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Pseudamussium peslutrae has a geographical range from southern Iceland and Norway southwards to the western Mediterranean Sea and North Africa. In this study, its biometrics were examined from two collections at mean depths of 353 and 517m from the Rockall continental slope, with only four scallops obtained at depths to 810m. Growth was based on the formation of shell rings, with one specimen having seventeen rings. Associates fouling the shells were classified according to nine taxa.

A Scallop Workshop was held in Baltimore, Ireland from 11th-16th May 1976, organised by the Fisheries Division of the Irish Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Biologists from a number of different countries attended to read papers and to discuss certain topics. The titles of the papers and discussion topics, together with a list of participants, are given in sections 3-5. Scallop shells brought by the participants were aged, and distribution maps of scallops and scallop fisheries were made. A field trip was made to nearby Lough Hyne (Ine), where research into the cultivation of escallops is being conducted by the Fisheries Division. Includes supplementary sheet with additional submitted papers.

The threat posed by invasive non-native species worldwide requires a global approach to identify which introduced species are likely to pose an elevated risk of impact to native species and ecosystems. To inform policy, stakeholders and management decisions on global threats to aquatic ecosystems, 195 assessors representing 120 risk assessment areas across all six inhabited continents screened 819 non-native species from 15 groups of aquatic organisms (freshwater, brackish, marine plants and animals) using the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit. This multi-lingual decision-support tool for the risk screening of aquatic organisms provides assessors with risk scores for a species under current and future climate change conditions that, following a statistically based calibration, permits the accurate classification of species into high-, medium-and low-risk categories under current and predicted climate conditions. The 1730 screenings undertaken encompassed wide geographical areas (regions, political entities, parts thereof, water bodies, river basins, lake drainage basins, and marine regions), which permitted thresholds to be identified for almost all aquatic organismal groups screened as well as for tropical, temperate and continental climate classes, and for tropical and temperate marine ecoregions. In total, 33 species were identified as posing a & lsquo;very high risk & rsquo; of being or becoming invasive, and the scores of several of these species under current climate increased under future climate conditions, primarily due to their wide thermal tolerances. The risk thresholds determined for taxonomic groups and climate zones provide a basis against which area-specific or climate-based calibrated thresholds may be interpreted. In turn, the risk rankings help decision-makers identify which species require an immediate & lsquo;rapid & rsquo; management action (e.g. eradication, control) to avoid or mitigate adverse impacts, which require a full risk assessment, and which are to be restricted or banned with regard to importation and/or sale as ornamental or aquarium/fishery enhancement.(c) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

The sea pea Lathyrus japonicus forms rare intermittent flowering populations on Atlantic coasts of Ireland. These may survive some decades but then probably expire due to coastal erosion. Single non-flowering plants infrequently occur on the high shores of west, south-west and southern coasts. Most of these do not survive winter storms. This study examines the distribution of recently stranded pea seeds and of plastics found on the same shores. In 1992, a small flowering clone was found on the south coast of Ireland. This site was revisited on eleven occasions with counts of plants during its expansion over a period of twenty-nine years. In 2020 transects were supplemented with aerial images to evaluate the distribution and abundance which had increased to some thousands of plants. Despite some human interference and coastal erosion, the population may continue to survive some decades. Evidence based on the distribution of stranded pea seeds and origin of associated plastics, together with ocean currents and predominant wind directions indicate a likely source from the east coast of North America.

