Experiment design and bacterial abundance control extracellular H2O2 concentrations during four series of mesocosm experiments

The extracellular concentration of H2O2 in surface aquatic environments is controlled by a balance between photochemical production and the microbial synthesis of catalase and peroxidase enzymes to remove H2O2 from solution. In any kind of incubation experiment, the formation rates and equilibrium concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROSs) such as H2O2 may be sensitive to both the experiment design, particularly to the regulation of incident light, and the abundance of different microbial groups, as both cellular H2O2 production and catalase–peroxidase enzyme production rates differ between species. Whilst there are extensive measurements of photochemical H2O2 formation rates and the distribution of H2O2 in the marine environment, it is poorly constrained how different microbial groups affect extracellular H2O2 concentrations, how comparable extracellular H2O2 concentrations within large-scale incubation experiments are to those observed in the surface-mixed layer, and to what extent a mismatch with environmentally relevant concentrations of ROS in incubations could influence biological processes differently to what would be observed in nature. Here we show that both experiment design and bacterial abundance consistently exert control on extracellular H2O2 concentrations across a range of incubation experiments in diverse marine environments. During four large-scale (>1000 L) mesocosm experiments (in Gran Canaria, the Mediterranean, Patagonia and Svalbard) most experimental factors appeared to exert only minor, or no, direct effect on H2O2 concentrations. For example, in three of four experiments where pH was manipulated to 0.4–0.5 below ambient pH, no significant change was evident in extracellular H2O2 concentrations relative to controls. An influence was sometimes inferred from zooplankton density, but not consistently between different incubation experiments, and no change in H2O2 was evident in controlled experiments using different densities of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus grazing on the diatom Skeletonema costatum (<1 % change in [H2O2] comparing copepod densities from 1 to 10 L−1). Instead, the changes in H2O2 concentration contrasting high- and low-zooplankton incubations appeared to arise from the resulting changes in bacterial activity. The correlation between bacterial abundance and extracellular H2O2 was stronger in some incubations than others (R2 range 0.09 to 0.55), yet high bacterial densities were consistently associated with low H2O2. Nonetheless, the main control on H2O2 concentrations during incubation experiments relative to those in ambient, unenclosed waters was the regulation of incident light. In an open (lidless) mesocosm experiment in Gran Canaria, H2O2 was persistently elevated (2–6-fold) above ambient concentrations; whereas using closed high-density polyethylene mesocosms in Crete, Svalbard and Patagonia H2O2 within incubations was always reduced (median 10 %–90 %) relative to ambient waters

Depth-driven patterns in lytic viral diversity, auxiliary metabolic gene content, and productivity in offshore oligotrophic waters

IntroductionMarine viruses regulate microbial population dynamics and biogeochemical cycling in the oceans. The ability of viruses to manipulate hosts’ metabolism through the expression of viral auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) was recently highlighted, having important implications in energy production and flow in various aquatic environments. Up to now, the presence and diversity of viral AMGs is studied using -omics data, and rarely using quantitative measures of viral activity alongside.MethodsIn the present study, four depth layers (5, 50, 75, and 1,000 m) with discrete hydrographic features were sampled in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea; we studied lytic viral community composition and AMG content through metagenomics, and lytic production rates through the viral reduction approach in the ultra-oligotrophic Levantine basin where knowledge regarding viral actions is rather limited.Results and DiscussionOur results demonstrate depth-dependent patterns in viral diversity and AMG content, related to differences in temperature, nutrients availability, and host bacterial productivity and abundance. Although lytic viral production rates were similar along the water column, the virus-to-bacteria ratio was higher and the particular set of AMGs was more diverse in the bathypelagic (1,000 m) than the shallow epipelagic (5, 50, and 75 m) layers, revealing that the quantitative effect of viruses on their hosts may be the same along the water column through the intervention of different AMGs. In the resource- and energy-limited bathypelagic waters of the Eastern Mediterranean, the detected AMGs could divert hosts’ metabolism toward energy production, through a boost in gluconeogenesis, fatty-acid and glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, and sulfur relay. Near the deep-chlorophyll maximum depth, an exceptionally high percentage of AMGs related to photosynthesis was noticed. Taken together our findings suggest that the roles of viruses in the deep sea might be even more important than previously thought as they seem to orchestrate energy acquisition and microbial community dynamics, and thus, biogeochemical turnover in the oceans

