BioInvasions Records is a new open access peer-reviewed international journal focusing on the rapid publication of applied research on invasive species and biological invasions in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems around the world. BioInvasions Records is a continuation of the former Aquatic Invasions Records, an electronic supplement of the open access international journal Aquatic Invasions. BioInvasions Records is devoted to bridging the gap between scientific research and the use of science in decision-making, regulation, and management as it pertains to the introduction of invasive alien species (IAS) and biodiversity conservation. Thus, this new journal provides a forum for professionals involved in research and management of IAS. BioInvasions Records contributes to rapid information dissemination, risk assessment procedures, and early detection and rapid response on IAS. The incorporation of open access journals into the REABIC information system represents an innovative approach to IAS-related information management and ensures sustainability of REABIC-based information management tools.

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The Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is a hot spot of global warming, including decreased sea-ice cover during winter and increased sedimentation during summer due to glacial melt. Subsequently, an altered irradiance and temperature regime in the water column may affect the performance of primary producers and change competitive structures. The brown, subtidal macroalgae Desmarestia menziesii and D. anceps are ecosystem engineers and of extreme importance for the Antarctic coastal ecosystem. Individuals of both species were collected from the field during the austral summer and exposed in two experiments to different temperatures (2 and 7 °C) or different irradiances (high and low) in combination with co-culturing the two algal species together (two-factorial design). No temperature, irradiance or co-cultivation effects on growth rates of D. menziesii and D. anceps were detected, but effects were possibly masked by the very low growth rates. Both D. menziesii and D. anceps are season anticipators, showing highest growth in late winter/spring and a dormancy state during summer. Photosynthetic efficiency was usually higher at 2 °C and low irradiance conditions compared to 7 °C and high irradiance and no co-culturing effects were detected. Parameters derived from P-E curves (rETR max , E k and α) were higher in D. menziesii compared to D. anceps, reflecting zonation patterns in the field. Future multifactorial experiments, taking seasons and different life-stages into account, are particularly needed to elucidate year-round effects of global warming on macroalgal key species that form the energetic base of the Antarctic coastal food webs.

Endemic Antarctic macroalgae are especially adapted to live in extreme Antarctic conditions. Their potential biogeographic distribution niche is primarily controlled by the photoperiodic regime and seawater temperatures, since these parameters regulate growth, reproduction, and survival during the entire life cycle. Here we analyzed the upper survival temperature (UST) of juvenile sporophytes and the temperature range for sporophyte formation from gametophytes of Desmarestia menziesii, one of the dominant endemic Antarctic brown algal species. This process is a missing link to better evaluate the full biogeographical niche of this species. Two laboratory experiments were conducted. First, growth and maximum quantum yield of juvenile sporophytes were analyzed under a temperature gradient (0, 5, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 °C) in a 16:8 h light:dark (LD) regime (Antarctic spring condition) for 2 weeks. Second, the formation of sporophytes from gametophytes (as a proxy of gametophyte reproduction) was evaluated during a 7 weeks period under a temperature gradient (0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 °C), and two different photoperiods: 6:18 h LD regime simulating winter conditions and a light regime simulating the Antarctic shift from winter to spring by gradually increasing the light period from 7.5:16.5 h LD (late winter) to 18.5:5.5 h LD (late spring). Sporophytes of D. menziesii were able to grow and survive up to 14 °C for 2 weeks without visible signs of morphological damage. Thus, this species shows the highest UST of all endemic Antarctic Desmarestiales species. In turn, gametophyte reproduction solely took place at 0 °C but not at 4–8 °C. The number of emerging sporophytes was six times higher under the light regime simulating the transition from winter to spring than under constant short day winter conditions. There was a negative relationship between the number of sporophytes formed and the gametophyte density at the beginning of the experiment, which provides evidence that gametophyte density exerts some control upon reproduction in D. menziesii. Results strongly indicate that although sporophytes and gametophytes may survive in warmer temperatures, the northernmost distribution limit of D. menziesii in South Georgia Islands is set by the low temperature requirements for gametophyte reproduction. Hence, global warming could have an impact on the distribution of this and other Antarctic species, by influencing their growth and reproduction.