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Prevention of non-native species introductions and establishment is essential to avoid adverse impacts of invasive species in marine environments. To identify potential new invasive species and inform non-native species management options for the northern Gulf of Mexico (Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas), 138 marine species were risk screened for current and future climate conditions using the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit. Species were risk-ranked as low, medium, high, and very high risk based on separate (calibrated) thresholds for fishes, tunicates, and invertebrates. In the basic screening, 15 fishes, two tunicates, and 26 invertebrates were classi- fied as high or very high risk under current climate conditions. Whereas, under future climate conditions, 16 fishes, three tunicates, and 33 invertebrates were classified as high or very high risk. Very high risk species included: California scorpionfish Scorpaena guttata, red scorpionfish Scorpaena scrofa, purple whelk Rapana venosa, and Santo Domingo false mussel Mytilopsis sallei under both current and future climates, with weedy scorpionfish Rhinopias frondosa, Papuan scorpionfish Scorpaenopsis papuensis, daggertooth pike conger Muraenesox cinereus, yellowfin scorpionfish Scorpaenopsis neglecta, tassled scorpionfish Scorpaenopsis oxycephalus, brush-clawed shore crab Hemigrapsus takanoi, honeycomb oyster Hyotissa hyotis, carinate rock shell Indothais lacera, and Asian green mussel Perna viridis under climate change conditions only. This study provides evidence to inform trans-boundary management plans across the five Gulf of Mexico states to prevent, detect, and respond rapidly to new species arrivals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marinas are known to act as species reservoirs, facilitating the persistence and spread of non-native species. Monitoring of marinas for non-native species is therefore an essential element of any integrated monitoring programme. Baseline and updated survey data are needed to understand the abundance, distribution and rate of spread of non-native species within marinas over time in order to support management strategies, develop applicable biosecurity measures and inform rapid response plans. Rapid assessment surveys (RAS) were employed to survey floating pontoons, as well as opportunistically survey intertidal structures, for non-native biofouling species in 22 marinas across the Republic of Ireland. A total of 25 nonnative species were recorded: 19 invertebrates and 6 macroalgae, with ascidians being the most represented group. Four non-native species not previously reported in published literature from the Republic of Ireland were recorded: devil's tongue weed, Grateloupia turuturu Yamada, 1941, the compass sea squirt, Asterocarpa humilis (Heller, 1878), the San Diego sea squirt, Botrylloides diegensis Ritter & Forsyth, 1917 and the branching bryozoan, Bugulina simplex (Hincks, 1886). Other species identified as part of this study and previously reported from Ireland were shown to have increased their range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal urbanisation, energy extraction, food production, shipping and transportation have led to the global proliferation of artificial structures within the coastal and marine environments (sensu "ocean sprawl"), with subsequent loss of natural habitats and biodiversity. To mitigate and compensate impacts of ocean sprawl, the practice of eco-engineering of artificial structures has been developed over the past decade. Eco-engineering aims to create sustainable ecosystems that integrate human society with the natural environment for the benefit of both. The science of eco-engineering has grown markedly, yet synthesis of research into a user-friendly and practitioner-focused format is lacking. Feedback from stakeholders has repeatedly stated that a "photo user guide" or "manual" covering the range of eco-engineering options available for artificial structures would be beneficial. However, a detailed and structured "user guide" for eco-engineering in coastal and marine environments is not yet possible; therefore we present an accessible review and catalogue of trialled eco-engineering options and a summary of guidance for a range of different structures tailored for stakeholders and end-users as the first step towards a structured manual. This work can thus serve as a potential template for future eco-engineering guides. Here we provide suggestions for potential eco-engineering designs to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem functioning and services of coastal artificial structures with the following structures covered: (1) rock revetment, breakwaters and groynes composed of armour stones or concrete units; (2) vertical and sloping seawalls; (3) over-water structures (i.e., piers) and associated support structures; and (4) tidal river walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gelidium coarctatum Kützing was a poorly known species described from the coast of Brazil. The name was picked up by Ugadim and applied to a common species on the tropical Brazil coast. Analyses of partial rbcL sequences and morphological characters of the G. coarctatum holotype have shown that it is a synonym of Gelidium capense (Gmelin) P.C.Silva and that the name G. coarctatum had been misapplied to the common tropical species of Gelidium in Brazil. The latter was described as Gelidium lineare sp. nov., a species characterized externally by determinate lateral branches giving axes a generally linear outline and internally by copious rhizines being concentrated in the outer medulla and inner cortex. This species was also found to be common along the Caribbean coast of Panama and may be widespread in the tropical western Atlantic and Caribbean Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent prospective studies have suggested that user''s confidence in computer-aided detection (CAD) marks and their tolerance of false positive (FP) marks play a role in the benefit gained from a CAD device. In this paper, we propose to (1) introduce new metrics to improve the characterization of the latest generation of CAD algorithms and (2) to describe the algorithm performance tradeoffs with user adjustable operating points. The performance of the CAD algorithm (V8.0, R2 Technology, Sunnyvale, CA) with user adjustable operating points was assessed on a multi-institutional database of 832 consecutive, biopsy-proven cancers detected by screening mammography and 345 clinically confirmed normal (four view) cases. The standard measurements of CAD performance were made—case sensitivity for microcalcifications and masses, and false positive (FP) marker rate on normal cases. In addition, new measurements of case specificity (the percentage of normal cases with no CAD marks) and two-view sensitivity (the percentage of cancer cases with a cancer visible (n=628) and marked on both views) were used. It is likely that the case specificity measure reflects the impact of the CAD algorithm on the workflow of the radiologist. Further, a high value for the two-view sensitivity is likely to increase the radiologist''s confidence in the CAD tool. This new CAD system allows the user to choose an operating point to best fit their clinical requirements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The boring sponge Cliona celata is a nuisance species that can have deleterious effects on eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica growth, condition, and survival. Surprisingly, however, these effects have not been well documented and when examined, results have been equi-vocal. In this study, we provide a direct comparison of growth, condition, and survival of sponge-colonized and uncolonized oysters in southeast North Carolina in 2 separate experiments. In the first experiment, sponge-colonized oysters exhibited significantly slower growth rates, reduced condition, and lower survival relative to uncolonized oysters, although results may have been confounded by oyster source. In the second experiment, using smaller oysters from the same source population, growth rate was again significantly reduced in colonized oysters relative to uncolonized oysters, however neither condition nor survival differed. In field surveys of the same population, colonized individuals across a range of sizes demonstrated significantly reduced condition. Further, condition index was negatively correlated with sponge biomass, which was positively correlated with oyster size, suggesting that the impact of the sponge changes with ontogeny. By investigating clearance rates, tissue isotopic and nutrient content, as well as caloric value, this study provides further evidence that sponge presence causes the oysters to divert energy into costly shell maintenance and repair at the expense of shell and somatic growth. Thus, although variable, our results demonstrate negative impacts of sponge infestation on oyster demographics, particularly as oysters grow larger.