Eukaryotic microbial plankton and nutrient supply in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Marine microbial eukaryotes have crucial roles in the water column ecosystem; however, there are regional gaps in the investigation of natural microbial eukaryote communities and uncertainties concerning their distribution persevere. This study combined 18S rRNA metabarcoding, biomass measurements and statistical analyses of multiple environmental variables to examine the ecology, the diversity and the composition of planktonic microbial eukaryotes at the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, while trying to deepen the understanding of the relationship between plankton and nutrient supply. Initially, the composition and distribution of microbial plankton eukaryotes at the ultraoligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean open sea, was studied. Our results showed that microbial eukaryotic communities were structured according to seawater depth. In surface waters,different sites shared high percentages of molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs), butthis was not the case for deep-sea communities. Plankton biomass, on the other hand, was significantly different among sites, implying that communities of a similar composition may notsupport the same activity or population size. Water temperature and dissolved organic matter were found to significantly affect community distribution. Micro-eukaryotic distribution was additionally affected by the nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio (N/P) and viral abundance, whilesmaller-in-size communities were affected by zooplankton. Therefore, it is underlined that, even within restricted oceanic areas, marine plankton may follow distribution patterns that are largely controlled by environmental variables. External inputs into marine coastal ecosystems increase as a result of expanding human activities. Following the changes in the water column physiochemistry after land inputs, the planktonic community is affected. The second part of this work studied the structure and composition of planktonic eukaryotic communities from coastal areas of the Eastern Mediterranean. In particular, three coastal areas that receive high nutrient input from adjacentrivers and nearby agricultural activity were studied, in comparison to three areas that receive lower nutrient input and showed lower nutrient concentration in the water column. Dinoflagellataprevailed regardless of the nutrient disturbance, however, phylla as Bacillariophyta and Chlorophyta were more prominent in the most nutrient affected areas. Eukaryotic communities of the most affected areas were associated with variables such as chlorophyll, dissolved nitrogen and oxygen concentration and prey abundance; thus, the altered community composition of the affected areas was associated to resources availability and higher trophic status. To further study the ecological relationships created under the different enrichment conditions, coexistence networks of eukaryotic microorganisms were constructed. The ecological network of the areas receiving greater inputs from the land exhibited fewer species-to-species relationships, was less coherence and specific microorganisms were found to play a greater role. Overall, differences were found both in the ecological relationships and in the diversity and composition of the eukaryotic plankton community between areas that receive varying anthropogenic nutrient inputs. Finally, the effects of the abrupt input of high quantities