Barcoding non-indigenous macroalgae in the Azores

ABSTRACT: Algae invasions in marine habitats represent a recognized worldwide threat to the integrity of native communities, to economy and even to human health. The em phasis of the present work is on non-indigenous marine macroalgae species in the Azores.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Hurdles and opportunities in implementing marine biosecurity systems in data-poor regions

Managing marine nonindigenous species (mNIS) is challenging, because marine environments are highly connected, allowing the dispersal of species across large spatial scales, including geopolitical borders. Cross-border inconsistencies in biosecurity management can promote the spread of mNIS across geopolitical borders, and incursions often go unnoticed or unreported. Collaborative surveillance programs can enhance the early detection of mNIS, when response may still be possible, and can foster capacity building around a common threat. Regional or international databases curated for mNIS can inform local monitoring programs and can foster real-time information exchange on mNIS of concern. When combined, local species reference libraries, publicly available mNIS databases, and predictive modeling can facilitate the development of biosecurity programs in regions lacking baseline data. Biosecurity programs should be practical, feasible, cost-effective, mainly focused on prevention and early detection, and be built on the collaboration and coordination of government, nongovernment organizations, stakeholders, and local citizens for a rapid response.This work resulted from a workshop organized at the King Abdul- lah University of Science and Technology and sponsored under the Support for Conferences and Workshops Program. We would like to thank the admin support of the Red Sea Research Cen- ter team, IT, and teachers and students from the KAUST schools who participated in some outreach activities. We thank Ana Bi- gio for the artwork presented in this article (figures 1–4). GS was supported by the European Social Fund, under project no 09.3.3- LMT-K-712, the “Development of Competences of Scientists, other Researchers and Students through Practical Research Activities” measure, grant agreement no. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712–19-0083