Assessment of elemental composition in commercial fish of the Bay of Cádiz, Southern Iberian Peninsula.

The assessment of trace metal content in our fish diet is important due to the adverse effect on human health. Despite the increasing interest about the fish quality, little information is available for Southern Spain, a region characterized by high seafood intake. Nine species from the Bay of Cádiz with high commercial value were selected. Similar values were measured in the nine studied species for most of the elements, except for the macroelements Ca and S, and the microelements Fe, Mn and As, which showed significant differences among species. Metal Pollution Index (MPI) did not differ among species, and it was similar to those obtained for other Atlantic and Mediterranean locations. The values measured for the nine species were below the health limits provided by World, European and Spanish legislations, indicating that, in general terms, consumption of these species is safe in the study area.

The journey of hull-fouling mobile invaders: basibionts and boldness mediate dislodgement risk during transit.

Vessel hull-fouling is responsible for most bioinvasion events in the marine environment, yet it lacks regulation in most countries. Although experts advocate a preventative approach, research efforts on pre-arrival processes are limited. The performance of mobile epifauna during vessel transport was evaluated via laboratory simulations, using the well-known invasive Japanese skeleton shrimp (Caprella mutica), and its native congener C. laeviuscula as case study. The invader did not possess any advantage in terms of inherent resistance to drag. Instead, its performance was conditioned by the complexity of secondary substrate. Dislodgement risk was significantly reduced when sessile fouling basibionts were added, which provided refugia and boosted the probability of C. mutica remaining attached from 7 to 65% in flow exposure trials. Interestingly, the invader exhibited significantly higher exploratory tendency and motility than its native congener at zero-flow conditions. Implications in terms of en-route survivorship, invasion success and macrofouling management are discussed.

Disentangling the Taxonomic Status of Caprella penantis sensu stricto (Amphipoda: Caprellidae) Using an Integrative Approach.

Despite its importance in intertidal and shallow-water marine ecosystems, Caprella penantis continues to be one of the most taxonomically challenging amphipods in the world. A recent molecular study focusing on C. penantis sensu stricto pointed out the existence of three highly divergent lineages, indicating the possible existence of a process of ongoing speciation and, thus, casting doubt on the taxonomic status of this species. In the present study, we used an integrative approach to continue to shed light on the taxonomy and distribution of this caprellid. To this end, we combined morphological and genetic data (COI and 18S) and included, for the first time, populations from its type locality. Our analyses provide strong evidence of the existence of potentially three distinct species, genetically and geographically restricted, within C. penantis sensu stricto, with the distribution of the true C. penantis sensu stricto restricted to the UK (type locality), the northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, and the Azores. Results show the co-occurrence of two of these species in a locality of northern Portugal and indicate the existence of distinct evolutionary and diversification patterns along the eastern Atlantic region. Overall, our study highlights the use of an integrative approach to properly assess species boundaries and unravel hidden biodiversity in amphipods.

Environmental stress responses in sympatric congeneric crustaceans: Explaining and predicting the context-dependencies of invader impacts.

The role of ecophysiology in mediating marine biological pollution is poorly known. Here we explore how physiological plasticity to environmental stress can explain and predict the context-dependencies of invasive species impacts. We use the case of two sympatric skeleton shrimps, the invader Caprella scaura and its congener C. equilibra, which is currently replaced by the former on the South European coast. We compare their physiological responses to hyposalinity stress under suboptimal low and high temperature, while inferring on hypoxia tolerance. We use an energy-redox approach, analyzing mortality rate, the energetic balance and the consequent effects on the oxidative homeostasis. We found that decreased seawater salinity and/or oxygen levels can weaken biotic resistance, especially in females of C. equilibra, leading to periods of heightened vulnerability to invasion. Our approach provides mechanistic insights towards understanding the factors promoting invader impacts, highlighting the potential of ecophysiology for improving invasive species management.

Ecological quality assessement of marinas: An integrative approach combining biological and environmental data.

