Biological Invasions in Aquatic Ecosystems: Detection, Assessment and Countermeasures

Biological invasions of aquatic ecosystems are increasing globally at an unprecedented rate as climate change, international trade, and human activities frequently breach historical geographic barriers, such as oceans and continents, which have shaped the dispersal of organisms. Aquatic non-indigenous species (aNIS) are non-native marine or freshwater organisms that have successfully established themselves in new aquatic habitats beyond their native range. aNIS outbreaks can pose significant threats to local aquatic ecosystems and economies, making them a critical concern for biodiversity and biosecurity.

Biological invasions in aquatic habitats differ significantly from those on land. The challenges of detecting and identifying aNIS, assessing their impacts, and the high diversity of aquatic habitats still require extensive research to fully understand invasions in aquatic ecosystems and develop effective responses. It is essential to have reliable and cost-effective methods for the qualitative and quantitative detection of aNIS, especially during the introduction phase. In addition, it is necessary to assess the impact of the invasion, not only on the aNIS themselves, but at the whole ecosystem level.

This Research Topic highlights recent advances in detecting bio-invasions, assessing their impact, understanding aNIS-ecosystem interaction mechanisms, and implementing countermeasures to prevent risks and damage in both marine and freshwater ecosystems. It also addresses the challenges that human society faces in comprehending and controlling biological invasions in aquatic environments. This Research Topic calls for research and review papers in any of the following topics:

• Approaches for monitoring aquatic bio-invasion.
• Survey and risk assessment of regional bio-invasion.
• Impacts of bio-invasion on aquatic ecosystems.
• Countermeasures to prevent bio-invasions and restore the impacted aquatic ecosystems.
• The role and mechanism of genetic features in aNIS invasion.
• Impact of human activities on bio-invasion in aquatic systems and prevention strategies.
• Social perceptions on the impacts of aNIS and the need for management measures.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

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Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: bio-invasion, aquatic ecosystems, monitor and assessment, invasion mechanisms, bio-invasion control

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.