title: Desiccation as a mitigation tool to manage biofouling risks: trials on temperate taxa to elucidate factors influencing mortality rates.
abstract: The desiccation tolerance of biofouling taxa (adults and early life-stages) was determined under both controlled and 'realistic' field conditions. Adults of the ascidian Ciona spp. died within 24 h. Mortality in the adult blue mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis occurred within 11 d under controlled conditions, compared with 7 d when held outside. The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas was the most desiccation-tolerant taxon tested (up to 34 d under controlled conditions). Biofouling orientated to direct sunlight showed faster mortality rates for all the taxa tested. Mortality in Mytilus juveniles took up to 24 h, compared with 8 h for Ciona, with greater survival at the higher temperature (18.5°C) and humidity (~95% RH) treatment combination. This study demonstrated that desiccation can be an effective mitigation method for a broad range of fouling taxa, especially their early life-stages. Further work is necessary to assess risks from other high-risk species such as algae and cyst forming species.
authors.affiliation: a Coastal & Freshwater Group , Cawthron Institute , Nelson , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Grant A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Hopkins
authors.affiliation: b School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences , University of Birmingham , Birmingham , UK.
authors.forename: Madeleine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prince
authors.affiliation: a Coastal & Freshwater Group , Cawthron Institute , Nelson , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Patrick L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Cahill
authors.affiliation: a Coastal & Freshwater Group , Cawthron Institute , Nelson , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Lauren M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.affiliation: a Coastal & Freshwater Group , Cawthron Institute , Nelson , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Atalah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057219:Biofouling / Q000517:prevention & control*; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000502:physiology*; D049896:Crassostrea / Q000502:physiology*; D003890:Desiccation / Q000379:methods*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006813:Humidity; D058865:Introduced Species; D049878:Mytilus / Q000502:physiology*; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000502:physiology*; D013472:Sunlight; D014561:Urochordata / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Biofouling; anthropogenic spread; desiccation; invasive species management; treatment tools