Oriental weatherfish has become an invasive fish species in many temperate areas. In this work we report the presence of an established weatherfish population in northeastern Iberian Peninsula and describe, for the first time in Europe, a clear range expansion. The species was first located in the Ebro River Delta in 2001 and has since been detected in 31 UTM 1 9 1 km quadrates. The capture of over 1,000 weatherfish shows that its population is composed by both juvenile and adult individuals. Weatherfish occupies mostly the web of irrigation channels associated with rice culture, although it has also been detected in rice fields and in the Ebro River. The expansion of the species in the area seems to be limited by water conductivity. An additional location for the species in the Ter basin (some 300 km to the north) suggests that inter-basin expansion could be occurring. This new fish invasion reinforces the need to implement strict controls to the trade and culture of ornamental fish.

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Two ruthenium (II) complexes containing heterobidentated phosphorous–nitrogen ligands were studied as homogeneous catalysts in the hydrogenation of furfural, a key step in the transformation of biomass to biofuels or renewable chemicals. The catalysts exhibited high percentages of conversion towards the formation of furfuryl alcohol. The studied ruthenium (II) complexes are able to maintain their catalytic activities in substrate/catalyst ratios ranging from 1000/1 to 6000/1. The reaction is sensitive to hydrogen pressure and the substrate concentration. The maximum conversion is achieved at a pressure of 40 bar and a substrate/catalyst ratio of 3000/1 (TOF 3000 h−1). In situ 1H‐NMR (proton nuclear magnetic resonance) analysis suggests that the presence of a phosphorous–nitrogen ligand improves the catalytic activity of the complex by stabilizing the intermediate ruthenium‐dihydride, which is considered the active species in the hydrogenation reactions.

Understanding susceptibility of seabirds to fisheries bycatch requires quantifying overlap of seabird at-sea habitat with fisheries’ distribution and effort. Pink-footed Shearwaters (Ardenna creatopus) are vulnerable seabirds that breed only in Chile. Recently, high rates of Pink-footed Shearwater bycatch (i.e. >1,500 observed mortalities 2015–2017) were documented by observers in central Chilean purse-seine fisheries. We present analysis of Pink-footed Shearwater at-sea movements and overlap with central Chilean purse-seine fleets targeting common sardine (Strangomera bentincki), Peruvian anchoveta (Engraulis ringens), and Chilean jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi). To determine overlap during 2015–2017, we paired locations from 49 Pink-footed Shearwaters rearing nestlings at Isla Mocha, Chile, with locations and number of observed purse-seine sets in central Chile. Pink-footed Shearwaters typically visited waters ≤30 km offshore throughout central Chile. Foraging trip durations varied interannually, with longer trips in 2016, but all years revealed persistent foraging hotspots near Valdivia, the Gulf of Arauco, and Isla Mocha, Chile. Greatest overlap between Pink-footed Shearwaters and fisheries occurred with the sardine/anchoveta fleet near Valdivia (artisanal and industrial) and the Gulf of Arauco (artisanal); overlap with the jack mackerel fleet was minimal. Given Pink-footed Shearwater bycatch documented in these fisheries, this overlap may indicate risk of bycatch for these birds, although we did not directly quantify shearwater–fisheries interaction. Our results can inform further fishery monitoring efforts, as well as collaboration among scientists, managers, and fishers to identify, quantify, and reduce fisheries bycatch of Pink-footed Shearwaters within Chile and internationally.

1Rice fields constitute a significant proportion of the existing wetlands in the 2 Mediterranean basin and are important areas for the conservation of different vertebrate 3 species, especially birds. However, little is known on how fish and crayfish use rice 4 fields in Mediterranean areas. In this work we analyze fish communities and crayfish 5 populations occupying rice fields and their associated irrigation network (inflow and 6 outflow channels) in the Ebro Delta (NE Spain). We set fyke nets in 104 sites and 7 captured almost 23,000 fish belonging to19 species, 9 of which were found to occupy 8 rice fields, as well as over 3,000 red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Stone 9 moroko (Pseudorasbora parva), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), dojo loach 10 (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) and Eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) were the 11 most common fish found in rice fields. More than 95% of the fish individuals captured 12 belonged to non-native species. Dojo loach, a recently introduced species well adapted 13 to rice cultivation cycles in its native range, used rice fields as reproduction ground. 14 Outflow channels seemed to be a more important source of fish colonizing rice fields 15 than inflow channels. Colonization was the main limitation for the establishment of fish 16 populations in rice fields and fish tended to be more abundant in rice fields than in 17 channels for any given frequency of occurrence. The importance of fish as trophic 18 resource for natural predators and the possible interactions between fish occupying rice 19 fields and rice yield, largely unexplored in the Mediterranean areas, could be managed 20 by modulating connectivity between rice fields and irrigation channels. Rice fields, 21 however, are not important areas for the conservation of native fish biodiversity, being 22 largely occupied by non-native fishes. Moreover, the influence of low-conductivity 23 water diverted for rice cultivation on natural wetlands favors the establishment and 24 expansion of different non-native fish species. 25 26