A newly developed index identifies areas of the Mediterranean Sea which are most affected by non-native, invasive alien species introduced through the Suez Canal, by aquaculture or through shipping.
A newly developed index identifies areas of the Mediterranean Sea which are most affected by non-native, invasive alien species introduced through the Suez Canal, by aquaculture or through shipping. The top invaders appear to be algae, according to the JRC study. The Cumulative Impact of Invasive Alien species (CIMPAL) index calculation brings together datasets on IAS distribution with literature information on the impacts of IAS on biodiversity. A case encompassing the whole Mediterranean basin is explored using the European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN) database. The study shows how CIMPAL permits to identify highly-impacted hotspots and how it supports the prioritisation of management actions targeting specific sites, pathways and species.
Katsanevakis, S., F. Tempera & H. Teixeira (2016). Mapping the impact of alien species on marine ecosystems: the Mediterranean Sea case study. Diversity and Distributions. 14pp. doi:10.1111/ddi.12429