The importance of marinas as infrastructures for recreational boating is increasing substantially. However, information on their soft-bottom benthic communities, a key tool for managing programmes, is still scarce. We combined environment features with macro- and meiofaunal soft-bottom community information for assessing the ecological status of marinas with an integrative approach. To address this issue, we focused on eight marinas of the Southern Iberian Peninsula. Macro- and meiofauna data revealed high benthic heterogeneity at a spatial scale. The environmental variables which correlated best with macrofauna were mainly phosphorus, granulometry, and total organic carbon, and secondarily important variables were faecal coliforms, the biocide Irgarol, and heavy metals; total hydrocarbon concentration was also significant for meiofauna. Annelida was the dominant phylum in terms of number of species (37%) and abundance (66%) and were better descriptors of the environmental conditions than Arthropoda and Mollusca. Although identification to the species level is desirable and mandatory for assessing biological pollution, significant differences among marinas and correlations between fauna and abiotic variables were already detected at the level of family and order. This implies that biota assessment at higher levels may still be useful in monitoring programmes limited by time and budget constraints. The major novelty of this study lies in the development of an integrative assessment method based on the following selected ecological indicators: Marinas Environmental Pollution Index (MEPI), Biocontamination Index (BCI), macrofaunal biotic indices (AMBI, M-AMBI, BENTIX, MEDOCC and BENFES), macrofaunal taxa richness and Shannon-Wiener's diversity, and nematode:copepod index. This approach was able to discriminate marinas of the Southern Iberian Peninsula based on their ecological status, which ranged from poor to good. The method can be useful to design standards for assigning "sustainable quality seals" to those marinas with better values of ecological indicators.

Assessing environmental pollution levels in marinas.

Despite the growing interest in recreational boating and the increasing number of marinas along the world's coastlines, environmental knowledge of these ecosystems is still very scarce. Detailed data of pollutants in marinas are necessary to provide a global approach of environmental risks in the context of international management strategies. In the present study, a set of 64 variables (30 in seawater and 34 in sediments) were measured to compare marinas from the Southern Iberian Peninsula (SIP). Uni and multivariate analyses showed significant differences among marinas, evidencing the importance of management on a local scale. The most relevant variables determining these differences were turbidity and the biocide Irgarol 1051 in seawater, and granulometry, hydrocarbons and faecal coliforms in sediment. The use of normalization techniques with Al or Fe, and the suitability of different methodologies to measure Total Organic Matter in marinas were also discussed. Additionally, we perform a comprehensive literature review of worldwide marina stressors and develop a simple and straightforward method for assessing environmental quality. The method was tested using SIP marinas and was based on the comparison of 15 selected sediment stressors with background values, concentrations of worldwide sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), and reference conditions/security thresholds established by the programme of coastal waters in port areas (ROM 5.1). A global score was assigned using a new proposed index, Marinas Environmental Pollution Index (MEPI), ranging from 0 to 150 points according to the environmental quality (<90: bad, 90-120: moderate, >120: good). MEPI of marinas from SIP ranged from 60 to 110 points indicating bad or moderate levels of pollution. Environmental quality is one of the decisive factors for awarding eco-labels or eco-certifications, such as Blue Flags in marinas. Therefore, pollution baseline information and environmental tools are mandatory for correct assignation of these awards and necessary for assessing the efficiency of management actions.

A new species of Paraproto (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from southern New SouthWales, Australia.

A new species of the caprellid genus Paraproto, P. murrayae n. sp. is described based on specimens collected from New South Wales, Australia. The new species was collected from brown algae in shallow water (16-19 m deep). Paraproto murrayae n. sp. is very similar to P. tasmaniensis Guerra-García Takeuchi, 2004 but can be distinguished mainly by the following characteristics: (1) adults of P. murrayae are significantly smaller than P. tasmaniensis (5-6 mm and 10-11 mm respectively); (2) in larger males of P. tasmaniensis, gnathopod 2 is inserted on the anterior half of pereonite 2, rather than the posterior half as in P. murrayae; (3) the dactylus of the male gnathopod 2 is thickened medially in P. murrayae, but not thickened in P. tasmaniensis; (4) the setal formula of mandibular palp is 1-3-1 in P. murrayae versus 1-9-1 or 1-10-1 in P. tasmaniensis; (5) the lower lip is glabrous in P. murrayae but strongly setose in P. tasmaniensis; and (6) the anterolateral projections on pereonite 2 are lacking or vestigial in males of P. murrayae rather than distinct as in P. tasmaniensis. An illustrated key to the species of Paraproto is provided.

