Invasive alien species are a growing concern for inland water ecosystems across the Iberian Peninsula. A coordinated effort led by Life Invasaqua tracks the presence of exotic invertebrates, plants, algae, and fungi. The latest inventory indicates about 300 exotic and introduced organisms in Spain and Portugal in 2021, rising slightly to 306 in 2022, with ongoing monitoring that includes new findings within this project.
Species foreign to Iberian ecosystems threaten native wildlife and plant life. These aliens compete for habitat and resources, and their spread often accompanies declines in native populations, at times pushing some species toward extinction.
The study involved 65 experts from roughly thirty Spanish and Portuguese institutions and was published in NeoBiota, a leading journal in the field of biological invasions. The work reflects the collaborative effort of researchers across the region to understand how exotic species establish themselves and what that means for conservation and management.
The most current inventory was explained by Francisco Oliva, a Life Invasaqua coordinator and University of Murcia professor, who noted that the presence of IAS in Iberian water systems provides a fundamental basis for evaluating state and European regulations aimed at protection and restoration.
A total of 326 exotic species were identified in rivers, reservoirs, lagoons, and estuaries. Of these, 215 are already established in the wild, 96 are in an uncertain state of establishment, and 15 are classified as cryptogenic taxa, meaning their biogeographic history cannot be clearly labeled native or exotic for a given location.
Crabs, molluscs and fish, especially
Among the most numerous groups are arthropods such as the American red crab and the blue crab, mollusks including zebra mussels and Asian clams, and vertebrates, especially various fish like catfish, carp, and gambusia. The study highlights that most introductions have occurred in recent years, underscoring the urgent need for preventive measures and rapid responses to invasive exotics.
American crabs are becoming more common, a trend reported by European media as the issue gains visibility in public discourse.
Only roughly a quarter of the listed species appear in national catalogs of invasive exotic species for Spain and Portugal. In response, the authors emphasize the value of such inventories for updating national catalogs and advocate for transnational strategies that address biological invasions across neighboring EU states.
Co-funded by European funds, Life Invasaqua has operated for five years to raise public awareness about IAS in freshwater and estuary systems in Spain and Portugal, stressing the importance of coordinated action among parties and sectors to curb these invasions.
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