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Invasive species are globally on the rise due to human-induced environmental change and are often a source of harm to their new ecosystems. Tracking the spread of invaders is crucial to better manage invasive species, and citizen science is often used to collect sighting data. However, this can be unreliable due to the general public's limited expertise for accurate identification and a lack of clear absence data. Here, we introduce a refined method of citizen science by tracking the spread of the invasive lionfish (Pterois miles) in the Mediterranean Sea using dive centers' expertise on local marine wildlife. We contacted 1131 dive centers on the Mediterranean coast via email and received 216 responses reporting whether or not lionfish were present in their area and, if present, the year they were first sighted. Currently, lionfish sightings are observed in the eastern half of the Mediterranean, though the front is continuing to move west with the furthest sighting as far as Corfu, Greece (19.939423°E, 39.428017°N). In 2020, lionfish also expanded their invasive range north on the Turkish Aegean coast to Karaburun (26.520657°E, 38.637033°N), showing that the invasion is ongoing. We found that the invasive range is now exceeding previous invasion models, highlighting the need for additional research on lionfish biology to inform management efforts. Continuous monitoring of invasive fronts based on dive center reports and a better understanding of what makes lionfish so invasive is crucial to creating effective management strategies and mitigating their negative impact on native ecosystems.

Thesis: Ph. D., Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biology; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2017., Cataloged from PDF version of thesis., Includes bibliographical references., Every genome tells a story. This dissertation contains four such stories, focused on shared themes of marine population dynamics and rapid change, with an emphasis on invasive marine species. Biological invasions are often characterized by a range expansion, during which strong genetic drift is hypothesized to result in decreased genetic diversity with increased distance from the center of the historic range, or the point of invasion. In this dissertation, population genetic and genomic tools are used to approach complex and previously intractable fundamental questions pertaining to the non-equilibrium dynamics of species invasions and rapid range expansions in two invasive marine species: the lionfish, Pterois volitans; and the shrimp, Palaemon macrodactylus. Using thousands of loci sequenced with restriction enzyme associated DNA sequencing in these two systems, this research tests theoretical predictions of the genomic signatures of range expansions. Additionally, the first chapter elucidates patterns of population genetic connectivity for deep-sea invertebrates in the New Zealand region demonstrating intimate relationships between genetics, oceanographic currents, and life history traits. Invasive shrimp results extend our understanding of marine population connectivity to suggest that human-mediated dispersal may be as important - if not more important - than oceanographic and life history considerations in determining genetic connectivity during specific phases of marine invasions. In invasive populations of lionfish, measures of genomic diversity, including a difference between observed and expected heterozygosity, were found to correlate with distance from the point of introduction, even in the absence of spatial metapopulation genetic structure. These results indicate a signal of rapid range expansion. The final study in this dissertation uses an innovative temporal approach to explore observed genomic patterns in the lionfish. In all, this dissertation pro, by Eleanor Kathleen Bors., Ph. D.

Thesis: Ph. D., Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biology; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2017., Cataloged from PDF version of thesis., Includes bibliographical references., Every genome tells a story. This dissertation contains four such stories, focused on shared themes of marine population dynamics and rapid change, with an emphasis on invasive marine species. Biological invasions are often characterized by a range expansion, during which strong genetic drift is hypothesized to result in decreased genetic diversity with increased distance from the center of the historic range, or the point of invasion. In this dissertation, population genetic and genomic tools are used to approach complex and previously intractable fundamental questions pertaining to the non-equilibrium dynamics of species invasions and rapid range expansions in two invasive marine species: the lionfish, Pterois volitans; and the shrimp, Palaemon macrodactylus. Using thousands of loci sequenced with restriction enzyme associated DNA sequencing in these two systems, this research tests theoretical predictions of the genomic signatures of range expansions. Additionally, the first chapter elucidates patterns of population genetic connectivity for deep-sea invertebrates in the New Zealand region demonstrating intimate relationships between genetics, oceanographic currents, and life history traits. Invasive shrimp results extend our understanding of marine population connectivity to suggest that human-mediated dispersal may be as important - if not more important - than oceanographic and life history considerations in determining genetic connectivity during specific phases of marine invasions. In invasive populations of lionfish, measures of genomic diversity, including a difference between observed and expected heterozygosity, were found to correlate with distance from the point of introduction, even in the absence of spatial metapopulation genetic structure. These results indicate a signal of rapid range expansion. The final study in this dissertation uses an innovative temporal approach to explore observed genomic patterns in the lionfish. In all, this dissertation pro, by Eleanor Kathleen Bors., Ph. D.