Marinas: An overlooked habitat for exploring the relation among polychaete assemblages and environmental factors.

The increasing number of anthropogenic areas in the marine environment results in significant impact to adjacent ecosystems. In fact, the presence of marinas modifies the original environmental conditions and ends up disturbing the faunal community. However, despite the essential role displayed by the macrofauna on marinas' fouling biota, certain taxa such as polychaetes have been poorly studied. The present study provides the first spatial characterization of the epibiont polychaete fauna associated with the bryozoan Bugula neritina in marinas along the Iberian Peninsula and the north of Morocco. A total of 32 polychaete species were identified, with Syllidae being the most diverse family. Furthermore, the environmental factors involved in the occurrence and abundance of the dominant species Salvatoria clavata were also analyzed by Generalized Linear Models; results showed that the highest predicted values of S. clavata abundance appeared at marinas with high levels of nutrient enrichment and of heavy metals concentration.

Cold-water corals off Angola as refuge for a new Aeginella species (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidae).

A new species of caprellid amphipod, Aeginella corallina sp. nov., is described from cold-water corals off Angola. This is the first observation of this genus in the South-Atlantic. The taxon is fully described and figured and is compared with the only known species of the genus, A. spinosa, occurring in deep waters of the northern hemisphere. Both species can be clearly differentiated on the basis of the following characters: (1) pereonite 1 is provided with a large dorsal acute projection in A. spinosa, while this projection is lacking in A. corallina; (2) gnathopod 2 propodus has an acute projection distally which is lacking in A. corallina; (3) the palm of the gnathopod 2 propodus in males is densely setose and it is provided with two distal projections in A. corallina while it is scarcely setose and with less developed projections in A. spinosa; (4) distal article of the mandibular palp is provided by a setal formula of 1-x-1, being x=10-12, in A. spinosa, while in A. corallina x=2-3, and the formula 1-x-1 is not so evident and it could be considered as 1-x-0. (Zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3D7EB67D-88F2-40D8-99C1-7D62F44F7163).

Marine exotic isopods from the Iberian Peninsula and nearby waters.

Effective management of marine bioinvasions starts with prevention, communication among the scientific community and comprehensive updated data on the distribution ranges of exotic species. Despite being a hotspot for introduction due to numerous shipping routes converging at the Strait of Gibraltar, knowledge of marine exotics in the Iberian Peninsula is scarce, especially of abundant but small-sized and taxonomically challenging taxa such as the Order Isopoda. To fill this gap, we conducted several sampling surveys in 44 marinas and provide the first comprehensive study of marine exotic isopods from the Iberian Peninsula, the southern side of the Strait of Gibraltar (northern Africa) and the Balearic Islands. Exotic species included Ianiropsis serricaudis (first record for the Iberian Peninsula and Lusitanian marine province), Paracerceis sculpta (first record for the Alboran Sea ecoregion), Paradella dianae, Paranthura japonica (earliest record for the Iberian Peninsula) and Sphaeroma walkeri. Photographs with morphological details for identification for non-taxonomic experts are provided, their worldwide distribution is updated and patterns of invasion are discussed. We report an expansion in the distribution range of all species, especially at the Strait of Gibraltar and nearby areas. Ianiropsis serricaudis and Paranthura japonica are polyvectic, with shellfish trade and recreational boating being most probable vectors for their introduction and secondary spread. The subsequent finding of the studied species in additional marinas over the years points at recreational boating as a vector and indicates a future spread. We call for attention to reduce lags in the detection and reporting of small-size exotics, which usually remain overlooked or underestimated until the invasion process is at an advanced stage.

Caprellidae (Crustacea: Peracarida: Amphipoda) from deep-sea waters off Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula) with the description of a new genus and three new species.

The Caprellidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Senticaudata) from the upper continental slope of Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula) was studied. The material collected, based on surveys conducted from 2002 to 2009, comprised 11 species. A new genus Selvacaprella gen. nov., and three new species Selvacaprella jimenoi sp. nov., Liropus vitucoi sp. nov. and Liropus willyi sp. nov. are described. Pedoculina cf. bacescui and Parvipalpina cf. verrucosa are also figured in detail. Parvipalpina cf. verrucosa and Caprella cf. ciliata enlarge their distribution range ca. 2000 km to the South. Pedoculina cf. bacescui represent the first record of the genus for the Atlantic. These three species are also first records for the Iberian Peninsula. The total number of known caprellid species in the Iberian Peninsula (including adjacents waters of Ceuta, Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Azores and Madeira) is 50 so far, making this area one of the most diverse in the world for this group of amphipods.

