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The University of Murcia (UMU) coordinates an international project that aims to increase public awareness of the entry of invasive species into aquatic systems.

An ambitious project through which tools that favor the management and control of invasive species in Spain and Portugal can be developed.

Those that are located outside of their natural habitat, have entered intentionally or accidentally are considered to be an exotic species.

Many of them do not adapt to the territory and, therefore, they do not manage to survive, but others disperse in an uncontrolled manner, giving rise to biological invasions that endanger the native species and ecosystems, especially aquatic ones.

Invasive species can also cause important socioeconomic problems that are difficult to solve.

This reality is present in the peninsula.

The rivers, lakes and estuaries of Spain and Portugal are threatened by the spread of this type of species.

"Recreational uses, sport fishing activities or water pipes are among some of the reasons for spreading, but a large part of the public, public officials and other key actors are unaware of the threat they pose," says Francisco José Oliva Paterna, project coordinator and researcher at the Department of Zoology of the UMU.

Currently the effects of these invasive species are the second cause of biodiversity loss worldwide, and are considered to be responsible for 40% of the extinctions produced since the sixteenth century, according to data from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). ).

Faced with this growing problem, the LIFE INVASAQUA project will seek to increase the awareness of citizens and develop tools capable of alerting early, favoring a rapid response in the management of these species in freshwater ecosystems.

Among the objectives of this project is to try to improve the implementation of the regulations created by the European Union for the management of invasives and develop a strategy that allows to apply it effectively in both countries.

In addition, among its many activities will allow to involve the population through citizen participation initiatives to monitor the appearance of these species through mobile applications and websites.

This project, funded by the European LIFE program and lasting until 2023, is coordinated by the UMU and has the active participation of ochosocios: Agencia EFE, IUCN-Med, National Museum of Natural Sciences-CSIC, Iberian Society of Ichthyology (SIBIC) , University of Évora, University of Navarra, University of Santiago de Compostelay and the Portuguese Association of Environmental Education (ASPEA).

Source: Universidad de Murcia