Thesis: Ph. D., Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biology; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2017., Cataloged from PDF version of thesis., Includes bibliographical references., Every genome tells a story. This dissertation contains four such stories, focused on shared themes of marine population dynamics and rapid change, with an emphasis on invasive marine species. Biological invasions are often characterized by a range expansion, during which strong genetic drift is hypothesized to result in decreased genetic diversity with increased distance from the center of the historic range, or the point of invasion. In this dissertation, population genetic and genomic tools are used to approach complex and previously intractable fundamental questions pertaining to the non-equilibrium dynamics of species invasions and rapid range expansions in two invasive marine species: the lionfish, Pterois volitans; and the shrimp, Palaemon macrodactylus. Using thousands of loci sequenced with restriction enzyme associated DNA sequencing in these two systems, this research tests theoretical predictions of the genomic signatures of range expansions. Additionally, the first chapter elucidates patterns of population genetic connectivity for deep-sea invertebrates in the New Zealand region demonstrating intimate relationships between genetics, oceanographic currents, and life history traits. Invasive shrimp results extend our understanding of marine population connectivity to suggest that human-mediated dispersal may be as important - if not more important - than oceanographic and life history considerations in determining genetic connectivity during specific phases of marine invasions. In invasive populations of lionfish, measures of genomic diversity, including a difference between observed and expected heterozygosity, were found to correlate with distance from the point of introduction, even in the absence of spatial metapopulation genetic structure. These results indicate a signal of rapid range expansion. The final study in this dissertation uses an innovative temporal approach to explore observed genomic patterns in the lionfish. In all, this dissertation pro, by Eleanor Kathleen Bors., Ph. D.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution February 2017, Every genome tells a story. This dissertation contains four such stories, focused on shared themes of marine population dynamics and rapid change, with an emphasis on invasive marine species. Biological invasions are often characterized by a range expansion, during which strong genetic drift is hypothesized to result in decreased genetic diversity with increased distance from the center of the historic range, or the point of invasion. In this dissertation, population genetic and genomic tools are used to approach complex and previously intractable fundamental questions pertaining to the non-equilibrium dynamics of species invasions and rapid range expansions in two invasive marine species: the lionfish, Pterois volitans; and the shrimp, Palaemon macrodactylus. Using thousands of loci sequenced with restriction enzyme associated DNA sequencing in these two systems, this research tests theoretical predictions of the genomic signatures of range expansions. Additionally, the first chapter elucidates patterns of population genetic connectivity for deep-sea invertebrates in the New Zealand region demonstrating intimate relationships between genetics, oceanographic currents, and life history traits. Invasive shrimp results extend our understanding of marine population connectivity to suggest that human-mediated dispersal may be as important— if not more important—than oceanographic and life history considerations in determining genetic connectivity during specific phases of marine invasions. In invasive populations of lionfish, measures of genomic diversity, including a difference between observed and expected heterozygosity, were found to correlate with distance from the point of introduction, even in the absence of spatial metapopulation genetic structure. These results indicate a signal of rapid range expansion. The final study in this dissertation uses an innovative temporal approach to explore observed genomic patterns in the lionfish. In all, this dissertation provid, I was privileged to receive support through a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (Grant No. 1122374), a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Fellowship administered through the Academic Program Office, funding from NSF award OCE-1131620, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA OER #NA08OAR4600757). Research funding for sample collection, laboratory materials, sequencing, and analysis was provided by the WHOI Coastal Ocean Institute, WHOI Ocean Ventures Fund, WHOI James Education Fund for Ocean Exploration, WHOI Biology Educational Fund, Woods Hole Sea Grant New Initiative Award, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Northeast Sea Grant Consortium, and the PADI Foundation (Grant No. 14904). Additional research support was provided by the NSF (OCE- 1131620) to Timothy M. Shank.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution February 2017, Every genome tells a story. This dissertation contains four such stories, focused on shared themes of marine population dynamics and rapid change, with an emphasis on invasive marine species. Biological invasions are often characterized by a range expansion, during which strong genetic drift is hypothesized to result in decreased genetic diversity with increased distance from the center of the historic range, or the point of invasion. In this dissertation, population genetic and genomic tools are used to approach complex and previously intractable fundamental questions pertaining to the non-equilibrium dynamics of species invasions and rapid range expansions in two invasive marine species: the lionfish, Pterois volitans; and the shrimp, Palaemon macrodactylus. Using thousands of loci sequenced with restriction enzyme associated DNA sequencing in these two systems, this research tests theoretical predictions of the genomic signatures of range expansions. Additionally, the first chapter elucidates patterns of population genetic connectivity for deep-sea invertebrates in the New Zealand region demonstrating intimate relationships between genetics, oceanographic currents, and life history traits. Invasive shrimp results extend our understanding of marine population connectivity to suggest that human-mediated dispersal may be as important— if not more important—than oceanographic and life history considerations in determining genetic connectivity during specific phases of marine invasions. In invasive populations of lionfish, measures of genomic diversity, including a difference between observed and expected heterozygosity, were found to correlate with distance from the point of introduction, even in