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Marine Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) are animals and plants introduced accidently or deliberately into the European seas, originating from other seas of the globe. About 800 marine non-indigenous species (NIS)currently occur in the European Union national marine waters, several of which have negative impacts on marine ecosystem services and biodiversity. Under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) Descriptor 2 (D2), EU Member States (MSs) need to consider NIS in their marine management strategies. The Descriptor D2 includes one primary criterion (D2C1: new NIS introductions), and two secondary criteria (D2C2 and D2C3). The D2 implementation is characterized by a number of issues and uncertainties which can be applicable to the Descriptor level (e.g. geographical unit of assessment, assessment period, phytoplanktonic, parasitic, oligohaline NIS, etc.), to the primary criterion D2C1 level (e.g. threshold values, cryptogenic, questionable species, etc), and to the secondary criteria D2C2 and D2C3. The current report tackles these issues and provides practical recommendations aiming at a smoother and more efficient implementation of D2 and its criteria at EU level. They constitute a solid operational output which can result in more comparable D2 assessments among MSsand MSFD regions/subregions. When it comes to the policy-side, the current report calls for a number of different categories of NIS to be reported in D2 assessments, pointing the need for the species to be labelled/categorised appropriately in the MSFD reporting by the MSs. These suggestions are proposed to be communicated to the MSFD Working Group of Good Environmental Status (GES) and subsequently to the Marine Strategy Coordination Group (MSCG) of MSFD. Moreover, they can serve as an input for revising the Art. 8 Guidelines.

Marine Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) are animals and plants introduced accidently or deliberately into the European seas, originating from other seas of the globe. About 800 marine non-indigenous species (NIS) currently occur in the European Union national marine waters, several of which have negative impacts on marine ecosystem services and biodiversity. Under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) Descriptor 2 (D2), EU Member States (MSs) need to consider NIS in their marine management strategies. The Descriptor D2 includes one primary criterion (D2C1: new NIS introductions), and two secondary criteria (D2C2 and D2C3). The D2 implementation is characterized by a number of issues and uncertainties which can be applicable to the Descriptor level (e.g. geographical unit of assessment, assessment period, phytoplanktonic, parasitic, oligohaline NIS, etc.), to the primary criterion D2C1 level (e.g. threshold values, cryptogenic, questionable species, etc), and to the secondary criteria D2C2 and D2C3. The current report tackles these issues and provides practical recommendations aiming at a smoother and more efficient implementation of D2 and its criteria at EU level. They constitute a solid operational output which can result in more comparable D2 assessments among MSs and MSFD regions/subregions. When it comes to the policy-side, the current report calls for a number of different categories of NIS to be reported in D2 assessments, pointing the need for the species to be labelled/categorised appropriately in the MSFD reporting by the MSs. These suggestions are proposed to be communicated to the MSFD Working Group of Good Environmental Status (GES) and subsequently to the Marine Strategy Coordination Group (MSCG) of MSFD. Moreover, they can serve as an input for revising the Art. 8 Guidelines.

Marine Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) are animals and plants introduced accidently or deliberately into the European seas, originating from other seas of the globe. About 800 marine non-indigenous species (NIS) currently occur in the European Union national marine waters, several of which have negative impacts on marine ecosystem services and biodiversity. Under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) Descriptor 2 (D2), EU Member States (MSs) need to consider NIS in their marine management strategies. The Descriptor D2 includes one primary criterion (D2C1: new NIS introductions), and two secondary criteria (D2C2 and D2C3). The D2 implementation is characterized by a number of issues and uncertainties which can be applicable to the Descriptor level (e.g. geographical unit of assessment, assessment period, phytoplanktonic, parasitic, oligohaline NIS, etc.), to the primary criterion D2C1 level (e.g. threshold values, cryptogenic, questionable species, etc), and to the secondary criteria D2C2 and D2C3. The current report tackles these issues and provides practical recommendations aiming at a smoother and more efficient implementation of D2 and its criteria at EU level. They constitute a solid operational output which can result in more comparable D2 assessments among MSs and MSFD regions/subregions. When it comes to the policy- side, the current report calls for a number of different categories of NIS to be reported in D2 assessments, pointing the need for the species to be labelled/categorised appropriately in the MSFD reporting by the MSs. These suggestions are proposed to be communicated to the MSFD Working Group of Good Environmental Status (GES) and subsequently to the Marine Strategy Coordination Group (MSCG) of MSFD. Moreover, they can serve as an input for revising the Art. 8 Guidelines.

