A survey of Fundulus parvipinnis parvipinnis from coastal waters of Central and Southern California for Monogenea revealed two new species of Gyrodactylus Nordmann, 1832, Fundulotrema prolongis (Hargis, 1955) (both Gyrodactylidae), and a new species of Salsuginus Beverley-Burton, 1984 (Ancyrocephalinae). Gyrodactylus kalmanae n. sp. and F. prolongis attached primarily to the fins and body surface. Gyrodactylus parvipinni n. sp. was on the gills, fins, and body surface and, in some fish, formed dense aggregations on tips of gill lamellae and at the base of fins. Salsuginus californiensis n. sp. attached between adjacent secondary lamellae of the gill filaments. Partial 18S and ITS region (ITS1/5.8/ITS2) sequence data for the two new species of Gyrodactylus linked distantly to species from estuarine and marine fishes, but for F. prolongis were 100% and 99.88% similar, respectively, to samples from Fundulus heteroclitus in eastern North America. Salsuginus californiensis n. sp. differs from 11 previously described species of the genus in features of the accessory piece of the male copulatory organ and details of the larval hooks, with the molecular data reported herein being the first for this genus. The occurrence of Salsuginus from coastal California and western Mexico suggests this genus occurred on ancestral fundulids prior to isolation of Pacific species from eastern relatives by the Isthmus of Panama, estimated at 3 to 3.5 mya. Whether G. parvipinni n. sp. and G. kalmanae n. sp. have origins on ancestral fundulids or were acquired from local hosts after isolation is unclear at this time, but both species appear unrelated to species of Gyrodactylus from fundulids on the east coast. The finding of F. prolongis in California with almost identical 18S and ITS regions to eastern populations raises the question of its origin. Given the morphological and genetic similarities with populations on the east coast, F. prolongis (reported from a variety of eastern fundulid and related hosts) may have arrived via several related eastern host species introduced to and established in the state. If so, F. prolongis is a non-native species.

The consequences of a large wind event occurring in the Southern California Bight on 31 January 2016, are analyzed using data from nearshore island and mainland seabed thermographs (10 to 20 m depths), NOAA meteorologic and wave-rider buoys, a CalCOFI cruise and SST and Chl a data products from satellite remote sensing. Discernible upwelling was discovered approximately 7 hr after the northwesterly wind surpassed 10 m/s, and ultimately coastal water shoaled by at least 90 m. The upwelling character varied according to where the measurements were taken. Leeward seabed thermographs and near mainland shore buoys registered an impulse-like temperature decrease, whereas open-ocean and windward sites measured a more gradual change. The approximately one day long event was followed by an increase in Chl a throughout the bight, with the largest increase being adjacent to the mainland. The Chl a signal vanished after about one week and the temperatures returned to pre-event levels after 11 d. Various upwelling and temperature-relaxation mechanisms are discussed, with two separate upwelling mechanisms suggested and the most likely candidate for relaxation being lateral diffusion of warm offshore water into the nearshore upwelled water.

Risk analysis protocols for prioritizing the management of non-native species are numerous, yet few incorporate risk and management in the same analysis or accommodate a broad diversity of taxa outside of a specific geographic area. We adapted a protocol that accounts for these factors to address non-native animal species in the Southern California/Northern Baja California Coast Ecoregion near the international border in San Diego County, an area with high indigenous biodiversity and high numbers of species of conservation concern. This stepwise, semi-quantitative protocol is applicable to any animal group in any predefined geographic area, relies on consensus-building among taxonomic experts, and has been vetted through previous use and in peer-reviewed literature. Our results show that the final prioritization was driven mainly by management feasibility, with top-ranked species having multitrophic effects that favor other non-native invaders over native residents. Conditions within the assessment area required some modification to the protocol as it was originally designed, namely a shift in emphasis from eradication to control, given that eradication is implausible for most non-native species in the assessment area. We call attention to taxon-specific issues that surfaced during the analysis, identify areas for improvement in this first-ever risk assessment for invasive animal species in the Natural Communities Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) reserve system of San Diego County, and provide suggestions for further refinement of the protocol. This study builds on the effort to standardize risk analysis for invasive species globally, given that many of the same invaders present threats to indigenous biodiversity worldwide.

Urban green spaces have the potential to function as multi-benefit spaces, for both human enjoyment and sustaining native wildlife populations. In our study, we trapped for small nocturnal mammals across a series of Los Angeles green spaces. Our results show that native rodents are only present in habitats that support native vegetation; in particular we highlight the native rodent biodiversity on Sage Hill, a coastal sage scrub remnant on the UCLA campus. Other urban parks that are composed of non-native grasses and non-native shrubbery yielded only invasive species of rodents, including Brown Rats (Rattus norvegicus) and House Mice (Mus musculus). Our study points to the ability of renovated green space in Los Angeles to support native fauna. In addition, our study demonstrates some of the difficulties in doing trapping studies in heavily urbanized environments.