of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus were investigated in an attempt to simulate the nutrient disturbances caused by eutrophication and climate change. Two nutrient levels were created through the addition of different quantities of dissolved nutrients in a mesocosm experiment. During the developed blooms, compositional differences were found within bacteria and microbial eukaryotes, and communities progressed towards species of faster metabolisms. Regarding the different nutrient concentrations, different microbial species were associated with each nutrient treatment and community changes spanned from the phylum to the operational taxonomic unit (OTU) level. Network analyses revealed important differences in the biotic connections developed: more competitive relationships were established in the more intense nutrient disturbance and networks of contrasting complexity were formed around species of different ecological strategies. According to these results sudden disturbances in water column chemistry lead to the development of entirely different microbial food webs with distinct ecological characteristics. In conclusion, plankton biomass responds even in slight nutrient concentration changes, however, it seems that the composition of eukaryotic community responds only to intense nutrient level changes. The network analysis of plankton suggests that the overall changes of the water column system are highly depended to the relationships among microorganisms. Overall, this study gives fresh perspective to the ecological approach of plankton microbial eukaryotes in connection to the nutrient supply in the water column.Οι ευκαρυωτικοί μικροοργανισμοί διαδραματίζουν καθοριστικό ρόλο στο οικοσύστημα της στήλης του νερού. Ωστόσο, έχουν διαπιστωθεί αρκετές ελλείψεις όσον αφορά τη μελέτη των κοινοτήτων αυτών στο φυσικό τους περιβάλλον καθώς και αβεβαιότητες σχετικά με την κατανομή και τη σύσταση της κοινότητας. Η παρούσα μελέτη συνδύασε αναλύσειςmetabarcoding του 18S rRNA γονιδίου, μετρήσεις βιομάζας και στατιστική ανάλυση πολλαπλών περιβαλλοντικών μεταβλητών για να εξετάσει την οικολογία, την ποικιλότητα και τη σύσταση των κοινοτήτων του ευκαρυωτικού μικροβιακού πλαγκτού στην Ανατολική Μεσόγειο, και μάλιστα δίνοντας έμφαση στην παροχή ανόργανων θρεπτικών.Αρχικά μελετήθηκε η κατανομή των πλαγκτονικών μικροβιακών ευκαρυωτών στην υπερολιγοτροφική Ανατολική Μεσόγειο Θάλασσα. Τα αποτελέσματα της μελέτης έδειξαν ότι η σύνθεση των κοινοτήτων αλλάζει ανάλογα με το βάθος της στήλης του νερού. Η βιομάζα του πλαγκτού, από την άλλη πλευρά, ήταν σημαντικά διαφορετική μεταξύ των σταθμών υποδηλώνοντας ότι κοινότητες παρόμοιας σύνθεσης δεν υποστηρίζουν την ίδια δραστηριότητα ή δεν έχουν το ίδιο πληθυσμιακό μέγεθος. Η θερμοκρασία του νερού και το διαλελυμένο οργανικό υλικό διαπιστώθηκε ότι επηρεάζουν σημαντικά την κατανομή των κοινοτήτων. Η κατανομή των μικροευκαρυωτών επηρεάστηκε, επιπλέον, από τον λόγο αζώτου προς φώσφορο(N/P) και την αφθονία των ιών ενώ οι μικρότερου μεγέθους κοινότητες επηρεάστηκαν, ακόμη,από το ζωοπλαγκτόν. Τελικά, υπογραμμίζετε ότι, ακόμα και εντός συγκεκριμένων θαλάσσιων περιοχών, το πλαγκτόν μπορεί να ακολουθεί πρότυπα κατανομής που ελέγχονται σε μεγάλο βαθμό από περιβαλλοντικές μεταβλητές.