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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

MCCIP Science Review 2017, 47-61

Knowledge of biofouling typical of marine structures is essential for engineers to define appropriate loading criteria in addition to informing other stakeholders about the ecological implications of creating novel artificial environments. There is a lack of information regarding biofouling community composition (including weight and density characteristics) on floating structures associated with future marine renewable energy generation technologies. A network of navigation buoys were identified across a range of geographical areas, environmental conditions (tidal flow speed, temperature and salinity), and deployment durations suitable for future developments. Despite the perceived importance of environmental and temporal factors, geographical location explained the greatest proportion of the observed variation in community composition, emphasising the importance of considering geography when assessing the impact of biofouling on device functioning and associated ecology. The principal taxa associated with variation in biofouling community composition were mussels (Mytilus edulis), which were also important when determining loading criteria.

MCCIP Science Review 2013, 155-166

International audience

Marine aliens are non-native species that have been transported across major geographical barriers by human activities, involving vectors that move propagules along pathways. Species may also be newly observed in a geographical area due to range shifts, generally in association with climate change. Artificial structures are considered to be either man-made materials or natural materials shaped or displaced to serve a specific function for human activities. All types of artificial structures are currently increasing dramatically in coastal zones due to increasing human populations on coastlines. Most of the significant marine vectors and pathways involve mobile artificial structures and are reviewed here. These include shipping (ballast water and hull fouling) and aquaculture, including stock transfer and unintentional introductions, all of which can move species into new biogeographical provinces. Some types of structures frequently move long distances but have low fouling loads (e.g., commercial shipping), whereas others (e.g., barges and pontoons) can be hyperfouled due to long stationary periods such that when moved they transport mature fouling communities. We also examine the presence of alien marine species on static (immobile) artificial structures, which support different communities from those on natural hard substrata. We consider the role of these structures, such as coastal defences, artificial reefs, and offshore platforms, in the dispersal and abundance of alien species. Marinas include both mobile and immobile structures and are apparently particularly favourable habitats for many aliens. For example, in coastal North America approximately 90% of the alien species inhabiting hard substrata have been reported from docks and marinas. Detailed case studies of alien marine species (two seaweeds and four invertebrates) are provided, with an analysis of their origin, vectors of transport, habitat in the introduced range, and potential impact. Although there are exceptions, a large majority of marine alien species seem to be associated, at least for some of the time, with artificial structures. It is clear that artificial structures can pave the way and act as stepping stones or even corridors for some marine aliens, as do urban areas, roads and riparian environments in terrestrial ecosystems. The observed acceleration of spread rates for marine invasions over the course of the last two centuries may partly be a result of the increase of artificial structures in coastal environments coupled with greater activity of vectors.

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.