The European Union Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 on invasive alien species (IAS) establishes an EU-wide framework for action to prevent, minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and centres around the development of a list of IAS of EU Concern. The initial list of IAS of EU concern will be based on available risk assessments compliant with agreed minimum standards but horizon scanning is seen as critical to inform future updating of the list, in order to prioritise the most threatening new and emerging IAS. A workshop was held with the overarching aim of reviewing and validating an approach to horizon scanning to derive a ranked list of IAS which are likely to arrive, establish, spread and have an impact on biodiversity or related ecosystem services in the EU over the next decade. The agreed horizon scanning approach involved two distinct phases: i) Preliminary consultation between experts within five thematic groups to derive initial scores; ii) Consensus-building across expert groups including extensive discussion on species rankings coupled with review and moderation of scores across groups. The outcome of the horizon scanning was a list of 95 species, including all taxa (except microorganisms) within marine, terrestrial and freshwater environments, considered as very high or high priority for risk assessment Le Règlement de l’Union Européenne (UE) 1143/2014 sur les espèces notices envahissantes (EEE) établit un cadre d’actions à l’échelle européenne pour prévenir, réduire au minimum et atténuer les impacts négatifs des EEE sur la biodiversité, et se concentre sur le développement d’une liste d’EEE de préoccupation européenne. La liste initiale d’EEE de préoccupation européenne est basée sur les analyses de risque disponibles conformes aux standards minimums reconnus. Mais l’horizon scanning est essentiel pour informer les mises à jour futures de la liste, dans le but de prioritiser les EEE nouvelles et émergentes les plus menaçantes. Un workshop a été organisé avec pour but général d’évaluer et de valider une approche d’horizon scanning en vue de produire une liste ordonnée d’EEE susceptibles d’arriver, de s’établir, de se disperser et de présenter un impact sur la biodiversité et les services écosystémiques associés dans l’UE durant la prochaine décennie. L’approche d’horizon scanning avalisée comprenait deux phases distinctes: i) Une consultation préliminaire entre experts au sein de cinq groups thématiques pour produire des scores initiaux ii) L’établissement de consensus au travers des groups d’experts incluant une discussion approfondie sur les classements des espèces, combinée à une évaluation et une modération des scores entre groupes. Le résultat de l’horizon scanning consistait en une liste de 95 espèces, comprenant tous les types taxonomies (excepté des microorganismes) au sein des environnements marins, terrestres et d’eau douce, et considérées comme étant de priorité très élevée à élevée pour la réalisation d’analyses de risque

Dreissenid mussels (including the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha and the quagga mussel D. rostriformis) are among the world’s most notorious invasive species, with large and widespread ecological and economic effects. However, their long-term population dynamics are poorly known, even though these dynamics are critical to determining impacts and effective management. We gathered and analyzed 67 long-term (>10 yr) data sets on dreissenid populations from lakes and rivers across Europe and North America. We addressed five questions: (1) How do Dreissena populations change through time? (2) Specifically, do Dreissena populations decline substantially after an initial outbreak phase? (3) Do different measures of population performance (biomass or density of settled animals, veliger density, recruitment of young) follow the same patterns through time? (4) How do the numbers or biomass of zebra mussels or of both species combined change after the quagga mussel arrives? (5) How does body size change over time? We also considered whether current data on long-term dynamics of Dreissena populations are adequate for science and management. Individual Dreissena populations showed a wide range of temporal dynamics, but we could detect only two general patterns that applied across many populations: (1) Populations of both species increased rapidly in the first 1–2 yr after appearance, and (2) quagga mussels appeared later than zebra mussels and usually quickly caused large declines in zebra mussel populations. We found little evidence that combined Dreissena populations declined over the long term. Different measures of population performance were not congruent; the temporal dynamics of one life stage or population attribute cannot generally be accurately inferred from the dynamics of another. We found no consistent patterns in the long-term dynamics of body size. The long-term dynamics of Dreissena populations probably are driven by the ecological characteristics (e.g., predation, nutrient inputs, water temperature) and their temporal changes at individual sites rather than following a generalized time course that applies across many sites. Existing long-term data sets on dreissenid populations, although clearly valuable, are inadequate to meet research and management needs. Data sets could be improved by standardizing sampling designs and methods, routinely collecting more variables, and increasing support.

