Judith Pederson

Alien species and other notable records from a rapid assessment survey of marinas on the south coast of England

Arenas, F., Bishop, J.D.D., Carlton, J.T., Dyrynda, P.J., Farnham, W.F., Gonzalez, D.J., Jacobs, M.W., Lambert, C., Lambert, G., Nielsen, S.E., Pederson, J.A., Porter, J.S., Ward, S., Wood, C.A. (2006). Alien species and other notable records from a rapid assessment survey of marinas on the south coast of England. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 86, (6), 1329-1337. Sponsorship: National Science Foundation grant IOB 0407527; Esme Fairbairn Foundation ALIENS project

The Asian red seaweed Grateloupia turuturu (Rhodophyta) invades the Gulf of Maine.

We report the invasion of the Gulf of Maine, in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, by the largest red seaweed in the world, the Asian Grateloupia turuturu. First detected in 1994 in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, south of Cape Cod, this alga had expanded its range in the following years only over to Long Island and into Long Island Sound. In July 2007 we found Grateloupia in the Cape Cod Canal and as far north (east) as Boston, Massachusetts, establishing its presence in the Gulf of Maine. Grateloupia can be invasive and may be capable of disrupting low intertidal and shallow subtidal seaweeds. The plants broad physiological tolerances suggest that it will be able to expand possibly as far north as the Bay of Fundy. We predict its continued spread in North America and around the world, noting that its arrival in the major international port of Boston may now launch G. turuturu on to new global shipping corridors.

Rapid Assessment Surveys of Fouling and Introduced Seaweeds in the Northwest Atlantic

Abstract Rapid assessment surveys of fouling seaweed populations were conducted at 67 sites between Downeast Maine and Staten Island, New York during August of 2000, 2003, and 2005, plus July–August of 2007. A total of 126 taxa were recorded, including 29 Chlorophyceae, 31 Phaeophyceae, 55 Rhodophyceae, four Cyanophyceae, one Xanthophyceae, and six macroscopic colonial diatoms (Bacillariophyceae). Several species were fast-growing nuisance organisms (e.g., Ulva spp.), while seven were introduced taxa. Four introduced species originated from Asia either directly or secondarily (Codium fragile subsp. fragile, Grateloupia turuturu, Neosiphonia harveyi, and Bonnemaisonia hamifera), two were from Europe (Lomentaria clavellosa and L. orcadensis), and one from the North Pacific (Melanosiphon intestinalis). Neosiphonia harveyi was the most widely distributed introduced taxon, occurring at 48 sites (71.6%), while L. clavellosa and L. orcadensis were only found at 3 sites (4.5%). Repeated observations (i.e., 2000, 2003, and 2007) at three sites in Massachusetts documented a recent rapid expansion of the invasive red alga G. turuturu into the Gulf of Maine through the Cape Cod Canal. The numbers of taxa per site were highest between Maine and Massachusetts (28–42 taxa) and lowest (1–13 taxa) in southern New England and New York, presumably because of increased loading of various pollutants within Long Island Sound and near New York City. The highest mean (± SD) number of taxa per state was recorded in New Hampshire (28.8 ± 8.0) and the lowest in Rhode Island (7.1 ± 3.6). The green and red algae exhibited peak numbers in New Hampshire (i.e. 9.0 ± 3.1 and 11.6 ± 5.1), while brown algae were maximal in New Hampshire (8.2 ± 1.1) and Maine (7.8 ± 3.4) and much lower in Connecticut (1.0 ± 1), Rhode Island (1.1 ± 2.9), and New York (1.2 ± 1.0). Fifty-four species were limited to 1–3 sites (1.5–4.7%), while only 7 occurred at > 50% of the sites. The most ubiquitous seaweeds included three opportunistic green algae (U. intestinalis, U. lactuca, and Blidingia minima), two perennial browns (Fucus vesiculosus and Ascophyllum nodosum), and the introduced Asiatic red alga, N. harveyi. Thirty-six taxa were restricted to individual states (31.3%), with Massachusetts exhibiting the highest number of unique taxa (17 or 14.8%) and Connecticut and New York the lowest (one taxon each or 0.9%). Massachusetts also had the highest number of total and mean shared species (86 and 43.3 ± 10.7, respectively), while Connecticut had the opposite pattern (18 total and 15.0 ± 7.5 shared taxa). Cheneys floristic ratio indicated that seaweeds restricted to the north of the Cape Cod Canal formed a cold-water flora, while those limited to the south of the Canal were somewhat less boreal. Most taxa from each state were annuals and exhibited cosmopolitan local distributional patterns, occurring in both open coastal and estuarine sites.