The area around Shoal of Jabuka, 2300 m west of Jabuka Islet (central Adriatic Sea), has rarely been investigated for macroalgae. The most historical research was done during the 1950s. Comparison and supplementation historical data with our preliminary studies demonstrate that this area has a unique composition, a large number of species and high biomass of macroalgae. Our research was carried out in September 2016 and May 2017. Samples were collected along transects in NE-SW direction by scuba diving up to 35 m deep. From the samples collected in the fall, we identified 171 taxa. Biomass was dominated by the populations of Fucales (Cystoseira spp. and Sargassum spp.). Dense vegetation of infralittoral algae reached up to 40 m deep. Four taxa of Cystoseira and two of Sargassum was recorded. In the whole Mediterranean, including the Adriatic, there has been a recent decline and disappearance of these species due to anthropogenic impact, overgrazing of sea urchins, native and alien herbivorous fish. All Cystoseira species that were found on the Shoal of Jabuka are listed on the list of protected species in Annex II (Barcelona Convention). Among them, we identified very rare species such as Cystoseira jabukae and Sargassum hornschuchii. Natura 2000 network doesn’t include the Shoal of Jabuka in any category of protection. The large number, density and specific composition of macrobenthic flora, would serve in the evaluation of this area as a unique area and hotspot of biodiversity for macroalgae in the Adriatic Sea.

U ovom istraživanju obrađena je skupina mnogočetinaša na području Kaštelanskog zaljeva, a posebno je analizirana porodica Syllidae s obzirom na njenu osjetljivost na antropogene utjecaje. Uzorkovanje algi i beskralješnjaka obavljeno je ronjenjem na sedam postaja na području zaljeva u zajednicama algi, na dubinama do 1 metra. Postaje su bile pod različitim antropogenim utjecajima kao što su kanalizacijski ispusti, brodogradilište te tvornica cementa. Referentna postaja nalazila se izvan zaljeva. Na svakoj postaji sakupljeno je pet replikata s površine 20 cm x 20 cm. Ukupno je sakupljeno 2211 jedinki mnogočetinaša, od čega su bile 663 jedinke iz porodice Syllidae. Iz ove je porodice određeno 25 vrsta. Ove vrste su poznate po iznimnoj osjetljivosti na antropogene utjecaje, pa je u području istraživanja s obzirom na različite antropogene pritiske analizirana prostorna rasprostranjenost i broj vrsta. Dobiveni rezultati (prostorna rasprostranjenost i broj vrsta porodice Syllidae) pokazali su se kao dobar indikator stanja okoliša u Kaštelanskom zaljevu. Broj vrsta i broj jedinki iz porodice Syllidae značajno je smanjen u područjima pod antropogenim utjecajem, u blizini brodogradilišta, tvornica ili naselja.

Family: Molpadiidae Molpadia musculus Risso, 1826

Family: Sclerodactylidae Pseudothyone raphanus (D��ben & Koren, 1846) Pseudothyone sculponea Cherbonnier, 1958, Published as part of Despalatovi��, Marija, Cvitkovi��, Ivan & ��uljevi��, Ante, 2017, Checklist of the echinoderm fauna of the Adriatic Sea, pp. 101-116 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 109, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1064560

Family: Brissidae Brissopsis atlantica mediterranea Mortensen, 1913 Brissopsis lyrifera (Forbes, 1841) Brissus unicolor (Leske, 1778), Published as part of Despalatovi��, Marija, Cvitkovi��, Ivan & ��uljevi��, Ante, 2017, Checklist of the echinoderm fauna of the Adriatic Sea, pp. 101-116 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 107, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1064560

Family: Ophiomyxidae Ophiomyxa pentagona (Lamarck, 1816)

Family: Arbaciidae Arbacia lixula (Linnaeus, 1758) Arbaciella elegans Mortensen, 1910, Published as part of Despalatovi��, Marija, Cvitkovi��, Ivan & ��uljevi��, Ante, 2017, Checklist of the echinoderm fauna of the Adriatic Sea, pp. 101-116 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 106, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1064560

Family: Gorgonocephalidae Astrospartus mediterraneus (Risso, 1826), Published as part of Despalatovi��, Marija, Cvitkovi��, Ivan & ��uljevi��, Ante, 2017, Checklist of the echinoderm fauna of the Adriatic Sea, pp. 101-116 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 105, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1064560

Family: Amphilepididae Amphilepis norvegica (Ljungman, 1865), Published as part of Despalatovi��, Marija, Cvitkovi��, Ivan & ��uljevi��, Ante, 2017, Checklist of the echinoderm fauna of the Adriatic Sea, pp. 101-116 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 105, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1064560

Family: Cidaridae Cidaris cidaris (Linnaeus, 1758) Stylocidaris affinis (Philippi, 1845), Published as part of Despalatovi��, Marija, Cvitkovi��, Ivan & ��uljevi��, Ante, 2017, Checklist of the echinoderm fauna of the Adriatic Sea, pp. 101-116 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 106, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1064560

Family: Myriotrochidae Prototrochus geminiradiatus (Salvini-Plawen, 1972)