The spaghetti bryozoan Amathia verticillata, formerly known as Zoobotryon verticillatum, was first described in 1822 from Naples, Italy, although this species was already present in 1807 at Cadiz, Spain. This ctenostome has long been considered a native species in the Mediterranean Sea but it has recently been suggested to be of Caribbean origin. It is most likely to have been introduced by vessels as hull fouling. This pseudo-indigenous species, i.e. a non-indigenous species (NIS) having been perceived to be native, has been found in several marinas and harbours within the Mediterranean Sea. In November 2014, this bryozoan species was abundant in the La Grande Motte marina on the south coast of France. Several thousand colonies were estimated to be present within this marina attached to the floating pontoon units that supported a floating boardwalk. Of the berthed craft examined, 31% were fouled with this species, and it was occasionally a prominent fouling species. Several macroinvertebrate species were associated with A. verticillata colonies, including some NIS, Paracerceis sculpta, Paranthura japonica and Caprella scaura, that are recorded for the first time from the Mediterranean coast of France. A. verticillata might support their transfer elsewhere by providing a habitat and substrate when attached to vessel hulls., El briozoo espagueti Amathia verticillata, anteriormente conocido como Zoobotryon verticillatum, fue descrito por primera vez en 1822 en Nápoles, Italia, aunque esta especie ya estaba presente en 1807 en Cádiz, España. Este ctenostomado ha sido considerado por mucho tiempo como una especie nativa del Mar Mediterráneo, pero se ha sugerido recientemente que es originario del Caribe. Es probable que haya sido introducido incrustado en los cascos de los barcos. Esta especie pseudoindígena, es decir, una especie introducida que ha sido percibida como nativa, se ha encontrado en varios puertos comerciales y deportivos del Mar Mediterráneo. En noviembre de 2014, esta especie de briozoo era abundante en el puerto deportivo de La Grande Motte en la costa sur de Francia. Se estimaron varios miles de colonias presentes en este puerto, adheridas a las unidades de pontones flotantes que sostienen el paseo marítimo flotante. El treinta y uno por ciento de los barcos atracados, examinados en el puerto deportivo, estaban incrustados con esta especie, cuyo aspecto algunas veces fue una sola incrustación prominente. Varias especies de macroinvertebrados se asociaron con las colonias del A. verticillata, incluyendo algunas especies introducidas que se registran por primera vez en la costa Mediterránea de Francia: Paracerceis sculpta, Paranthura japonica y Caprella scaura. Este briozoo podría ayudar a la transferencia de diferentes macroinvertebrados a otros lugares, pues proporciona un hábitat y un substrato cuando está adherido a los cascos de los barcos.

Didemnum vexillum Kott (2002) is a high-impact, globally-invasive, colonial tunicate species that is native to Japan (Lambert, 2009; Stefaniak et al., 2012). It is generally a temperate cold-water organism, and its introduced range currently includes New Zealand, the Netherlands, France, Ireland, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and both the west and east coasts of the United States and Canada (Lambert, 2009; Stefaniak et al., 2012; Tagliapietra et al., 2012; Ordóñez et al., 2015, Vercaemer et al., 2015). Like other invasive tunicates, D. vexillum has the capacity to reproduce rapidly, outcompete native species, deteriorate environmental integrity, and cause significant economic harm (Lambert, 2005; Blum et al., 2007; Daniel and Therriault, 2007; Langyel et al., 2009; Cordell et al., 2013). For these reasons, this document aims to increase awareness of D. vexillum, with a focus on identification, natural history, current global distribution, potential impacts, and prospects for management and control where introductions occur.

MCCIP Science Review 2017, 47-61

MCCIP Science Review 2013, 155-166

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) (MSFD) requires that the European Commis-sion (by 15 July 2010) should lay down criteria and methodological standards to allow consistency in approach in evaluating the extent to which Good Environmental Status (GES) is being achieved. ICES and JRC were contracted to provide scientific support for the Commission in meeting this obligation. A total of 10 reports have been prepared relating to the descriptors of GES listed in Annex I of the Directive. Eight reports have been prepared by groups of independent experts coordinated by JRC and ICES in response to this contract. In addition, reports for two descriptors (Contaminants in fish and other seafood and Marine Litter) were written by expert groups coordinated by DG SANCO and IFREMER respectively. A Task Group was established for each of the qualitative Descriptors. Each Task Group consisted of selected experts providing experience related to the four marine regions (the Baltic Sea, the North-east Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea) and an appropriate scope of relevant scientif-ic expertise. Observers from the Regional Seas Conventions were also invited to each Task Group to help ensure the inclusion of relevant work by those Conventions. This is the report of Task Group 2 Non-indigenous Species., JRC.DDG.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resources

