Management of Biological Invasions (2015) Volume 6, Issue 4: 385–394 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3391/mbi.2015.6.4.07 Open Access © 2015 The Author(s). Journal compilation © 2015 REABIC Research Article Distribution of the non-indigenous colonial ascidian Didemnum vexillum (Kott, 2002) in the Bay of Fundy and on offshore banks, eastern Canada 1 1 1 2 3 Bénédikte Vercaemer *, Dawn Sephton , Pierre Clément , Adam Harman , Sarah Stewart-Clark 1 and Claudio DiBacco 1Coastal Ecosystem Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, 1 Challenger Drive, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 4A2, Canada 2Dalhousie University, Department of Biology, Life Science Centre, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, NS Canada, B3H 4R2, Canada 3Dalhousie University, Department of Plant and Animal Sciences, Aquaculture Genomics Laboratory, 58 River Road, Truro, NS, B2N 5E3, Canada E-mail:
[email protected] (BV),
[email protected] (DS),
[email protected] (AH),
[email protected] (PC),
[email protected] (SS-C),
[email protected] (CDB) *Corresponding author Received: 17 December 2015 / Accepted: 29 June 2015 / Published online: 21 July 2015 Handling editor: Katherine Dafforn Abstract The invasive colonial ascidian Didemnum vexillum (Kott, 2002) was initially discovered in the fall of 2013 near Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. A rapid response survey was conducted in April 2014 to confirm the presence of the species and to determine its distribution near the original detection site. Subsequent surveys between May and August 2014 examined the dredge contents collected during sea scallop stock assessment surveys on German Bank, northern Browns Bank, eastern Georges Bank and in the Bay of Fundy region.