title: Marine fouling invasions in ports of Patagonia (Argentina) with implications for legislation and monitoring programs.
abstract: Ports are a key factor in the understanding and solving of most problems associated with marine invasive species across regional and global scales. Yet many regions with active ports remain understudied. The aim of this work was to (a) identify and quantify the marine fouling organisms in all Patagonian ports of Argentina classifying them as native, exotic or cryptogenic species through a rapid assessment survey and experimental studies, (b) survey the environmental and anthropogenic variables of these ports and (c) analyze and discuss these results in the light of the South America context for the study of marine invasive species, legislation and commerce. We found 247 fouling species, including 17 introduced, one of which is a new record for the region, and other 15 species currently considered cryptogenic species that will need further attention to clarify their status. The analysis of mobile and sessile taxa, together with the environmental variables measured in this study and the port movement, allow us to discuss individual ports' vulnerability to future introductions. This is the first large scale study performed for this region on this topic, and it will help in developing monitoring programs and early detection plans to minimize new species introductions along the marine coastline of southern South America.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Ecología en Ambientes Costeros (GEAC), Argentina; Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina. Electronic address: schwindtcnp@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Evangelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schwindt
authors.affiliation: Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "B. Rivadavia" (MACN-CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: lgappa@macn.gov.ar.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López Gappa
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Ecología en Ambientes Costeros (GEAC), Argentina; Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina. Electronic address: raffo@cenpat.edu.ar.
authors.forename: María Paula
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Raffo
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA-UNC-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina. Electronic address: mtatian@gtwing.efn.uncor.edu.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tatián
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Ecología en Ambientes Costeros (GEAC), Argentina; Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina. Electronic address: bortolus@cenpat.edu.ar.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bortolus
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina. Electronic address: lobo@cenpat.edu.ar.
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Orensanz
authors.affiliation: Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "B. Rivadavia" (MACN-CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: galonso@macn.gov.ar.
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina. Electronic address: emiliadiez@cenpat.edu.ar.
authors.forename: María Emilia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Diez
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA-CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: bdoti@bg.fcen.uba.ar.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Doti
authors.affiliation: Estación Costera Nágera, Dpto. Cs. Marinas, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC-CONICET-UNMdP), Mar del Plata, Argentina. Electronic address: genzano@mdp.edu.ar.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Genzano
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA-UNC-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina. Electronic address: cristianlagger@yahoo.com.ar.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lagger
authors.affiliation: Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC-CONICET), Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Electronic address: gustavolovrich@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lovrich
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina. Electronic address: luz@cenpat.edu.ar.
authors.forename: María Luz
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Piriz
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Ecología en Ambientes Costeros (GEAC), Argentina; Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina. Electronic address: mendez@cenpat.edu.ar.
authors.forename: María Martha
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mendez
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Ecología en Ambientes Costeros (GEAC), Argentina; Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina. Electronic address: savoya@cenpat.edu.ar.
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Savoya
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Ecología en Ambientes Costeros (GEAC), Argentina; Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina. Electronic address: sueiro@cenpat.edu.ar.
authors.forename: María Cruz
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Sueiro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D000460:Chlorophyta; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005843:Geography; D058865:Introduced Species / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007448:Invertebrates; D000461:Rhodophyta; D012767:Ships; D058009:Stramenopiles
keywords: Fouling; Marine exotic species; Ports; Southwestern Atlantic