GuardIAS
@guardias.bsky.social
Guarding European Waters from Invasive Alien Species Horizon Europe project supporting the EU IAS Regulation in the marine and freshwater environments by offering solutions that address every phase of the invasion process #bioinvasions
🔔 Registration is open for the second #GuardIAS Virtual Conference, hosted in collaboration with @invasivesnet.bsky.social 🔔 For more details on the programme, key dates, and submissions, visit: guardias.eu/welcome-to-t... #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions #InvasiveAlienSpecies
Ecological roulette in the Strait of Hormuz: “Species will certainly be departing the Persian Gulf on and in ships—that’s the inevitable part,” said Jim Carlton. “But we have a difficult time predicting when and where invasions will occur.” #bioinvasions insideclimatenews.org/news/0108202...
A Fleet Idled by Conflict Is Now Spinning an ‘Ecological Roulette’ Across the World’s Ports - Inside Climate News
Vessels stalled for months in the Strait of Hormuz are fouled with marine life. Scientists agree some will seed species invasions as the ships disperse. What they can’t say is whether anyone would not...
insideclimatenews.org
🌊 New paper out! Our Pan-Mediterranean larval collectors network reveals the ongoing spread of the invasive pearl oyster Pinctada radiata and shows how larval collectors can detect invasions years before field observations. doi.org/10.1016/j.ma... #InvasiveSpecies #MarineEcology #bioinvasions
Data gathering that took 1–2 weeks now takes ~1 hour with the new multi-agent AI tool built by Samuel Vander Velpen (@vicuniwgtn.bsky.social) for #GuardIAS to accelerate research on #InvasiveAlienSpecies. Demo: gias-tool.streamlit.app GitHub: github.com/Nelson-AI-Labs/GIAS.git
Have you registered yet? 👇
INVASIVESNET@invasivesnet.bsky.social · last mo.Free registration for the 2nd GuardIAS Virtual Conference is OPEN! The conference will take place on 19-20 November on Zoom. Abstracts submission is open until 14th September. More information scanning the QR code. Spread the word and stay tune for news! @guardias.bsky.social
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OneSTOP@onestop-project.eu · 4w ago🦋 Are you passionate about tackling #IAS? Get the latest updates of the ways we support #IAS management in Europe delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter 📬 🔗 The next issue is just around the corner, subscribe now to get it first: dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/128157...
Atlantic blue crabs are proliferating in Italian lagoons under climate change. “They completely destroy clam farms. They completely eat all the seeds, even larger Manila clams,” said an ecologist. “They completely disrupt the ecological network.” #bioinvasions www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-...
An American blue crab took over Italian lagoons. Now fishers are looking for new careers
he crustacean — a prized seafood in Maryland, elsewhere along the US eastern seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico — had overrun the Po Delta, devouring the cultural staple that once provided a livelihood f...
ctvnews.ca
🎉 Great to see #GuardIAS innovation in action! Our #BRUV (baited remote underwater camera) + hydrophone system is now supporting #CaRe-GR surveys in the Ionian Sea, combining video & #UnderwaterAcoustics to improve #biodiversity monitoring and #IAS detection. 🌊🎙️ #Bioacoustics #MarineEcology
CaRe-GR project@care-gr.bsky.social · 2w ago🎥🎙️🐟 We're listening beneath the waves! During CaRe-GR surveys, our #BRUV (baited remote underwater camera)+ hydrophone system records marine life and the sounds of Mediterranean rocky reefs. After Parga, Corfu, Paxos & Lefkada, we continue to Kefalonia, Zakynthos & beyond! 🌊 #CaReGR #MarineScience 🧪
On 25–26 May 2026, the second #GuardIAS best-practice workshop took place in Florence, Italy. Over 30 participants shared their experience on invasive crayfish management. The session also marked the start of a new community for crayfish management. Read more 👉 guardias.eu/guardias-wor...
Latest data on the African clawed frog 🐸 How do you find a cryptic invader hiding in thick mud? #GuardIAS is using advanced eDNA barcoding & "quicklime" treatments to protect Belgian wetlands. 🔗 Read the case study and factsheet: guardias.eu/case-study-3... #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions
The global spread of this beetle “will fundamentally alter ecosystem structure and landscape dynamics wherever it gains a foothold.” I also expect it will exacerbate the urban heat island effect by reducing the tree canopy in every city it invades. #bioinvasions www.science.org/content/arti...
Tree-killing beetle is spreading to urban forests around the world
As researchers piece together the pest’s global trek, countries are working to contain the growing threat
science.org
we are entering into the #Invasivecene, exacerbated by #climatechange. Here, in the Bay of Biscay we have many invasives growing: Rugulopteryx okamurae, Sargassum muticum, some planarians, bivalves, etc. #MarineEcoology #Research
CaRe-GR project@care-gr.bsky.social · 3w ago🦁🐟 #Lionfish everywhere! During our Ionian Sea surveys, #CaRe-GR recorded widespread Pterois miles, along with Diadema setosum and invasive rabbitfish (Siganus luridus & S. rivulatus). Controlling these invaders is key to protecting Mediterranean reefs. #MarineEcology #bioinvasions #InvasiveSpecies
🦁🐟 #Lionfish everywhere! During our Ionian Sea surveys, #CaRe-GR recorded widespread Pterois miles, along with Diadema setosum and invasive rabbitfish (Siganus luridus & S. rivulatus). Controlling these invaders is key to protecting Mediterranean reefs. #MarineEcology #bioinvasions #InvasiveSpecies
Quote: "Invasions are not just about which species arrive, but about how multiple newcomers interact with one another once they do. Co-invasions can affect ecological communities far beyond what single-species approaches predict." #bioinvasions #invasivespecies www.anoleannals.org/2026/06/14/i...
