Across Europe’s rivers, lakes, and seas, invasive alien species are reshaping ecosystems faster than we can respond – GuardIAS aims to help change that. By combining artificial intelligence, environmental DNA, robotics, applied gaming, advanced modelling, and hands-on citizen science, GuardIAS is developing practical, science-based tools to prevent, detect, and manage aquatic invasions at every stage of the invasion pathway. From early warning systems and smarter monitoring to real-world eradication trials and community engagement, our work bridges research, policy, and society to help safeguard Europe’s waters for the future.
The inaugural GuardIAS newsletter offers a tour through the project’s early momentum and what lies ahead. Inside, readers will find updates from our eleven case studies across Europe, progress on the GuardIAS Intelligence Analyst System, highlights from education and citizen science initiatives, upcoming training opportunities, and key events where GuardIAS is shaping the international invasion science agenda. It is a snapshot of a growing community working at the science–policy–society interface to deliver practical solutions for aquatic invasive species management.
Stelios Katsanevakis, GuardIAS Coordinator
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Explore the contents
Case Study Updates
- Case study 1: Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii)
- Case study 2: Marbled crayfish (Procambarus virginalis)
- Case study 3: African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis)
- Case study 4: American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)
- Case study 5: Parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum)
- Case study 6: Humpback (pink) salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)
- Case study 7: Lionfish (Pterois miles)
- Case study 10: Wakeme (Undaria pinnatifida)
- Case study 11: Rugulopteryx okamurae
MOOCs and Citizen Science
- Inside the GuardIAS MOOCs: A Q&A with Your Guide, Alice
- 169 Participants from 20 Countries Join the First GuardIAS MOOC
- Social Performing Arts to Promote Citizen Science Regarding IAS and the Importance of Biodiversity in the River Ecosystems in Lombardy, Italy
- What’s growing under your boat?: Marina events for boaters and marina personnel
Technology, Events, and Summer School 2026
- How G.I.A.S. is Revolutionising Data Gathering for Invasive Species
- The Inaugural GuardIAS Conference: A Global Conversation on Invasive Alien Species
- Join GuardIAS through its iNaturalist project
- Summer School 2026: Guarding Aquatic Ecosystems against Invasive Alien species using eDNA
- Meet OneSTOP: Tackling terrestrial invasive species across Europe
GuardIAS and INVASIVESNET Publications
- Publications directly linked to GuardIAS tasks, which form the scientific backbone of the project and span multiple work packages.
- Externally led, open-access studies published via INVASIVESNET that align with our goals and expand the global evidence base.
International Conferences 2026
- The 61st Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association Conference [24-27 August 2026, Brussels, Belgium]
- The 24th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species (ICAIS) [23-27 August 2026, Belfast, Northern Ireland]
- The NEOBIOTA 2026 conference [7-11 September 2026, Brussels]
