Kathryn A. O'SHaughnessy

The pathways by which non-native species are introduced and spread shape the rate and geographic patterns of biological invasions. They can be classified as primary, where species cross jurisdictional or biogeographic boundaries, or secondary, where they move within those boundaries after introduction. Despite economic, political, social, and ecological differences between these pathway types, most classification schemes and regulatory frameworks do not explicitly distinguish between them. Primary pathways are relatively well-defined and subject to biosecurity regulation, while secondary pathways remain poorly characterized and largely overlooked in policy and practice. Secondary pathways create multiple nodes from which species spread, complicating containment. Here we refine the distinction between primary and secondary pathways and explore how failing to recognize this distinction can limit the effectiveness of biosecurity systems, particularly by leaving secondary pathways inadequately addressed. Distinguishing between primary and secondary pathways can improve control responses, strengthen cross-scale coordination, reduce economic damage, and support global biodiversity targets.

Marine biofouling – the colonization of submerged surfaces by organisms such as bacteria, algae, and barnacles, forming complex attached communities (Lewis 1998; Callow and Callow 2002) – is a pers...

Background: The presence of artificial structures in our marine environments is increasing rapidly, with negative impacts for biodiversity. Greening of grey infrastructure (GGI) - an eco-engineering method applied to the marine context - aims to increase the ecological value of traditional grey infrastructure, while still allowing it to perform its primary human-centric function. GGI is a rapidly increasing field of research, being tested and implemented worldwide by academics, private practitioners, governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), amongst others, using a variety of methods. Outcomes vary widely, and results are communicated across a range of peer-reviewed and grey literature, rendering the evidence base for the effectiveness of GGI fragmented. To inform future decision-making regarding GGI application, it is critical to consolidate and evaluate existing research. To do so, we propose a systematic review and meta-analysis that will answer the following primary question: “What are the effects of GGI interventions applied to marine structures on the diversity, abundance, biomass, composition, and functional diversity of species on or around these ecologically enhanced structures?”. Additionally, we will answer a series of secondary questions relating to intervention type, material use, geographic variations and other relevant associated variables. Methods: This systematic review will follow the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence Guidelines and Standards for Evidence Synthesis in Environmental Management. Using a defined search string, literature searches will be run in English in at least five databases, three repositories and 10 websites, gathering both peer-reviewed and grey literature. Returns will be screened at title, abstract, and full text levels against defined inclusion criteria. Relevant metadata and effect data will be extracted from each study and used to write a narrative review and, where data allow, a meta-analysis of quantified effects. This review will provide a robust, up to date, consolidated and evaluated evidence base to inform future decision-making regarding the implementation of greening of grey infrastructure methods.

Prevention of non-native species introductions and establishment is essential to avoid adverse impacts of invasive species in marine environments. To identify potential new invasive species and inform non-native species management options for the northern Gulf of Mexico (Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas), 138 marine species were risk screened for current and future climate conditions using the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit. Species were risk-ranked as low, medium, high, and very high risk based on separate (calibrated) thresholds for fishes, tunicates, and invertebrates. In the basic screening, 15 fishes, two tunicates, and 26 invertebrates were classified as high or very high risk under current climate conditions. Whereas, under future climate conditions, 16 fishes, three tunicates, and 33 invertebrates were classified as high or very high risk. Very high risk species included: California scorpionfish Scorpaena guttata, red scorpionfish Scorpaena scrofa, purple whelk Rapana venosa, and Santo Domingo false mussel Mytilopsis sallei under both current and future climates, with weedy scorpionfish Rhinopias frondosa, Papuan scorpionfish Scorpaenopsis papuensis, daggertooth pike conger Muraenesox cinereus, yellowfin scorpionfish Scorpaenopsis neglecta, tassled scorpionfish Scorpaenopsis oxycephalus, brush-clawed shore crab Hemigrapsus takanoi, honeycomb oyster Hyotissa hyotis, carinate rock shell Indothais lacera, and Asian green mussel Perna viridis under climate change conditions only. This study provides evidence to inform trans-boundary management plans across the five Gulf of Mexico states to prevent, detect, and respond rapidly to new species arrivals.

In response to the environmental damage caused by urbanization, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are being implemented to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem processes with mutual benefits for society and nature. Although the field of NbS is flourishing, experiments in different geographic locations and environmental contexts have produced variable results, with knowledge particularly lacking for the subtidal zone. This study tested the effects of physical complexity on colonizing communities in subtidal habitats in two urban locations: (1) Plymouth, United Kingdom (northeast Atlantic) and (2) Tel Aviv, Israel (eastern Mediterranean) for 15- and 12-months, respectively. At each location, physical complexity was manipulated using experimental tiles that were either flat or had 2.5 or 5.0 cm ridges. In Plymouth, biological complexity was also manipulated through seeding tiles with habitat-forming mussels. The effects of the manipulations on taxon and functional richness, and community composition were assessed at both locations, and in Plymouth the survival and size of seeded mussels and abundance and size of recruited mussels were also assessed. Effects of physical complexity differed between locations. Physical complexity did not influence richness or community composition in Plymouth, while in Tel Aviv, there were effects of complexity on community composition. In Plymouth, effects of biological complexity were found with mussel seeding reducing taxon richness, supporting larger recruited mussels, and influencing community composition. Our results suggest that outcomes of NbS experiments are context-dependent and highlight the risk of extrapolating the findings outside of the context in which they were tested.