Habitat Observed from the Decks of Fishing Vessels

Abstract From the decks of their boats, commercial fishers observe target species, habitat, prey, and changes through time to the environment. Their observations, perceptions, and impressions are colored by their values, culture, and interactions with other fishers. Fishers who are at sea every day hold a vast amount of knowledge; however, their information is considered anecdotal. Motivated by the need to describe essential fish habitat using all available data and information, we surveyed fishers to identify records and other documentation of their observations. Through surveys and focus group meetings, we collected information on fishing gear, seasons and years of fishing experience, types of fish caught, and general observations. We also asked fishers if they kept records of their findings and if they would share that information with fisheries managers. Most fishers indicated they kept some type of record, and 68% were willing to share that information with managers. Another 30% indicated they might ...

Remote identification of the invasive tunicate Didemnum vexillum using reflectance spectroscopy

Benthic coverage of the invasive tunicate Didemnum vexillum on Georges Bank is largely unknown. Monitoring of D. vexillum coverage is vital to understanding the impact this invasive species will have on the productive fishing grounds of Georges Bank. Here we investigate using reflectance spectroscopy as a method for remote identification of D. vexillum. Using two different systems, a NightSea Dive-Spec and a combination of LED light sources with a hyperspectral radiometer, we collected in-situ measurements of reflectance from D. vexillum colonies. In comparison to reflectance spectra of other common benthic substrates, D. vexillum appears to have a unique spectral signature between 500 and 600 nm. Measuring the slope of the spectrum between these wavelengths appears to be the most robust method for spectral identification. Using derivative analysis or principal component analysis, the reflectance spectra of D. vexillum can be identified among numerous other spectra of common benthic substrates. An optical system consisting of a radiometer, light source, and camera was deployed on a remotely operated vehicle to test the feasibility of using reflectance to assess D. vexillum coverage. Preliminary results, analyzed here, prove the method to be successful for the areas we surveyed and open the way for its use on large-scale surveys.

Marine bioinvasions: patterns, processes and perspectives

Introduction. Assessing the ecological impacts of an introduced seastar: the importance of multiple methods D.J. Ross, C.R. Johnson, C.L. Hewitt. Native species vulnerability to introduced predators: testing an inducible defense and a refuge from predation W.L. Whitlow, N.A. Rice, C. Sweeney. Biotic resistance experienced by an invasive crustacean in a temperate estuary C.E. Hunt, S.B. Yamada. Alteration to microbial community composition and changes in decomposition associated with an invasive intertidal macrophyte D.R. Hahn. Ecological and economic implications of a tropical jellyfish invader in the Gulf of Mexico W.M. Graham, D.L. martin, D.L. Felder, V.L. Asper, H.M. Perry. Rapid evolution of an established feral telapia (Oreochromis spp.): the need to incorporate invasion science into regulatory structures B.A. Costa-Pierce. Estuarine and scalar patterns of invasion in the soft-bottom benthic communities of the San Francisco Estuary H. Lee II, B.Thompson, S. Lowe. History of aquatic invertebrate invasions in the Caspian Sea I.A. Grigorovich, T.W. Therriault, H.J. MacIasaac. Biological control of marine invasive species: cautionary tales and land-based lessons D. Secord. Did biological control cause extinction of the coconut moth, Levuana iridescens, in Fiji? A.M. Kuris. Instructions for Authors.