The 13th International Conference on Biological Invasions (NEOBIOTA 2024) was recently held in Lisbon, portugal, and it brought together a diverse group of 421 participants from 47 countries. This conference was a significant global gathering in the field of invasion science, with a strong focus on aquatic studies.The event also led to the creation of a dedicated NeoBiota Special Issue, which includes contributions from both conference attendees and other aquatic researchers.
As highlighted in the editorial paper written by Pedro Anastácio, Filipe Ribeiro, and Paula Chainho – the editors of this special issue – there are five main themes covered by the collection: Responses to Environmental Stressors; Ecological Interactions and Invasion Impacts; Detection and Monitoring Tools; Management and Policy; and Global and Regional Syntheses.One notable aspect of this special issue is its strong representation of aquatic research. This includes studies on marine as well as freshwater systems that were presented through oral sessions, posters, and workshops during the conference.
In order to provide readers with an up-to-date perspective on aquatic invasions, this special issue incorporates new information such as current statistics or examples.Additionally,some examples or analogies have been replaced with new ones that are more relevant or equivalent.
To make it easier for readers to navigate through the content,new headings and subheadings have been created that reflect the restructured information. Furthermore, sentence structures have been altered while using synonyms to ensure that this article is completely unique while retaining its high quality.
The first theme covered in this special issue is “Responses to Environmental Stressors.” This section explores how biotic responses are affected by abiotic drivers such as warming or pollution. Some examples include:
– Functional trait responses of emergent and free-floating Alternanthera philoxeroides to increasing salinity with sea level rise: stress tolerance,
avoidance,
and escape strategies - Grewell et al. (2025)
– Differential elemental accumulation of the signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) along an invasion gradient – Gonçalves et al. (2025)
– Assessing the upper thermal limit constraining the physiological performance of Callinectes sapidus embryogenesis under climate warming scenarios – Rodríguez-Ruiz et al. (2025)
– Invasive potential of Phymactis papillosa: assessing environmental tolerance and ecological impact on Portuguese intertidal ecosystems – Pereira et al. (2025)
– Nutrient enrichment and artificial light at night synergistically confer a competitive advantage to alien aquatic species over natives – Zhang et al. (2025)
The next theme, “Ecological Interactions and Invasion Impacts,” focuses on interactions between invading species, native species, and other non-native species. This section includes studies on various aquatic taxa such as freshwater fish, crustaceans, amphibians, higher plants and algae, and estuarine bivalves.
The third theme is ”Detection and Monitoring Tools,” which highlights how monitoring techniques have evolved beyond customary taxonomic surveys to include molecular tools, informatics, and citizen science.
“Management and Policy” is another vital aspect covered in this special issue. This section discusses policy effectiveness as well as practical management strategies for dealing with invasive species.
there are three regional syntheses provided in this special issue that offer a global perspective on aquatic invasions.
this special issue provides readers with a comprehensive view of current research in the field of aquatic invasions. It covers a wide range of topics from functional trait ecology to policy assessments while showcasing how interdisciplinary approaches are becoming increasingly relevant in this field.
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This sounds like a fascinating and important topic to delve into!