Οι εισροές θρεπτικών στα θαλάσσια παράκτια οικοσυστήματα αυξάνονται ως συνέπεια της διεύρυνσης των ανθρώπινων δραστηριοτήτων. Αμέσως μετά τις αλλαγές που επέρχονται στη φυσικοχημεία της στήλης του νερού από την εισροή αποβλήτων, επηρεάζεται η πλαγκτονική κοινότητα. Στο δεύτερο μέρος της μελέτης αυτής, προσεγγίσαμε τη δομή και τη σύνθεση πλαγκτονικών ευκαρυωτικών κοινοτήτων που προέρχονται από παράκτιες περιοχές της Ανατολικής Μεσογείου. Συγκεκριμένα μελετήθηκαν τρεις παράκτιες περιοχές του Βορείου Αιγαίου οι οποίες δέχονται υψηλές εισροές θρεπτικών από τα γειτονικά ποτάμια και την αγροτική δραστηριότητα και παρουσιάζουν διαχρονικά σχετικά υψηλές τιμές χλωροφύλλης.Συγκριτικά, μελετήθηκαν τρεις παράκτιες περιοχές νοτιότερα, οι οποίες δέχονται εισροές θρεπτικών μιας και γειτνιάζουν με κατοικημένες περιοχές, όμως οι συγκεντρώσεις θρεπτικών στη στήλη του νερού είναι χαμηλές και έτσι θεωρούνται λιγότερο επηρεασμένες από την εισροή θρεπτικών. Το φύλο Dinoflagellata επικράτησε ανεξάρτητα από την συγκέντρωση των θρεπτικών, ωστόσο φύλα όπως τα Bacillariophytaκαι τα Chlorophyta ήταν σημαντικότερα στις περισσότερο επηρεασμένες από θρεπτικά περιοχές. Οι ευκαρυωτικές κοινότητες των πιο επηρεασμένων περιοχών σχετίστηκαν με μεταβλητές όπως η συγκέντρωση χλωροφύλλης, του διαλελυμένου αζώτου και οξυγόνου και η αφθονία τροφής· έτσι η αλλαγμένη σύνθεση της κοινότητας των επηρεασμένων περιοχών συνδέθηκε με παράγοντες που υποδεικνύουν διαθεσιμότητα πόρων στη στήλη του νερού. Για την περαιτέρω μελέτη των οικολογικών σχέσεων που δημιουργούνται υπό διαφορετικές συνθήκες εμπλουτισμού θρεπτικών κατασκευάστηκαν δίκτυα συνύπαρξης των ευκαρυωτικών μικροοργανισμών. Το οικολογικό δίκτυο των περιοχών που δέχονται μεγαλύτερες εισροές από τη χέρσο εμφάνισε λιγότερες σχέσεις μεταξύ των ειδών, μικρότερη συνεκτικότητα και μεγαλύτερο ρόλο συγκεκριμένων μικροοργανισμών. Κατά την μελέτη του ευκαρυωτικού πλαγκτού των παράκτιων περιοχών, εντοπίστηκαν διαφορές τόσο στα οικολογικά πλέγματα όσο και στην ποικιλότητα και τη σύνθεση της πλαγκτονικής ευκαρυωτικής κοινότητας.Τελικά, διερευνήθηκαν οι επιπτώσεις της απότομης εισροής σημαντικής ποσότητας διαλελυμένου ανόργανου αζώτου (N) και φωσφόρου (P), σε μια προσπάθεια προσομοίωσης των διαταραχών που προκαλούνται από φαινόμενα όπως ο ευτροφισμός και η κλιματική αλλαγή.Μέσω προσθήκης διαφορετικής ποσότητας διαλελυμένου N και P δημιουργήθηκαν δύο διαφορετικά επίπεδα θρεπτικών σε ένα πείραμα μεσοκόσμων. Κατά τη διάρκεια των πλαγκτονικών ανθίσεων διαπιστώθηκαν αλλαγές στη σύνθεση των κοινοτήτων των βακτηρίων και των μικροβιακών ευκαρυωτών, μια εκ των οποίων υπήρξε η αύξηση ομάδων με ταχύτερες μεταβολικές δυνατότητες. Διαφορετικά μικροβιακά είδη συσχετίστηκαν με τα διαφορετικά επίπεδα θρεπτικών και μεταβολές στη σύνθεση των κοινοτήτων σημειώθηκαν από το ταξινομικό επίπεδο του φύλου μέχρι και το επίπεδο των OTU (Operational Taxonomic Unit). Η ανάλυση δικτύου αποκάλυψε σημαντικές διαφορές στις συνδέσεις μεταξύ μικροοργανισμών: περισσότερες ανταγωνιστικές σχέσεις δημιουργήθηκαν κατά την εντονότερη διαταραχή θρεπτικών, και, σχηματίστηκαν δίκτυα αντίστροφης πολυπλοκότητας γύρω από είδη διαφορετικής οικολογικής στρατηγικής. Με βάση αυτά τα αποτελέσματα επισημαίνεται ότι οι ξαφνικές διαταραχές στη χημεία της στήλης του νερού οδηγούν στην ανάπτυξη εντελώς διαφορετικών μικροβιακών τροφικών πλεγμάτων με ξεχωριστά οικολογικά χαρακτηριστικά.Συνολικά, η πλαγκτονική βιομάζα αποκρίθηκε ακόμη και σε μικρές αλλαγές στο επίπεδο των θρεπτικών ενώ για την αλλαγή της σύστασης της ευκαρυωτικής κοινότητας φαίνεται να απαιτούνται εντονότερες αλλαγές. Οι μετρήσιμες αλλαγές ενός συστήματος φαίνεται να συνδέονται με, και ίσως και να προκύπτουν από, τις οικολογικές σχέσεις μεταξύ των μικροοργανισμών. Τελικά, η μελέτη αυτή δίνει νέα προοπτική στην οικολογική προσέγγιση των πλαγκτονικών ευκαρυωτικών μικροοργανισμών σε σχέση με τα διαλελυμένα θρεπτικά της στήλης του νερού

