Mangrove forests of a single trees species, Avicennia marina subsp. australasica are widespread in the upper North Island of New Zealand, but there is little available information on the diversity of epiphytes such as lichens within them. A survey of 200 trees from 20 mangrove sites recorded a total of 106 lichen species from 45 genera. Two of these species are considered to be ‘Threatened’, five ‘At Risk’ and 27 ‘Data Deficient’. Multiple regression indicated that tree diameter (DBH) and mean annual rain days positively influenced site species richness. Multidimensional scaling showed that sites from the same geographical region generally formed distinct clusters. Redundancy analysis indicated that mean annual wet days, latitude and DBH measurably influenced species composition.

Metagenomics can be used to identify potential biocontrol agents for invasive species and was used here to identify candidate species for biocontrol of an invasive club moss in New Zealand. Profiles were obtained for Selaginella kraussiana collected from nine geographically disjunct locations in Northern New Zealand. These profiles were distinct from those obtained for the exotic club moss Selaginella moellendorffii and the native club mosses Lycopodium deuterodensum and Lycopodium volubile also collected in Northern New Zealand. Fungi and bacteria implicated elsewhere in causing plant disease were identified on plants of Selaginella that exhibited signs of necrosis. Most notably, high densities of sequence reads from Xanthomonas translucens and Pseudomonas syringae were associated with some populations of Selaginella but not Lycopodium. Since these bacteria are already in use as biocontrol agents elsewhere, further investigation into their potential as biocontrol of Selaginella in New Zealand is suggested.

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VA offers multiple programs and services to support caregivers of US military Veterans. However, access for rural Veterans and caregivers is challenging due to distance from VA medical facilities. VA Video Connect (VVC) is a remote healthcare platform that enables Veterans to connect directly with VA clinicians through a secure, encrypted video connection. Rural caregivers and Veterans can participate in caregiver services through their own computer or another device from their home, reducing the need for travel to distant VA facilities. In 2018, VA’s Caregiver Support Program and Office of Rural Health developed an implementation pilot to engage eighteen VA Caregiver Support Coordinators (CSCs) in using VVC to monitor and support 180 Veteran/caregiver dyads enrolled in VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. The presentation will provide an overview of each phase of implementation, report usability and outcome data from CSCs and caregivers, and discuss implications for broader implementation.