A new caprellid species (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Senticaudata) from Brazil.

A new species of caprellid, Pseudaeginella arraialensis, is described from Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Abundant material was collected in Praia do Forno, associated to hydroids and algae of natural rocky substrata and fouling communities of artificial floating structures. The new species can be distinguished easily from the remaining species in the genus mainly by the pattern of dorsal projections, and by the setose antennae and gnathopod 2 in males. The dietary analysis revealed that the species is omnivorous, with a high contribution of small crustaceans in its diet. Detailed figures showing ontogenetic development and intraspecific variation of P. arraialensis are also included.

Long-term dynamics in a soft-bottom amphipod community and the influence of the pelagic environment.

The processes and patterns seen in coastal benthic communities can be strongly influenced by the overlying pelagic environmental conditions. Integrating long-term biological and environmental data (both benthic and pelagic) can give insight into the specific relationships between key benthic functional groups and natural temporal changes in the marine environment. The identity and abundance of amphipod species found at Station L4 (Western English Channel) were tracked for 7 years (2008-2014), whilst simultaneously, annual changes in phytoplankton biomass, water temperature, salinity and chlorophyll a concentration were also characterized. The main species were persistent and showed little variability along the study period. Overall, however, there were significant changes in the structure of the whole community between sampling times, highlighting the importance of less numerically-dominant species in driving temporal variability. Surprisingly, the current study did not detect a significant influence of the phytoplankton biomass on benthic amphipod dynamics. On the other hand, there was a clear and constant correlation between bottom water temperatures and amphipod abundance. This pattern is different from that observed in other detritivorous species at L4, highlighting the complexity of benthic-pelagic coupling and the high variability of the response to pelagic conditions among different groups. As a result of the biogeographic position of the Western English Channel, the key role of amphipods in benthic communities, the influence of the temperature in their populations dynamics, as well as the solid baseline provided here and in previous studies, the monitoring of long-term amphipod dynamics in the English Channel could be a valuable tool to evaluate the biological effect of climate change over marine benthic communities.

Caprellidae (Crustacea: Peracarida: Amphipoda) from the Red Sea and Suez Canal, with the redescription of Metaprotella africana and Paradeutella multispinosa.

The Caprellidae from the Red Sea are reviewed based on the literature data and new collections from the Hurghada coasts. So far, only six valid species has been reported from the Red Sea and Suez Canal: Caprella equilibra Say, 1818, Hemiaegina minuta Mayer, 1890, Metaprotella africana Mayer, 1903, Paracaprella pusilla Mayer, 1890 and Paradeutella multispinosa Schellenberg, 1928 and Pseudocaprellina pambanensis Sundara Raj, 1927. The type material of M. africana (deposited in the Muséum nacional d'Histoire naturelle, Paris) and Paradeutella multispinosa (deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin) are redescribed and illustrated in detail. P. pambanensis and H. minuta were the most abundant species in the collections along the northern coast. Most of the sampling effort has been focused on algae from shallow waters; additional substrates such as sediments, hydroids and coral rubble, especially from areas deeper than 15 meters should be explored. The number of caprellid species in the Red Sea is low compared to adjacent waters, as the Mediterranean Sea. However, further research and more extensive caprellid collections should be conducted along the coasts of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan and Eritrea, which are still unexplored.

New genus and new species of Caprellidae (Crustacea: Peracarida: Amphipoda) from the mesophotic coral ecosystems of Puerto Rico and St. Croix, Caribbean Sea.

A new genus and two new species are described based on material collected from the mesophotic coral ecosystems of the U.S. Caribbean. The new genus Borikenella can be distinguished from other related genera such as Pseudaeginella, Paradeutella, Aciconula and Deutella by the combination of the following characters: pereopods 3 and 4 three-articulate, pereopods 5-7 six-articulate, mandible molar present, palp of the mandible with a setal formula 1-x-0, abdomen without appendages. The new species Liropus gurui, can be distinguished from the closely related L. japonicus mainly by the lack of anteroventral margin extended forward in pereonite 3, the lack of cleft and serration in the propodus of gnathopod 2, the longer pereopod 3 and the larger abdominal appendages.

