Desiccation as a mitigation tool to manage biofouling risks: trials on temperate taxa to elucidate factors influencing mortality rates

• Main Authors: Hopkins, Grant A., Prince, Madeleine, Cahill, Patrick L., Fletcher, Lauren M., Atalah, Javier
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Taylor & Francis 2016
• Subjects: Evolutionary Biology; FOS Biological sciences; 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified; FOS Earth and related environmental sciences; Ecology; 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified; Developmental Biology; Inorganic Chemistry; FOS Chemical sciences; Pacific; Crassostrea gigas; Pacific oyster
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.1626670; https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Desiccation_as_a_mitigation_tool_to_manage_biofouling_risks_trials_on_temperate_taxa_to_elucidate_factors_influencing_mortality_rates/1626670/1

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.