A Comparison of DNA Metabarcoding and Microscopy Methodologies for the Study of Aquatic Microbial Eukaryotes

The procedures and methodologies employed to study microbial eukaryotic plankton have been thoroughly discussed. Two main schools exist—one insisting on classic microscopy methodologies and the other supporting modern high-throughput sequencing (DNA metabarcoding). However, few studies have attempted to combine both these approaches; most studies implement one method while ignoring the other. This work aims to contribute to this discussion and examine the advantages and disadvantages of each methodology by comparing marine plankton community results from microscopy and DNA metabarcoding. The results obtained by the two methodologies do not vary significantly for Bacillariophyta, although they do for Dinoflagellata and Ciliophora. The lower the taxonomic level, the higher the inconsistency between the two methodologies for all the studied groups. Considering the different characteristics of microscopy-based identification and DNA metabarcoding, this work underlines that each method should be chosen depending on the aims of the study. DNA metabarcoding provides a better estimate of the taxonomic richness of an ecosystem while microscopy provides more accurate quantitative results regarding abundance and biomass. In any case, the combined use of the two methods, if properly standardized, can provide much more reliable and accurate results for the study of marine microbial eukaryotes

Towards quantitative metabarcoding of eukaryotic plankton: an approach to improve 18S rRNA gene copy number bias

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Saharan Dust Deposition Effects on the Microbial Food Web in the Eastern Mediterranean: A Study Based on a Mesocosm Experiment

The effect of episodicity of Saharan dust deposition on the pelagic microbial food web was studied in the oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean by means of a mesocosm experiment in May 2014. Two different treatments in triplicates (addition of natural Saharan dust in a single-strong pulse or in three smaller consecutive doses of the same total quantity), and three unamended controls were employed; chemical and biological parameters were measured during a 10-day experiment. Temporal changes in primary (PP) and bacterial (BP) production, chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration and heterotrophic bacteria, Synechococcus and mesozooplankton abundance were studied. The results suggested that the auto- and hetero-trophic components of the food web (at least the prokaryotes) were enhanced by the dust addition (and by the nitrogen and phosphorus added through dust). Furthermore, a 1-day delay was observed for PP, BP, and Chl a increases when dust was added in three daily doses; however, the maximal values attained were similar in the two treatments. Although, the effect was evident in the first osmotrophic level (phytoplankton and bacteria), it was lost further up the food web, masked under the impact of grazing exerted by predators such as heterotrophic flagellates, ciliates and dinoflagellates. This was partly proved by two dilution experiments. This study demonstrates the important role of atmospheric deposition and protist grazing when evaluating the effect on oligotrophic systems characterized by increased numbers of trophic levels

European Marine Omics Biodiversity Observation Network (EMO BON) Handbook

The European Marine Omics Biodiversity Observation Network (EMO BON) is a European initiative from the European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC) to establish a coordinated, long-term biodiversity observatory. Currently there are many ongoing genomic observation stations in Europe. The goal for EMO BON is to support the individual marine biodiversity observatories within EMBRC and connect them under one centrally coordinated network, with shared protocols, data, and metadata standards. EMBRC provides the context and opportunity for partner institutions to participate and complement EMO BON by initiating biodiversity observation stations. EMO BON includes marine stations from Polar regions to the Red Sea that will sample for genomic marine biodiversity at frequent intervals. This network will contribute to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and aims to be an important European component to the global ocean observation networks.Collection of marine water, sediment and organisms will take place at the EMBRC participating observatory stations according to the protocols described in this document – the EMO BON Handbook – setting a minimum standard for participation to the network. DNA extraction and sequencing will be performed at a centralised facility to reduce biases and ensure consistency in the high-quality of sequencing. The data generated within this initiative will follow the FAIR data principles. The life cycle of the EMO BON data will be described in detail in the EMO BON Data Management Plan. Overall, EMBRC aims to build a long-term genomic observatory, generating cost-effective, high-quality, baseline genomic biodiversity data that will be produced in the long term.This Handbook contains all the guidelines and procedures from sampling to sequencing that will be followed within EMO BON. The purpose of this document is not only to ensure the rigorous adhesion to the appropriate protocols within EMO BON, but also to provide all the necessary information to potential external participants from the wider scientific community