the absence of spatial metapopulation genetic structure. These results indicate a signal of rapid range expansion. The final study in this dissertation uses an innovative temporal approach to explore observed genomic patterns in the lionfish. In all, this dissertation provid, I was privileged to receive support through a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (Grant No. 1122374), a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Fellowship administered through the Academic Program Office, funding from NSF award OCE-1131620, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA OER #NA08OAR4600757). Research funding for sample collection, laboratory materials, sequencing, and analysis was provided by the WHOI Coastal Ocean Institute, WHOI Ocean Ventures Fund, WHOI James Education Fund for Ocean Exploration, WHOI Biology Educational Fund, Woods Hole Sea Grant New Initiative Award, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Northeast Sea Grant Consortium, and the PADI Foundation (Grant No. 14904). Additional research support was provided by the NSF (OCE- 1131620) to Timothy M. Shank.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution February 2017, Every genome tells a story. This dissertation contains four such stories, focused on shared themes of marine population dynamics and rapid change, with an emphasis on invasive marine species. Biological invasions are often characterized by a range expansion, during which strong genetic drift is hypothesized to result in decreased genetic diversity with increased distance from the center of the historic range, or the point of invasion. In this dissertation, population genetic and genomic tools are used to approach complex and previously intractable fundamental questions pertaining to the non-equilibrium dynamics of species invasions and rapid range expansions in two invasive marine species: the lionfish, Pterois volitans; and the shrimp, Palaemon macrodactylus. Using thousands of loci sequenced with restriction enzyme associated DNA sequencing in these two systems, this research tests theoretical predictions of the genomic signatures of range expansions. Additionally, the first chapter elucidates patterns of population genetic connectivity for deep-sea invertebrates in the New Zealand region demonstrating intimate relationships between genetics, oceanographic currents, and life history traits. Invasive shrimp results extend our understanding of marine population connectivity to suggest that human-mediated dispersal may be as important— if not more important—than oceanographic and life history considerations in determining genetic connectivity during specific phases of marine invasions. In invasive populations of lionfish, measures of genomic diversity, including a difference between observed and expected heterozygosity, were found to correlate with distance from the point of introduction, even in the absence of spatial metapopulation genetic structure. These results indicate a signal of rapid range expansion. The final study in this dissertation uses an innovative temporal approach to explore observed genomic patterns in the lionfish. In all, this dissertation provid, I was privileged to receive support through a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (Grant No. 1122374), a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Fellowship administered through the Academic Program Office, funding from NSF award OCE-1131620, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA OER #NA08OAR4600757). Research funding for sample collection, laboratory materials, sequencing, and analysis was provided by the WHOI Coastal Ocean Institute, WHOI Ocean Ventures Fund, WHOI James Education Fund for Ocean Exploration, WHOI Biology Educational Fund, Woods Hole Sea Grant New Initiative Award, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Northeast Sea Grant Consortium, and the PADI Foundation (Grant No. 14904). Additional research support was provided by the NSF (OCE- 1131620) to Timothy M. Shank.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution February 2017, Every genome tells a story. This dissertation contains four such stories, focused on shared themes of marine population dynamics and rapid change, with an emphasis on invasive marine species. Biological invasions are often characterized by a range expansion, during which strong genetic drift is hypothesized to result in decreased genetic diversity with increased distance from the center of the historic range, or the point of invasion. In this dissertation, population genetic and genomic tools are used to approach complex and previously intractable fundamental questions pertaining to the non-equilibrium dynamics of species invasions and rapid range expansions in two invasive marine species: the lionfish, Pterois volitans; and the shrimp, Palaemon macrodactylus. Using thousands of loci sequenced with restriction enzyme associated DNA sequencing in these two systems, this research tests theoretical predictions of the genomic signatures of range expansions. Additionally, the first chapter elucidates patterns of population genetic connectivity for deep-sea invertebrates in the New Zealand region demonstrating intimate relationships between genetics, oceanographic currents, and life history traits. Invasive shrimp results extend our understanding of marine population connectivity to suggest that human-mediated dispersal may be as important— if not more important—than oceanographic and life history considerations in determining genetic connectivity during specific phases of marine invasions. In invasive populations of lionfish, measures of genomic diversity, including a difference between observed and expected heterozygosity, were found to correlate with distance from the point of introduction, even in the absence of spatial metapopulation genetic structure. These results indicate a signal of rapid range expansion. The final study in this dissertation uses an innovative temporal approach to explore observed genomic patterns in the lionfish. In all, this dissertation provid, I was privileged to receive support through a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (Grant No. 1122374), a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Fellowship administered through the Academic Program Office, funding from NSF award OCE-1131620, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA OER #NA08OAR4600757). Research funding for sample collection, laboratory materials, sequencing, and analysis was provided by the WHOI Coastal Ocean Institute, WHOI Ocean Ventures Fund, WHOI James Education Fund for Ocean Exploration, WHOI Biology Educational Fund, Woods Hole Sea Grant New Initiative Award, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Northeast Sea Grant Consortium, and the PADI Foundation (Grant No. 14904). Additional research support was provided by the NSF (OCE- 1131620) to Timothy M. Shank.