Family: Trigonocidaridae Genocidaris maculata A. Agassiz, 1869, Published as part of Despalatovi��, Marija, Cvitkovi��, Ivan & ��uljevi��, Ante, 2017, Checklist of the echinoderm fauna of the Adriatic Sea, pp. 101-116 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 106, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1064560

Family: Amphiuridae Acrocnida brachiata (Montagu, 1804) Amphiura (Amphiura) grandisquama Lyman, 1869 Amphiura cherbonnieri Guille, 1972 Amphiura chiajei Forbes, 1843 Amphiura filiformis (O.F. M��ller, 1776) Amphiura mediterranea Lyman, 1882 Amphiura (Ophiopeltis) securigera (D��ben & Koren, 1846) Amphipholis squamata (Delle Chiaje, 1828), Published as part of Despalatovi��, Marija, Cvitkovi��, Ivan & ��uljevi��, Ante, 2017, Checklist of the echinoderm fauna of the Adriatic Sea, pp. 101-116 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 105, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1064560

Family: Parechinidae Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) Psammechinus microtuberculatus (Blainville, 1825), Published as part of Despalatovi��, Marija, Cvitkovi��, Ivan & ��uljevi��, Ante, 2017, Checklist of the echinoderm fauna of the Adriatic Sea, pp. 101-116 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 106, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1064560

Family: Echinasteridae Echinaster (Echinaster) sepositus (Retzius, 1783), Published as part of Despalatovi��, Marija, Cvitkovi��, Ivan & ��uljevi��, Ante, 2017, Checklist of the echinoderm fauna of the Adriatic Sea, pp. 101-116 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 104, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1064560

Family: Holothuriidae Holothuria (Holothuria) helleri Marenzeller von, 1877 Holothuria (Holothuria) mammata Grube, 1840 Holothuria (Holothuria) stellati Delle Chiaje, 1824 Holothuria (Holothuria) tubulosa Gmelin, 1791 Holothuria (Panningothuria) forskali Delle Chiaje, 1823 Holothuria (Platyperona) sanctori Delle Chiaje, 1823 Holothuria (Rowethuria) poli Delle Chiaje, 1824 Holothuria (Thymiosycia) impatiens (Forsk��l, 1775), Published as part of Despalatovi��, Marija, Cvitkovi��, Ivan & ��uljevi��, Ante, 2017, Checklist of the echinoderm fauna of the Adriatic Sea, pp. 101-116 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 108, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1064560, {"references":["Grube, A. E. (1840) Actinien, Echinodermen und Wurmer des Adriatischen und Mittelmeers. Verlag von J. H. Bon, Konigsberg, 92 pp."]}

Family: Stichopodidae Parastichopus regalis (Cuvier, 1817), Published as part of Despalatovi��, Marija, Cvitkovi��, Ivan & ��uljevi��, Ante, 2017, Checklist of the echinoderm fauna of the Adriatic Sea, pp. 101-116 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 108, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1064560

Family: Goniasteridae Peltaster placenta (M��ller & Troschel, 1842), Published as part of Despalatovi��, Marija, Cvitkovi��, Ivan & ��uljevi��, Ante, 2017, Checklist of the echinoderm fauna of the Adriatic Sea, pp. 101-116 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 104, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1064560

Family: Phyllophoridae Phyllophorus (Phyllophorus) granulatus (Grube, 1840) Phyllophorus (Phyllophorus) urna Grube, 1840 Thyone cherbonnieri Reys, 1959 Thyone fusus (O.F. Müller, 1776) Thyone gadeana Perrier R., 1898 Thyone inermis Heller, 1868

Family: Ophiocomidae Ophiopsila annulosa (M. Sars, 1859) Ophiopsila aranea Forbes, 1843 Ophiopsila guineensis Koehler, 1914, Published as part of Despalatovi��, Marija, Cvitkovi��, Ivan & ��uljevi��, Ante, 2017, Checklist of the echinoderm fauna of the Adriatic Sea, pp. 101-116 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 105, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1064560

Number of marine benthic NonIndigenous Species (NIS) in the Adriatic Sea (Croatia) is constantly increasing. Some areas stand out by higher number of recorded NIS. Such HOTSPOT areas are the southern part of the Croatian coast, wider area of Split and tuna fish farms on Brač Island. By analysing biological features of the recorded NIS, possible vectors of introduction and secondary spreading and ecological features of the invaded areas, we attempt to answer the following question: is elevated number of NIS in some areas a result of: 1) spreading of NIS by currents ; 2) transport by shipping ; 3) susceptibility of the area for NIS establishing ; 4) level of area surveillance ; 5) combination of different factors. We speculate how the majority of NIS are introduced in Croatian by currents (by the main Adriatic current from the Ionian Sea) and by shipping. Secondary spread through the Croatian coast is dominantly a result of propagule spreading by currents. Establishment of NIS is in many situations result of some form of ecological disturbance, like pollution and eutrophication such as area of tuna-fish farms or sewage outfall.