Rapid coastal survey for targeted alien species associated with floating pontoons in Ireland

Twenty alien species were targeted in a rapid assessment of all Irish coasts during 2005 to 2006 at twenty-nine floating pontoon sites consisting of marinas, jetties or fish-farms. Twelve species were found and the survey provided twenty-five new locality records. Four species had not been recorded previously in Ireland. Three of these were tunicates Corella eumyota, Botrylloides violaceus and a cryptogenic Didemnum sp. The fourth species was not targeted, the amphipod Monocorophium insidiosum. The majority of the new locality records (67%) were from the Irish Sea coast. Some of the targeted species were removed from leisure craft hulls: Balanus improvisus, C. eumyota, Corophium mutica, Didemnum sp. and Styela clava.