Invaders Don’t Come Alone: Rethinking Biological Invasions Through Co-invasion
Species invasions are usually studied one at a time, but ecosystems rarely have that luxury. This project began with a simple frustration: while reading about invasive predators, invasive competito…
anoleannals.org
That’s a wrap on the 2026 #GuardIAS #SummerSchool at Nord University in Bodø, Norway! 🇳🇴🧬 A huge thank you to all the brilliant trainers and trainees for a busy and productive week 👏 🔗 Read the full recap: guardias.eu/highlights-f... #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions #InvasiveAlienSpecies
🦁🐟 The #GuardIAS lionfish case study is featured by Ethnos! Discover how science, targeted removals, citizen engagement and sustainable consumption support the management of this #InvasiveSpecies in the #Mediterranean. www.ethnos.gr/foodanddrink... guardias.eu/case-study-7... #bioinvasions
Λεοντόψαρο: Η θαλάσσια απειλή και το στοίχημα της γαστρονομίας
Το Πανεπιστήμιο Αιγαίου πραγματοποιεί τον Οκτώβριο στη Σαντορίνη μια πρωτότυπη εκπαιδευτική και γαστρονομική διοργάνωση με πρωταγωνιστή το ξενικό ψάρι-εισβολέα
ethnos.gr
🐟 Lionfish event - From Threat to Opportunity! Leaders, chefs & University of the Aegean met in Santorini to plan an Oct 2026 event turning invasive lionfish into sustainable seafood. Organised by the #GuardIAS project to protect local marine biodiversity. #InvasiveSpecies #IAS #BioInvasions
82% fewer invasive crayfish in Italy 🦞📉 #GuardIAS is proving that precision trapping and community action can stop the red swamp crayfish in Tuscany & Lombardy. Read the case study and grab the factsheet: 🔗 guardias.eu/case-study-1... #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions #InvasiveAlienSpecies
💻🧬 Day 5 of the #GuardIAS #SummerSchool ended with bioinformatics labs. After a week spanning fieldwork, qPCR/ddPCR, metabarcoding, policy and ethics, thanks to Nord University, all trainers and trainees for an inspiring experience and excellent collaboration! 👏 #eDNA @joostraeymaekers.bsky.social
🌍⚖️ Day 5 of the #GuardIAS #SummerSchool tackled ethics and governance in #eDNA research. From the CBD and Nagoya Protocol to the debate on digital sequence information as a genetic resource, participants explored challenges for biodiversity science, equity and data sharing.
💻🧬 Day 4 of the #GuardIAS #SummerSchool continued with #bioinformatics! From HTS data processing and ASVs to the MJOLNIR pipeline, participants explored how millions of DNA reads become biodiversity data for #eDNA monitoring, biosecurity and invasion science. #Metabarcoding
🧬📜 eDNA is moving from research to policy! At the #GuardIAS #SummerSchool, @teuneverts.bsky.social explored how #eDNA can support early detection, rapid response and implementation of EU invasion policies, including Reg. 1143/2014, while highlighting challenges in standardization and acceptance.
🧪🧬 Day 4 of the #GuardIAS #SummerSchool started with a lab session on #qPCR! Participants gained hands-on experience with assay design, amplification, controls and data interpretation, learning how qPCR supports sensitive #eDNA detection for biodiversity #monitoring and #biosecurity.
🧬🚀 From room-sized sequencers to palm-sized devices! At the #GuardIAS #SummerSchool, Anastasija Zaiko explored advances in #eDNA technologies, from NGS to CRISPR biosurveillance, and future trends including AI, autonomous sampling and integrated multi-omics. #Genomics
🧬📊 How quantitative is quantitative eDNA? At the #GuardIAS #SummerSchool, Teun Everts explored the promise and pitfalls of estimating species densities from eDNA, from ddPCR and qPCR to transport, shedding rates and emerging tools such as eDITH. #eDNA #Biomonitoring
🧬🔬 Day 3 at the #GuardIAS #SummerSchool explored eDNA analytics with Raakel Blaalid: target species detection vs metabarcoding, high-throughput sequencing, and the challenges of reference databases, from mislabelling to missing taxa and low taxonomic resolution. #eDNA
🧬 Day 2 of the #GuardIAS #SummerSchool continued in the lab with hands-on #ddPCR training. Participants analysed samples from an experimental setup, gaining experience with a powerful tool for sensitive #eDNA detection and aquatic biosecurity.
New #GuardIAS MOOC: Aquatic Invasive Species Detection & Monitoring! 🌊🦀 Learn how to monitor #InvasiveAlienSpecies, plan field surveys, and trigger early warning systems to protect aquatic habitats. 👉 Register for free today: guardias.eu/guardias-pro... #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions
🌊🧬 Day 2 of the #GuardIAS #SummerSchool went into the field! At a marina and nearby river in Bodø, participants practiced eDNA sampling using filters, syringes, persistaltic pumps, and POMPOMs, discussing protocols, contamination prevention and how sampling design should match the research question.
🧬🌊 Designing #eDNA surveillance starts with a clear question. At the #GuardIAS #SummerSchool, we explored sampling strategies, active vs passive methods, scalable marine solutions, natural samplers, and how eDNA supports early detection and eradication of #IAS.