Environmental factors modulating the extent of impact in coastal invasions: The case of a widespread invasive caprellid (Crustacea: Amphipoda) in the Iberian Peninsula.

Understanding the respective roles of environment and interspecific interactions in shaping species' distributions is a critical aspect in determining the potential impacts of newcomer species on occupied habitats. The invasive caprellid amphipod Caprella scaura has successfully spread along southern Europe in a short time period, coinciding with a decline in the population of an ecologically similar congener, Caprella equilibra. To understand the mechanisms underlying the establishment success of this aggressive species and its potential role in shaping C. equilibra's distribution, we analyze the biotic and abiotic factors involved in the patterns of distribution and co-occurrence of both species along the Iberian Peninsula and northern Africa. Our analyses support that C. scaura is competitively displacing C. equilibra from the study area, but also point out the critical role of salinity and temperature in modulating this interaction and limiting the invasive success of C. scaura on the Iberian North-Atlantic coast.

The Panama Canal and the transoceanic dispersal of marine invertebrates: evaluation of the introduced amphipod Paracaprella pusilla Mayer, 1890 in the Pacific Ocean.

Although the Panama Canal is one of the major corridors for shipping and potential dispersal of marine invaders in the tropics, little is known about the effect that the Canal has had on the distribution of marine biota. In this study, we (a) document the existence of established populations of the Western Atlantic caprellid amphipod Paracaprella pusilla, Mayer, 1890 for the first time at the Pacific entrance to the Canal, (b) review its distribution in the Pacific Ocean, and (c) evaluate possible mechanisms of introduction. The confirmed distribution of P. pusilla in the Pacific Ocean is limited to Australia, Hawaii, and Panama, despite earlier published reports from Chile and China. Laboratory experiments demonstrated intolerance of P. pusilla to freshwater, causing 100% mortality, and suggest invasion of the Pacific coast of Panama occurred through the Canal via ships' ballast water or by secondary spread via ships (ballast water or hull fouling) from another Pacific region.

A new species of Liropus (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Caprellidae) from California, U.S.A., with an illustrated key of the genus.

A new species of the genus Liropus (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Caprellidae) is described based on specimens collected from a small cave of Santa Catalina Island, California. The new species, Liropus minusculus, can be distinguished from all its congeners mainly by the presence of anterolateral projections on pereonites 2, 3, and 4 (males), pereopod 5 one-articulate (although with a second article incompletely tabicated), basis of gnathopod 2 very elongate (males), and abdomen with two pairs of one-articulate appendages (males), one of them rudimentary. Up-to-date morphological comparisons among the world Liropus species are provided, together with an illustrated key to species. This is the first record of Liropus from the north-east Pacific.

Assessing pollution levels in sediments of a harbour with two opposing entrances: environmental implications.

The harbour of Ceuta, North Africa, differs substantially from conventional harbours with only one entrance since it has two opposing entrances and a channel which increases water renewal and local currents, with implications for sedimentary processes, levels of pollution and oxygen concentration. The distribution of heavy metals, nutrients and total hydrocarbons was investigated in sediment samples from this particular harbour. The grain size effect, a normalization technique using Fe concentrations and different sediment quality guidelines are discussed, and the data from the harbour of Ceuta are compared with other harbours worldwide. In spite of the water renewal, sediments inside the harbour of Ceuta were characterised by moderate levels of pollution, mainly hydrocarbons (496--6972 microg/g), P (282--1350 microg/g), N (100--2600 microg/g) and heavy metals Cu (5--865 microg/g), Pb (10--516 microg/g), Zn (296--695 microg/g), Cr (13--381 microg/g) and Ni (8--671 microg/g). Taking into account that there is no industrial activity around the harbour of Ceuta, the major sources of contamination are the sewage effluents of urban influence, anti-fouling paints and accidental oil spills during loading and dumping involved in shipping operations. The design of Ceuta harbour should be taken into consideration in the design, construction and management of future harbours.