft, subsequent expansions will have resulted from natural spread. The dispersal of this clam within two temperate lakes of > 100 km2 was examined over a six year period to the autumn of 2016. Downriver and down lake water flow and currents generated by wind result in young clams being distributed by means of a byssal dragline that would appear to explain the distributions obtained

Data from: Penk et al 2016 Journal of Animal Ecology

<p>Experimental energy budgets of <em>Hemimysis anomala</em> and <em>Mysis salemaai</em>, and Lough Derg (Shannon, Ireland) temperatures</p

Biosecurity implications of the highly invasive carpet sea-squirt didemnum vexillum kott, 2002 for a protected area of global significance

Loch Creran on the west coast of Scotland supports the most expansive reefs of the serpulid (Serpula vermicularis) in the world. It also supports flame shell (Limaria hians) and horse mussel (Modiolus modiolus) reefs, thereby ensuring this loch received designation as a European Special Area of Conservation in 2005. In 2015, environmental DNA of the invasive, non-native colonial tunicate Didemnum vexillum, which has a worldwide distribution, was detected in Loch Creran. Didemnum vexillum was confirmed as being present at an oyster farm in the sea loch, using the cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI), following rapid intertidal and dive surveys in early September 2016. The abundance and distribution range assessment carried out at the farm indicated an early-stage D. vexillum invasion. The follow up dive surveys and wider loch intertidal surveys carried out in 2017 and 2018 confirmed that the D. vexillum presence continues to be associated exclusively with the oyster farm. This is the first time that such a highly invasive species has been found within a protected area of global significance and it has significant biosecurity and policy implications regarding how to manage such invasive species

Rapid expansion and facilitating factors of the Ponto-Caspian invader Dikerogammarus villosus within the eastern Baltic Sea

Dikerogammarus villosus, an amphipod of Ponto-Caspian origin, has recently and rapidly spread along Baltic coastal lagoons and estuaries. By 2016 it had invaded Russian (Kaliningrad region), Lithuanian and Latvian waters, but was not recorded from Estonian waters. This species has a discontinuous distribution suggesting a “jump” was involved in its dispersal. A classification tree and GLM analyses confirm such an observed distribution pattern and suggest productivity of the environment, distance to the nearest lagoon/river mouth and distance to the nearest port/marina were the most influential explanatory variables of its distribution. Our data indicates this rapid east and northward expansion is very likely due to vessel transport, which would account for the “jump” dispersal. Other vectors facilitating further spread are almost certainly acting at a local scale such as overland transportation of vessels, movements of diving gear, drifting mats of algae, macrophytes and flotsam, as well as natural spread. We predict the “killer shrimp” will soon appear within the entire Gulf of Riga and the Gulf of Finland, and also expand up-rivers of the eastern Baltic Sea. Following the species expansion, alterations and changes to macroinvertebrate assemblages in invaded areas can be expected

Strayer_etal_dreissena_fig1_data

File contains the data used in Fig. 1 of the main pape

strayer_etal_dreissena_figsS1+S2+S3

this file contains the data used to produce Figures S1, S2, and S3 in Supplementary Material

strayer_etal_dreissena_figS11

this file contains the data used to produce Figure S11 in Supplementary Material