Low-dose addition of silver nanoparticles stresses marine plankton communities

The release of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is expected to rise in the near future, with possible negative effects on aquatic life and enhancement of microbial resistance against AgNPs. However, a realistic evaluation of the toxicity of AgNPs to the marine ecosystem is currently missing. Therefore, we designed a mesocosm experiment to assess the impact of AgNP exposure on natural microbial plankton community dynamics in a coastal marine site at environmentally relevant concentrations. We monitored changes in the composition of the planktonic community, from viruses to protists. Further, we analyzed the concentration and properties of AgNPs for the total time of exposure. We found that the addition of AgNPs even at a low dose affected the plankton communities. Specifically, the growth of Synechococcus was inhibited and bacterial community composition significantly changed. Additionally, the amount of a lysogeny-related gene increased and viral auxiliary metabolic genes that are involved in cyanobacterial photosynthesis decreased, revealing a damaged photosynthetic potential after AgNP exposure. Microbial plankton was significantly affected due to both increased dissolved silver ions and decreased AgNP size. Our results highlight that the release of AgNPs alters the functioning of the marine food web by hampering important viral and bacterial processes.</p

Experiment design and bacterial abundance control extracellular H2O2 concentrations during four series of mesocosm experiments

The extracellular concentration of H2O2 in surface aquatic environments is controlled by a balance between photochemical production and the microbial synthesis of catalase and peroxidase enzymes to remove H2O2 from solution. In any kind of incubation experiment, the formation rates and equilibrium concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROSs) such as H2O2 may be sensitive to both the experiment design, particularly to the regulation of incident light, and the abundance of different microbial groups, as both cellular H2O2 production and catalase–peroxidase enzyme production rates differ between species. Whilst there are extensive measurements of photochemical H2O2 formation rates and the distribution of H2O2 in the marine environment, it is poorly constrained how different microbial groups affect extracellular H2O2 concentrations, how comparable extracellular H2O2 concentrations within large-scale incubation experiments are to those observed in the surface-mixed layer, and to what extent a mismatch with environmentally relevant concentrations of ROS in incubations could influence biological processes differently to what would be observed in nature. Here we show that both experiment design and bacterial abundance consistently exert control on extracellular H2O2 concentrations across a range of incubation experiments in diverse marine environments. During four large-scale (>1000 L) mesocosm experiments (in Gran Canaria, the Mediterranean, Patagonia and Svalbard) most experimental factors appeared to exert only minor, or no, direct effect on H2O2 concentrations. For example, in three of four experiments where pH was manipulated to 0.4–0.5 below ambient pH, no significant change was evident in extracellular H2O2 concentrations relative to controls. An influence was sometimes inferred from zooplankton density, but not consistently between different incubation experiments, and no change in H2O2 was evident in controlled experiments using different densities of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus grazing on the diatom Skeletonema costatum (<1 % change in [H2O2] comparing copepod densities from 1 to 10 L−1). Instead, the changes in H2O2 concentration contrasting high- and low-zooplankton incubations appeared to arise from the resulting changes in bacterial activity. The correlation between bacterial abundance and extracellular H2O2 was stronger in some incubations than others (R2 range 0.09 to 0.55), yet high bacterial densities were consistently associated with low H2O2. Nonetheless, the main control on H2O2 concentrations during incubation experiments relative to those in ambient, unenclosed waters was the regulation of incident light. In an open (lidless) mesocosm experiment in Gran Canaria, H2O2 was persistently elevated (2–6-fold) above ambient concentrations; whereas using closed high-density polyethylene mesocosms in Crete, Svalbard and Patagonia H2O2 within incubations was always reduced (median 10 %–90 %) relative to ambient waters

Climate Change Impact on Biodiversity and Ecosystems in Europe: Assessing the impact of Non-Indigenous Invasive Species (NIS) in European ecosystems

This Science Project (SP) contributes to the estimation of the impacts of the invasive species on the European Biodiversity and Ecosystems. This topic is important for European Green Deal and the new European Biodiversity Strategy. The SP is also linked with the socio-economic issues because of the NIS implications to the local ecosystems and their services, and their societal goods and services. Since many of the above impacts may be of local scale, they may alter common practices in circular economies. The SP is implemented by: (a) Combining different sources of data and information; (b) Using a dual workflow to analyse the data; (c) Integrating its resources with core EOSC services and potentially horizontal services available; (d) Engaging the relevant scientific communities. The users will be able to: (a) Analyse distribution patterns of invasive species from different sources of data; (b) Compare the above patterns; (c) Provide managerial suggestions to relevant authorities; (d) Build on the existing infrastructure to address more complex questions (e.g. future scenarios)