Unaided dispersal risk of Magallana gigas into and around the UK: combining particle tracking modelling and environmental suitability scoring

Scaling up eco-engineering: The role of topographic complexity and spatial variability in shaping biodiversity on coastal structures

In response to the depauperate biodiversity often associated with the largely homogenous surfaces of artificial structures, ecological (eco-) engineering has emerged as a tool to introduce topographic complexity to coastal development. Although relatively small-scale studies using topographically complex panels and artificial rockpools are commonplace, determining how the configuration of these interventions works over greater and more realistic spatial scales has received comparatively little attention. Given the importance of spatial variability in habitat complexity for shaping community composition and, therefore, regional diversity, filling this knowledge gap is key to enhancing the 'design catalogue' for future eco-engineering installations. Here, we manipulated topographic complexity using individual concrete panels placed into larger arrays to generate two different spatial configurations, and in doing so explore the potentially interactive roles of small-scale panel complexity and larger-scale variability on biodiversity. More topographically complex panels supported greater taxon richness and abundance than low complexity panels, whilst the complexity of the panels in interaction with their spatial arrangement within larger arrays influenced community composition between treatment groups. Our results corroborate studies showing how small-scale variation in surface topography benefits biodiversity, but we also demonstrate that spatial variability in how this complexity is deployed over larger areas impacts community composition. These effects were especially evident for the invasive non-native species that frequently colonise and dominate newly engineered coastal structures, often at the expense of natives. Given the ongoing expansion of coastal infrastructure, studies such as this that explore means of 'scaling up' eco-engineering to better represent the inherent spatial variability of natural habitats are essential to achieving biodiversity comparable to, and potentially greater than, these habitats.

The genome sequence of the Pacific oyster, Magallana gigas (Thunberg, 1793)

We present a genome assembly from an individual Magallana gigas (the Pacific oyster; Mollusca; Bivalvia; Ostreida; Ostreidae). The genome sequence is 564.0 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 10 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 18.23 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 19,775 protein-coding genes.

Multi-generational dispersal and dynamic patch occupancy reveals spatial and temporal stability of seascapes

The success of non-native species (NNS) invasions depends on patterns of dispersal and connectivity, which underpin genetic diversity, population establishment and growth. In the marine environment, both global environmental change and increasing anthropogenic activity can alter hydrodynamic patterns, leading to significant inter-annual variability in dispersal pathways. Despite this, multi-generational dispersal is rarely explicitly considered in attempts to understand NNS spread or in the design of management interventions. Here, we present a novel approach to quantifying species spread that considers range expansion and network formation across time using the non-native Pacific oyster, Magallana gigas (Thunberg 1793), as a model. We combined biophysical modelling, dynamic patch occupancy models, consideration of environmental factors, and graph network theory to model multi-generational dispersal in northwest Europe over 13 generations. Results revealed that M. gigas has a capacity for rapid range expansion through the creation of an ecological network of dispersal pathways that remains stable through time. Maximum network size was achieved in four generations, after which connectivity patterns remained temporally stable. Multi-generational connectivity could therefore be divided into two periods: network growth (2000-2003) and network stability (2004-2012). Our study is the first to examine how dispersal trajectories affect the temporal stability of ecological networks across biogeographic scales, and provides an approach for the assignment of site-based prioritisation of non-native species management at different stages of the invasion timeline. More broadly, the framework we present can be applied to other fields (e.g. Marine Protected Area design, management of threatened species and species range expansion due to climate change) as a means of characterising and defining ecological network structure, functioning and stability.

