Welcome to the second free online course on aquatic Invasive Alien Species (IAS) from the GuardIAS project. After looking at prevention in our first course, this module focuses on Early Detection and Monitoring.
Course description
In our busy and connected world, prevention steps don’t always work perfectly. When an alien species managed to slip through, we have to act fast to find it before it settles in and causes damage. This course gives you a solid foundation for understanding how to spot and handle these species in marine and freshwater habitats.
You won’t be studying alone on this journey! Alice, an experienced member of our GuardIAnS team, will guide you through the course with helpful tips, information, and advice to make sure you succeed.
Enrol in this MOOC, get the certificate, and become a Guardian!
Course Objectives
The main goal is to help you understand the basics, techniques, and limits of finding and tracking aquatic invasive species so we can make better management decisions.
Specifically, you will:
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Learn about common methods used for early detection and tracking.
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Understand the main challenges and limits of doing this work in water environments.
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See how different countries collect, store, and report this tracking data.
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Get a preview of new modern technologies being built within the GuardIAS project.
Course programme
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Introduction to the Course: Learn about the project, how to navigate the slides, and key training goals.
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Teaching Unit 1 (Surveillance): Basic concepts, terminology, and what legal regulations say about tracking species (including EU rules).
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Teaching Unit 2 (Early Detection & Monitoring): Different tracking approaches, how to plan a fieldwork campaign, and dealing with data uncertainty
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Teaching Unit 3 (Applicability and Limitations): Using these tracking tools continuously and the real-world challenges involved.
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Closure: A quick wrap-up and a look at what is coming next in the training series.
Accessing the Course
GuardIAS MOOCs are hosted at the ECM platform of the University of Pavia (UNIPV). The ECM Offices are approved providers for Continuous Training. This is the virtual environment in which you will find all the materials and necessary steps to successfully complete the course.
For more information on accessing and completing the course, please see GuardIAS MOOC Guidelines