International audience

The Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2001) is the most authoritative assessment of global climate change to date. Produced by several hundred leading scientists in various areas of climate studies, its principal conclusions include the following: • Global average temperature has increased by 0.6 ± 0.2°C since 1860 with accelerated warming apparent in the latter decades of the 20th century. A further increase of 1.5–6.0°C from 1990 to 2100 is projected, depending on how emissions of greenhouse gases increase over the period. • The 20th century was the warmest of the last millennium in the Northern Hemisphere, with the 1990s being the warmest decade and 1998 the warmest year. Warming has been more pronounced at night than during the day. • Reductions in the extent of snow cover of 10% have occurred in the past 40 years, with a widespread retreat also of mountain glaciers outside the polar regions. Sea-ice thickness in the Arctic has declined by about 40% during late summer/early autumn, though no comparable reduction has taken place in winter. In the Antarctic, no similar trends have been observed. One of the most serious impacts on global sea level could result from a catastrophic failure of grounded ice in West Antarctica. This is, however, considered unlikely over the coming century. • Global sea level has risen by 0.1–0.2 m over the past century, an order of magnitude larger than the average rate over the past three millennia. A rise of approximately 0.5 m is considered likely during the period 1990–2100. • Precipitation has increased over the land masses of the temperate regions by 0.5–1.0% per decade. Frequencies of more intense rainfall events appear to be increasing also in the Northern Hemisphere. In contrast, decreases in rainfall over the tropics have been observed, though this trend has weakened in recent years. More frequent warm-phase El Niño events are occurring in the Pacific Basin. Precipitation increases are projected, particularly for winter, for middle and high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere and for Antarctica. • No significant trends in the tropical cyclone climatology have been detected. These global trends have implications for the future course of Ireland’s climate which it is judicious to anticipate. This report presents an assessment of the magnitude and likely impacts of climate change in Ireland over the course of the current century. It approaches this by establishing scenarios for future Irish climate based on global climate model projections for the middle and last quarter of the present century. These projections are then used to assess probable impacts in key sectors such as agriculture, forestry, water resources, the coastal and marine environments and on biodiversity. The purpose of the report is to firstly identify where vulnerability to climate change exists in Ireland and what adjustments are likely in the operation of environmental systems in response to such changes. In some sectors, e.g. agriculture, some new opportunities may arise. In other instances, e.g. water resource management, long-term planning strategies will be necessary to mitigate adverse impacts. Long lead times for adjustment characterise many sectors, e.g. forestry, and it is important to provide as much advance warning of likely changes as possible to enable adaptation to commence early. By anticipating change it may be possible to minimise adverse impacts and to maximise positive aspects of global climate change.

The European Union (EU) has recently published its first list of invasive alien species (IAS) of EU concern to which current legislation must apply. The list comprises species known to pose great threats to biodiversity and needs to be maintained and updated. Horizon scanning is seen as critical to identify the most threatening potential IAS that do not yet occur in Europe to be subsequently risk assessed for future listing. Accordingly, we present a systematic consensus horizon scanning procedure to derive a ranked list of potential IAS likely to arrive, establish, spread and have an impact on biodiversity in the region over the next decade. The approach is unique in the continental scale examined, the breadth of taxonomic groups and environments considered, and the methods and data sources used. International experts were brought together to address five broad thematic groups of potential IAS. For each thematic group the experts first independently assembled lists of potential IAS not yet established in the EU but potentially threatening biodiversity if introduced. Experts were asked to score the species within their thematic group for their separate likelihoods of i) arrival, ii) establishment, iii) spread, and iv) magnitude of the potential negative impact on biodiversity within the EU. Experts then convened for a 2-day workshop applying consensus methods to compile a ranked list of potential IAS. From an initial working list of 329 species, a list of 66 species not yet established in the EU that were considered to be very high (8 species), high (40 species) or medium (18 species) risk species was derived. Here, we present these species highlighting the potential negative impacts and the most likely biogeographic regions to be affected by these potential IAS.

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