Science paper or big data? Assessing invasion dynamics using observational data

Non-native species are spreading at an unprecedented rate over large spatial scales, with global environmental change and growth in commerce providing novel opportunities for range expansion. Assessing the pattern and rate of spread is key to the development of strategies for safeguarding against future invasions and efficiently managing existing ones. Such assessments often depend on spatial distribution data from online repositories, which can be spatially biased, imprecise, and lacking in quantity. Here, the influence of disparities between occurrence records from online data repositories and what is known of the invasion history from peer-reviewed published literature on non-native species range expansion was evaluated using 6693 records of the Pacific oyster, Magallana gigas (Thunberg, 1793), spanning 56 years of its invasion in Europe. Two measures of spread were calculated: maximum rate of spread (distance from introduction site over time) and accumulated area (spatial expansion). Results suggest that despite discrepancies between online and peer-reviewed data sources, including a paucity of records from the early invasion history in online repositories, the use of either source does not result in significantly different estimates of spread. Our study significantly improves our understanding of the European distribution of M. gigas and suggests that a combination of short- and long-range dispersal drives range expansions. More widely, our approach provides a framework for comparison of online occurrence records and invasion histories as documented in the peer-reviewed literature, allowing critical evaluation of both data sources and improving our understanding of invasion dynamics significantly.

Historical and future naturalization of Magallana gigas in the Galician coast in a context of climate change

Magallana gigas is a naturalized species on the north coast of Galicia (Rías Altas, Northwest Iberian Peninsula), where it was unintentionally introduced. In recent decades, a greater abundance of M. gigas has been observed on the Galician coast, expanding towards the south, reaching the Artabro Gulf (Rías Centrales, NW Galician coast), probably due to ocean warming. Although this species has been cultivated in the Rías Baixas since the early 1990s and spawning has been reported, recruitment was never observed, which is likely due to the cold water upwelled during the spawning months. The future rise in seawater temperature may favor the naturalization of the non-indigenous species M. gigas southwards, in the Rías Baixas. Thermally, the Ría de Arousa seems to be the most favorable estuary for the future settlement of M. gigas, which may occur in the next decades. The extent of thermally favorable zones within estuaries is projected to increase rapidly by mid-century, and reaching 100 % of the estuarine area by the end of the century. As has already happened in other areas of the world, the expansion and naturalization of the Pacific oyster on the Galician coast will likely affect the native communities and economic activities, making it necessary to implement monitoring and management strategies to mitigate its effect.

Invasiveness risks of naked goby, Gobiosoma bosc, to North Sea transitional waters

In recent decades, gobies have dispersed or introduced from the Ponto-Caspian region of eastern Europe in a westerly direction to North American and western European waters. By contrast, the naked goby, Gobiosoma bosc, is the only known gobiid species to have been introduced in an easterly direction from North American to western Europe. The potential invasiveness of G. bosc was assessed using the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK) for rivers and transitional waters for the western and eastern sides of the North Sea. Using globally-derived thresholds, G. bosc was assessed as low-medium invasiveness risk for both sides of the North Sea under current climate conditions. Under future climate conditions, potential invasiveness will increase for both risk assessment areas. Environmental suitability assessment indicated an increase in environmental suitability for G. bosc on the eastern coastline of the North Sea under climate change scenarios and suitability remained unchanged on the western coastline, reflecting the authors' expectations of invasiveness risk.

Understanding drivers of wild oyster population persistence

Persistence of wild Pacific oyster, Magallana gigas, also known as Crassostrea gigas, has been increasingly reported across Northern European waters in recent years. While reproduction is inhibited by cold waters, recent warm summer temperature has increased the frequency of spawning events. Although correlation between the increasing abundance of Pacific oyster reefs in Northern European waters and climate change is documented, persistence of wild populations may also be influenced by external recruitment from farmed populations and other wild oyster populations, as well as on competition for resources with aquaculture sites. Our understanding of the combined impact of the spawning frequency, external recruitment, and competition on wild population persistence is limited. This study applied an age-structured model, based on ordinary differential equations, to describe an oyster population under discrete temperature-related dynamics. The impact of more frequent spawning events, external recruitment, and changes in carrying capacity on Pacific oyster density were simulated and compared under theoretical scenarios and two case studies in Southern England. Results indicate that long term persistence of wild oyster populations towards carrying capacity requires a high frequency of spawning events but that in the absence of spawning, external recruitment from farmed populations and other wild oyster populations may act to prevent extinction and increase population density. However, external recruitment sources may be in competition with the wild population so that external recruitment is associated with a reduction in wild population density. The implications of model results are discussed in the context of wild oyster population management.