The red lionfish (Pterois volitans) was first recorded in Martinique on 1 February 2011. Three years later, despite control measures to prevent the increase of lionfish population densities, the species is now well established. Maximum density has reached 1320 individuals ha−1 in some locations and the maximum fish size of 41 cm total length has been observed. A monitoring program was initiated by the Marine Institute of Martinique (OMMM) in 2011 to monitor the invasion and adjust local control efforts. Our results highlight how fast lionfish have been able to invade new littoral areas, especially hard bottom habitats. It took two years for them to completely colonize the west coast of Martinique, despite increasing capture efforts. It is expected that small-scale fisheries would target lionfish. Coastal ecosystems are clearly being subjected to a new threat, which may negatively affect local biodiversity.

The red lionfish (Pterois volitans) was first recorded in Martinique on 1 February 2011. Three years later, despite control measures to prevent the increase of lionfish population densities, the species is now well established. Maximum density has reached 1320 individuals ha−1 in some locations and the maximum fish size of 41 cm total length has been observed. A monitoring program was initiated by the Marine Institute of Martinique (OMMM) in 2011 to monitor the invasion and adjust local control efforts. Our results highlight how fast lionfish have been able to invade new littoral areas, especially hard bottom habitats. It took two years for them to completely colonize the west coast of Martinique, despite increasing capture efforts. It is expected that small-scale fisheries would target lionfish. Coastal ecosystems are clearly being subjected to a new threat, which may negatively affect local biodiversity.

The red lionfish (Pterois volitans) was first recorded in Martinique on 1 February 2011. Three years later, despite control measures to prevent the increase of lionfish population densities, the species is now well established. Maximum density has reached 1320 individuals ha−1 in some locations and the maximum fish size of 41 cm total length has been observed. A monitoring program was initiated by the Marine Institute of Martinique (OMMM) in 2011 to monitor the invasion and adjust local control efforts. Our results highlight how fast lionfish have been able to invade new littoral areas, especially hard bottom habitats. It took two years for them to completely colonize the west coast of Martinique, despite increasing capture efforts. It is expected that small-scale fisheries would target lionfish. Coastal ecosystems are clearly being subjected to a new threat, which may negatively affect local biodiversity.

The lionfish species Pterois miles and P. volitans are popular aquarium fishes that have gained recent notoriety as invasive species along the east coast of the United States and the Bahamas. The two species can usually be identified using dorsal and anal fin ray counts as well as geographic origin, but neither meristics nor geography are always definitive, and their taxonomic status as separate species has been questioned. Analyses of two mitochondria-encoded cytochrome b sequence data sets resolved specimens of P. miles and P. volitans in distinct monophyletic clades. There was also a .4% difference in the maximum intraspecific and minimum interspecific sequence divergences between specimens of the two species. These results are comparable to those of other analyzed Pterois and Dendrochirus sister species, and support their recognition as separate species. The cytochrome b analyses also show that Dendrochirus and Pterois are not reciprocally monophyletic as currently circumscribed, and that a comprehensive study is needed to resolve the taxonomy of Pteroinae genera