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The invasive Crepidula fornicata caused major problems along the European Atlantic coast, especially in France and Netherlands where high densities leads on changes in the habitat, disturb native marine wildlife as well as it originates competition for space and food. Despite its dangerous invasive nature, regular monitoring to alert about its presence in risk areas, like the south Bay of Biscay (Spain and south France), is not done yet. Here, we developed a species-specific marker to detect the presence of C. fornicata in environmental samples (eDNA) of seawater. The novel C. fornicata specific primers amplified a region of 239 bp within the COI gen. We employed this tool to check its presence in 6 estuaries of the Cantabrian Sea, an area comprised between the Spanish and French limits of the previously reported presence of this limpet in the south Bay of Biscay. The presence of C. fornicata was confirmed in A Coruña (Galicia, Spain), Eo and Villaviciosa estuaries (Asturias, Spain) while it was not detected in Santander, Bilbao (Spain), and Bayonne (France). This new method to detect C. fornicata could be easily implemented in regular monitoring to prevent and manage future invasions of this species. • The first highly sensitive C. fornicata specific marker was designed to detect this invasive limpet in environmental samples. • Six Spanish and French estuaries in the South Bay of Biscay were monitorized to detect Crepidula fornicata employing eDNA. • The results confirmed the presence of this invasive mollusc in Galicia and Asturias, not in Santander, Bilbao and Bayonne. • Spreading of the invasive C. fornicata in European coasts can be regularly monitored using this new molecular tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The American slipper limpet Crepidula fornicata is an invasive, non-native species (INNS) abundant along the European coast. Its further distribution may be facilitated by activities such as dredging and spoil disposal, and the aim of this study was to assess whether C . fornicata is able to survive sediment burial. The slipper limpet was found attached to hard substratum in intertidal areas, but it was absent at a nearby subtidal dredge spoil site. In laboratory experiments 22% of C . fornicata emerged when buried under a 2 cm sediment-layer; only half of them survived. When buried under ≥6 cm none re-surfaced or survived. The results provided evidence that C . fornicata is poorly adapted to adjust its vertical position in sediment and is killed by sudden burial underneath 2 to 6 cm of sediment. The combined laboratory experiments and field surveys suggested that C . fornicata has limited scope to survive the dredge spoil disposal process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]